This is EXACTLY what a cross between an F430 and Gallardo would look like. Well done, Saleen, ripping off the big boys is a reasonable strategy.

^^ i doubt that rear end got inspiration from anything decent.

Wow. Nice. Love the headlamps , the shape , the specs, and those wheels . Not sure about the tailamps . Final verdict?
I’d take one of these anyday over a Ferrari or Lambo.

**** yea. looks sick.

**** a4, **** lp, **** ricardohead, **** ss4life. **** flr.

its ok seems under powered.

Looks really cool, although parts of it really look like they copied the Lambo.

IMO this is what a new NSX should look like (it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the front).

wow. that is awesome! go saleen!

Keep in mind these guys are low volume and budget, an offering like this from a company of their scale, is rather impressive.

Absolute stunner, but I am over LED lights, makes everything look like Las Vegas.

underpowered? we don’t even know how much this weighs yet- the Lotus Elise is also “underpowered” but it beats all kinds of cars on the road

They ripped off the Audi R8 LED headlights!

Design-wise, it’s right up there with Lambo and Ferrari. The reason I would go for this over one of those would be the fact that it’s a new design that hasn’t been around for long. Lambo or Ferrari haven’t come out with something too exciting in a few years now. Performance-wise, I think it would be satisfactory for my daily drive ;). But if I were to afford such a car, I’d probably buy it for more than just a daily home-work-home route.

wwwooowww!!!

Looks like a lamborghini, but not stylish

I don’t care if it does look like it was taken from other supercars, this thing looks ****ing awesome.

Besides, America needs more home-grown supercars.

wow, this is great, front end kinda looks like a noble/lambo and the rear looks like pininfarina
good choices

im just glad that an American company stepped up to make an nice exotic car. epecially with the constant ‘Italian made’ ass kissing i hear….

Nice, I loved the Saleen S7 and I’m sure this will be just as amazing. I noticed the comment about how the front LED’s look like they were taken from Audi. What about the rear lights? It looks like it was copied directly from the Acura NSX. Still a nice car and anything that Saleen makes, (exception with their Mustangs) I love.

Looks like someone hacked agent09’s LLN as well. LP or whoever it is you aren’t fooling anyone. F. U.

The side profile reminds me of the Tommy Kaira ZZ2. That’s the first car that popped into my mind.

Correction: ZZII (2)

For some reason I don’t find this car much of a standout except that it is just a very clean and elegant design. It’s not a busy collection of elements like the S7 was. Not a bad design then but it got old with me real fast.

It is very well thought out if formulaic. Comparisons to A Ferrari 430 or Lamborghini Gallardo is not misplaced. They are very handsome cars themselves but then it like sitting some movie stars next to each other. They really do look a lot like. The S5S fits in with the F430 and the Gallardo neatly.

This is a very lovely car. A bit plastic looking, like most newer Ferrari’s, but a very appealing and possibly timeless look. This car feels good to look at, at least.

SS4LIFE,

You can change your ID-handle to anything you want, even if someone else is using said ID-handle. LLN never put in control to prevent that. Otherwise, the trouble we had over the last week never could have happened.

Hopefully now, someone over there is at least stopping in at least once a day to make sure things are stay “kosher” or close to it.

C6Racer,

I thought of the current Mitsubishi Eclipse and couple of their Candidate concepts for it’s replacement… and a Ferrari 308 GTB.

oh ok EijiO1, I didn’t know that. Yeah that was horrible last week to the point of where it wasn’t even funny.

I like it, but it’s like every other supercar. They’ve become to look more generic than the mid-size sedan category, which may even surpass this.

It reminds me of a Ford GT40 & the lights around the rear spoiler have me thinking about the Acura NSX. Over all I like it a lot more then the first car he did.

It’s not better looking then Maserati with price tag of 125K. Where can I drive 120 mph not to mention 200? Bonneville?

Another heart stopper from Saleen.
Wish I could rent one.

I like it.

No. Sorry. I LOVE IT.Beautiful. Definitely world class.

Nice…

Pure American sex.

Shades of NSX, F430 & Gallardo. The front looks like an F430 that swallowed something it shouldn’t have and is grinning about it.

The back end looks like an NSX rear put on a Gallardo front.

Overall, I like the design, although it immediately struck me as not having a truly original design, but more of an interpretation of very good looking surfaces.

Underpowered is relative, but in this segment (430 and Gallardo), 650 hp is definitely on the high end. Overall, nicely done. I wonder how much input Steve Saleen had in it–was it designed before he was bought out?

Oh wow, what the hell is going on with that rear end?

What made the S7 special is that it stood out in a crowd of supercars, you could always pick the S7 apart. The only thing that sets this particular model apart from other supercars is that horribly designed rear end.
Also, what retard thinks this car is underpowered?

The more Saleens and Koenigs the better, F the establishment.

I wonder if Saleen is also working on a totally new and original mainstream coupe to place in instead of their super-’Stangs. It would help them become a stand alone company to reckon with.

^^^ HAHA AMEN!

I second that on Saleen working on a mainstreem coupe EijiO1.

Only problem with that notion is Saleen would be entering one of the most competitive markets out there. Almost every automotive company has a car to compete in this segment. And if this is supposedly a 430 fighter then Saleen would have quite the challenge to offer something to rival a 911, ZR1, ZO6, GT-R etc.

nicely executed! ^_^

I don’t car what their claims are or if this cartoon on wheels could beat a Ferrari 430. I’d take the Ferrari over this every time.
Italia Power Baby!

SS4LIFE,

If you mean price wise, I would disagree… though maybe not strongly. Saleen could easily grow into America’s Ferrari, if they really want it badly enough. While I don’t like the S7, for a number of reasons, It was a very strong preforming if occasionally fragile, car. They could do it.

But going down to at least Specialty Mustang prices, then they might start having a problem. I don’t see Saleen making a $25K car, but they could do quite while at around $50K-$70K.

Oh if those engine specs are right, then this engine is awfully slow. A high-revving engine is more important than raw power. Though it would make driving the car easier, it also limits the cars top speed.

If it made those output numbers around 1000 and 2000 RPMs higher then I might not be so concerned. But seeing the specs on some of the newer super sports cars and especially the LF-A, SALEEN needs to look at their engine and consider a faster engine to make a faster car.

When I first saw the drawing for this car I wasn’t impressed but after seeing the actual concept at the show it doesn’t look half bad. If I was to criticize it, I’d have to say lose the glass roof and maybe change the rear half of the car but keep the taillights.

There is no such thing as a Ferrari Killer.

exactly deutschetouring1337.

“Power in the hands of few” WTF?? I dont want that!

The rear LED lights are hideous.

How can you tell from the picture and few figures how good this thing is on the road? Its ridiculous.

This is nowhere near the Gallardo or F430 and never will be, simply because its american.

THE END

Looks a bit mental, not sure whether i’d have one or not though.

Perfect

Rear end is fine… a little out there, but with those beefy rear arches it’s stance is great and the assend just looks like a deformed lambo…

Black X, please excuse yourself, because no one else will. Your comment is ignorant and unfounded…If not for America and our love for motorsports, Ferrari and Lamborghini wouldn’t exist because guess what scooter? We buy the majority of them! THE END

With that HP and at just under 3400 pounds, and, not an unimportant factor, using cellulosic ethanol fuel, this is a ground-breaking vehicle for sure. To not have to burn oil and still have those numbers, they’ll sell all of these they can make. Nice work.

I saw it in person, and it looks fabulous!

Looks cool, but I don’t get it why it says F430 killer, because considering the power/weight ratio and the acceleration this is not competing with the F430 and Gallardo, but maybe with Enzo. Damn stupid marketing stuff!!! Nissan Skyline GT-R really came with the same power as 911 Turbo (almost 500BHP), but this is with more than 150BHP powerful than F430!!! The same way I can say McLaren F1 competes with Audi TT and of course the TT is dead meat before the lights go green!!!

This thing looks killer. I like the F430, but this thing makes the F430 look as stodgy as a Camry by comparison. It should sell well in Newport Beach where everyone has a Ferrari, and if you want to be different and noticed, you’ll need one of these.

@ CleanGTO:

AMEN!

CleanGTO this only prooves my point. You americans buy European cars because you cant make decent sports cars by yourself.

This is just American crap.
Ferraris are designed by god, add ten years to your life and 2 inches to your dick. Not to mention they defy gravity and several other laws of physics.

Couldnt agree more

Lol!

This car is ugly, but I’m sure it’s fast

Anyone who feels Ferraris and such are better aren’t going to like looking at this things taillights in a race. Just like S7 and Aero owners cruise past the Germitalian cars.

Love it, beautiful lines….i love how defensive the world gets when America comes out with a pivitol car. Black X / SwerveEarly get over yoursleves, where did you get that “Us Americans” buy European cars cuz we cant make decend sports cars? **Z06**… find me a European car that could match the Z06 in performance for the same price or shut it…..

AmericanMade, I know its hard to admit it but still.. Z06 is a great car even its running on leaf springs.. BUT it only works on the track. You can not use it every day because of boneshaking ride, horrible tyre roar, unconfortable seats, everytime you set off its like being hit by a wrecking ball, stereo is bull****, fuel economy too etc.. European cars costs 2 or 3 times more because you can use them every day in traffic jams going to work and at the weekend take them on the track.

BlackX,

Can’t and don’t are two very different things. You may wish to ignore the fact that America simply does not have the same sort of Car makers Europe does, but every time America steps up Europe steps down. Even if it is for a year or two.

Only recently, the last decade or so, have smaller more focused car makers like SALEEN made themselves more apparent. It’s only going to get harder for Europe over time.

Reputation and image will give way as well as these newer smaller companies pay their dues.

America made the cars the world wanted to bet before. That day is coming again and sooner than most would dream or be willing to admit to.

EijiO1, you are living in a pink dream. Have you ever driven a Ferrari, a Lambo or even a Porsche? Have you ever driven Saleen? It obvious you havent. How can you compare those cars then? Sometimes its better to remain silence.

Hey Black X,

Maybe you should start taking your own advice as your abvisouly talking out of your ASS…and i said “**Z06**… find me a European car that could match the Z06 in performance for the same price or shut it…..” so i suggest you shut it…

Not a “pink dream”, BlackX, just looking further down the road. But I have driven a 996-911 Carrera S, and a C6 Z06. Admittedly a Ferrari and Lamborghini are outside my experience, but in either case, I doubt you have driven a SALEEN S7. Maybe the MUSTANG S281E and on PS2.

The greater majority of Sports car owners do not downplay other sports cars. They simply adore the one they have, lament the ones they don’t, and think of others as interesting. That’s my experience.

But then I know nothing about you other than your uninformed fan-worship of obvious super car names. Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche have been on the short end of the stick for years. If you hadn’t noticed that then you are just a fan-boy. America and Japan are catching up fast. Only a blind fan would not see this or ignore it.

That is a mark of a neophyte.

On the other hand, I love sports cars period. But I like to see change. I get very bored hearing “Ferrari this” and “Porsche that” over and over again. I enjoy hearing from newer names like Koenigsegg (European) and Fisker (European), and names you normally don’t hear in the same sentence as past favorites, Like CHEVROLET CORVETTE, DODGE VIPER, NISSAN GT-R, and others.

Instead of apparently trying to be a deliberate jackass, just enjoy the arrival of yet another bad-ass car, regardless of who made it and where it was made.

You dont get it do you? Z06 is a track car, I dont give a **** about the price because I dont live on the track. If I did for the same money I would rather have Porsche GT3 or Noble M15.

Here is my answer Porsche GT3 and Noble M15.

That rear is ugly. Horrible

EijiO1, I like Z06, I like Viper and I always did, I adore GT-R and I think its better than the overpriced Porsche Turbo. Talking about Z06 and Viper they are very fun cars on the track and thats one of the best things about them, but talking about the engineering perfection, Ferrari is in a different league and that is my whole point. Im not a fanboy of any brand, but Im a fan of good cars. I hope americans will pay more attention to comfort, quality and handling, not only on BHP and styling.

This car is AWESOME!!!!!!

BlackX,

I see your point of view… and I don’t disagree with the idea that if you pay $200K for a car it had better be one of the best. Unfortunately, that’s not what this is about. It’s about the “shock and awe” factor that the S5S represents. The utter disbelief that another small AMERICAN car company, SALEEN, could make a car that could threaten the much vaunted place you hold for Ferrari, Lamborghini, and the like.

The NISSAN GT-R did that to me. I got over that. You’ll get over this.

If $70K of CORVETTE will whup anything costing twice as much, makes you honestly feel like you are living the dream of driving your own race car, and do so with minimal fuss, then $190K may just put a hurt on everything else.

The American Sports Car has always but the “SPORTS” in all caps and first in the equation. Anything else never worked for the price offered. Even though DETROIT could deliver a EUROPEAN-style, top-drawer Supercar, The CHRYSLER ME412 comes to mind as one that could have been but wasn’t, it doesn’t happen, not because it can’t but because it isn’t really OUR way.

If you pay about $70K for a C6 Z06, the equation basically says you pay over $60K for the performance, and the rest is comfort. If you want more comfort look up customizers who will deck out you VETTE’s interior to put Ferrari and Lamborghini to same for a few grand more. But then it wouldn’t feel like a CORVETTE.

AMERICAN Sports cars are sports Equipment first, GM put more effort into making the C6 CORVETTE a more livable car than say the VIPER. However, it is still Sports Equipment first.

The S5S is will likely follow this model and be a stronger performer than a Ferrari or Lamborghini and not trick you into thinking you are buying a luxury car that happens to be fast. A car that, like the VIPER and CORVETTE, gives you the feeling of, to quote DR.Phil, ” driving a race car with a car” which I think most will find more fun in the end.

The point, Europe developed it’s own breed of Sports car, where the words “sports” and “luxury” are usually fairly equal. America puts the “Sports” in a higher priority more often.

As for your questions of Comfort, Quality, and Handling… Only a neophyte tries to make that argument because they don’t have any real life experience with those criteria. If you are looking of Comfort, buy a luxury car. For Quality, then drive the car for 100K miles treating it like you mean to keep it then ask again after that. Handling? Master the car fully. Learn to drive fast and learn drive every car you want to compare fast. After that, you can answer the question yourself.

There are thousands of different cars in the world. All meant to fulfill differing needs and tastes. You only limitation is how much you are willing and able to spend.

I’d comment on the pricing only… seeing as F430’s are sold new in the middle $200K at least, this car seems like a decent deal. but since it looks like a Gallardo/NSX crossbreed, no real heritage, and only 0.1 sec faster than a cheap GT-R… they probably wouldn’t be selling too many of these.

its ok seems under powered.
Comment by corvette
dont think so!
this car makes 650 hp, the fastest gallardo makes 560 hp, and the fastest f430 makes 520 (scuderia)
this car will be a great car no doubt, but it lacks the panache of the badge of ferrari and lambo.
also, it may not handle as well, but we shall see.
it is B E A UTIFUL

EijiO1, Im not saying that the S5S Raptor is bull****, I just cant understand how can you say from the few figures that this will be a Ferrari F430 killer. Lets say that american cars are made for americans to meet their needs and european cars for europeans to meet our needs now Im looking forward to buy GT-R which is the bargain of the year at least.

GT-R a bargain? Isnt dealer markup supposed to push the retail value of those things to well over double their worth?

AND BlackX,

“You dont get it do you? Z06 is a track car, I dont give a **** about the price because I dont live on the track. If I did for the same money I would rather have Porsche GT3 or Noble M15.

Here is my answer Porsche GT3 and Noble M15.”

Porsche GT3 Base = $106,000
Noble M15 Base = $129,000
COVETTE ZO6 Base = $ 70,175

Now i believe i said something along the lines of the “SAME PRICE”, not $30,000 to $60,000 more……so again, shut it….

that rear end looks like it was ripped off of a 99 honda accord coupe

Veda,

Considering that the waiting list of an F430, and most Ferraris, is like two years long, that the F460 is likely to ship before anyone who ordered the F430 this year is likely to get their’s, Considering that most people who have that kind of money will spend it regardless of “pedigree” or “heritage” which SALEEN’s is actually quite respectable in America, The S5S will sell just as well as any super car regardless of origin. Most people don’t buy a car at this level for it’s heritage. They do buy it because they think it’s cool, original, or just their style. Not everyone thinks the old stand-bys are for them.

Europe and other parts of the world are not my concern though they tend snap up American super sports cars, when they happen, just as fast as Americans with deep pockets maybe faster because they are the exotic imports over there.

Besides, selling such expensive cars, you are not going to sell very many. That’s the whole point. Exclusivity by price and availability. You have to go by percentage sold against units produced. Even then these type manufacturers do not build thousands a month but rather a few hundred a year and often strictly to order.

This is what has gotten Ferrari in some hot water because of their long waiting list. It’s cozy water, but it can have potential customers looking elsewhere if they feel they can not get a Ferrari when they want one. “I have $250K and I want a hot expensive car. But If I have to wait more than a few months, then forget it. I’ll look elsewhere. Maybe LAMBORGHINI, PORSCHE, MOSLER, SALEEN, SHELBY… “

AmericanMade, wake up in Europe Z06 costs $124,000.

AmericanMade, yes GT-R is a bargain even if it costs $140,000 because Porshe Turbo costs $220,000. Incredible that actual GT-R price is only $60,000, this is impressive.

the tail lights remind me of an acura NSX

Good, it should cost more in Europe, and wtf does the porsche turbo cost have to do with the GT-R? You said - “I dont give a **** about the price because I dont live on the track.” SHUT. IT.

LOL, AmericanMade eat less burgers maybe then you will understand. GT-R is a rival of a Turbo. Now I see that you are just a kid who needs to learn a lot before posting here.

Eat Less Burgers? Who you calling kid? I think your ASSUMING im American because i like American cars…your ignorance proves you wrong once again…and from the garbage you post on here i could say the same….you dont run a “car business”, the **** you say comes straight from you ass! Keep dreaming there turbo….

BlackX- You should meet tripleonefive. He’s your kinda guy

I’m not exactly sure why your comparing the GT-R and Porsche Turbo in the first place. But really, maybe your the one to grow up. Kids may argue about which car is faster, exactly what you guys are doing, but at some point in time you’ll have to realize many features on these cars are at the total opposite end of the spectrum. Just a quick example, the Porsche your talking about, has had basically the same exact design for nearly 40 years. Yes, it’s been lightened, it’s been modified to the point where you could almost say it’s a completely new platform, it’s been bored and displacements been increased, but it’s still relatively the same car.

Enthusiasts have talked about a totally new 911 for quite some time, but I doubt it will happen, not atleast in the next redesign. I’m confident that it will be just like the last few, a few minor cosmetics, a few minor upgrades to further the evolution of the car. The GT-R on the other hand, is using relatively new technology that’s only been around for a few years, computer gadgets that 99% of mechanics have no clue how to work on.

You may be able to compare performance, but their totally different cars for different reasons. When you get into sedans and more mainstream vehicles, you’ll find it easier to compare them, as it’s all pretty much the same old news.

Just leave it there- Americans have different needs and different wants. Unfortunately, neither you nor EijiO1 have it right in my opinion, and your both assuming things. Let’s just say, American designers haven’t really thought about aesthetics until recently aside from concepts, and European designers never really thought about performance until recently aside from professional racing, but that’s just my view.

I ****ing love it. Its ****ing crazy looking, and I don’t think it looks like anything else on the planet. It seems like rather than copying other desings we are perfecting ours. **** yea

less meat, fewer burgers

F430 killer??? yeah right. They’ve baically ripped off every manufacturer they could find. It looks like an F430 and a gallardo, the LED’s are from Audi, the rims are from a 63 AMG and the back came from the NSX.