Saleen unveiled today at the New York Auto Show the S5S Raptor Concept. According to the company the S5S Raptor could enter the market in as little as two years, and should it go forward, it would carry a base price of approximately $185,000.

The Raptor is a two seat mid-engine super car that competes in size and style with core offerings from the most notable of Italian exotic car makes, but with a segment leading 650hp and 630 lb-ft of torque provided by a Saleen 5.0L Supercharged Engine - the source of the S5S designation. Unlike its competitors, the Raptor is designed to digest cellulosic ethanol. This is the same ethanol formula, states Wilbur, that is the official fuel of the 2008 American Le Mans Race Series and the IRL.

The Raptor's hand-built 5.0L cubic inch engine with its patented twin-screw supercharger delivers its 650 horses at 6300 rpm and hits max torque at just 4400 RPM. This power sits on call beneath the knob of a close ratio 6-speed manual, or optional paddle shifting sequential gearbox. It's a combination that send Raptor's rigid aluminum chassis screaming to a top speed of over 200 mph.

2008 Saleen S5S Raptor

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2008 Saleen S5S Raptor
  • Horsepower: 650 @ 6300
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Press release