Saleen says the S5S Raptor has the potential for production

Posted: Apr 30, 2008

Filed under: Industry News, Tuner Cars

The Saleen S5S turned major heads at the 2008 New York Auto Show. But the question on everyone’s mind is whether or not this sleek concept car will ever enter production. Speaking to Automobile, Chris Theodore, Ford’s former head of North American product development and now Saleen’s vice chairman and CTO (chief technical officer), said that the Saleen S5S Raptor concept has serious potential to be a production model.

“Yes, the car has the potential for reality. We are well aware that the sweet spot in supercars is between about $150K and $200K,” said Theodore in an interview with Automobile.

Power for the Saleen S5S Raptor comes from a 5.0L supercharged V8 running on ethanol producing 650-hp and 630lb-ft of torque. The car is capable of 0-60 in the low 3-second range.

He said that Saleen designed the car around a ‘feasible business model’ and wanted to see the market’s reaction to such a model. Theodore was quick to mention that Saleen has not decided whether they want to build the car, however, he said that if the company does decide to build it a prototype could be ready for testing in 6 months.

Saleen S5S Raptor: