The first 'true' American supercar

When the subject of supercars pops up in coversation, most motoring enthusiasts will talk of German, Italian and perhaps even British motors. But an American supercar?

Yes, it's true. The company behind the latest stars and stripes vehicle is called Saleen. It has been in business for some 18 years now. They've created a number of cars spanning almost two decades, but this next car is a little bit special.

Most of Saleen's vehicles are based on existing platforms - in other words Saleen didn't originally have the economic backing to build all components of its cars. In the US, the tuning company is most noted for its hybrid Ford Mustangs.

When the S7 was unveiled, it was milestone for the company and a 100 per cent made-in-the-USA car. It was designed and built at Saleen's Californian manufacturing facility and the company expects to sell about 300-400 cars over its four-year production run.

But before even knowing where the S7 originated, you can tell from its profile that it means business. They don't come cheap either, fetching a dizzy $US375,000. Trust us when we say you don't want to know what it converts to in Aussie dollars (hint: $700,000+).

The body of the S7 is made up of extremely expensive carbon fibre panels, which helps reduce weight significantly. With a dry weight of 1250kg, the S7 is a light car, particularly so considering the massive 7,000cc engine it houses.

With help from British racing group Ray Mallock, Saleen was able to craft much of the S7's curves in tandem with a wind-tunnel, effectively creating a car with a very low drag co-efficient.

The use of many fascia openings and 'gills' was also a key element in the design of the car, not only from a cosmetic point of view, but also in terms of cooling and airflow.

Because the engine is mid-mounted, cooling issues become very important, as the traditional flow of air through the front of the car isn't as effective at lowering the engine bay temperature.

As such, you'll notice the scoop on the bonnet, roof and the multiple air intakes on the doors. Also, the many ducts at the rear of the car allow much of the hot air trapped in the engine bay to escape much more quickly.

So refined are the aerodynamics on the S7, Saleen claims that at 160mph (255km/h) the car could drive upside-down.

The other reason for the aggressive take on cooling is simple - without it the tricked-up Ford-sourced 7.0-litre V8 would fry.

The engine sits just behind the front seats and delivers power to the rear wheels via a four-plate clutch and six-speed manual transmission in impressive style. This way, the engine can be tall, but it also endows the S7 with solid handling characteristics, more akin to a racecar than a traditional sedan.

The 7.0-litre mill creates plenty of power - enough to push the space-age car to 100km/h in less than 4 seconds. But the Saleen S7 isn't just about speed. It's creators are quick to point out that the car was made for all types of road surface - drivability was high on the list.

The massive V8 was originally sourced from Ford, but Saleen made extensive 'go-faster' changes. Magnesium throttle bodies and intake manifolds, beryllium exhaust valve seats, titanium retainers, a carbon fibre induction system and a ceramic coated stainless steel exhaust system round out a list of materials that you'd expect to find on at NASA.

As such, the engine generates a very mean 705Nm of torque @ 4000rpm. That's a lot of torque. Peak power is 410kW @ 6400rpm, or 550bhp for the old-schoolers. Combine these impressive power statistics with the wind-cheating chassis and you've got yourself a car that can reach 320Km/h without too much fuss.

"The car, when seen in person, has an amazing presence," says Steve Saleen, founder and president of Saleen, Inc. "It is quite long and wide, and only 41 inches high, which adds to its exotic appearance. We wanted a 'form-follows-function' look, but also one that was beautiful. I’d say we succeeded."

Inside the car, drivers are treated to Connolly leather racing seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shifter and a rear-view camera with interior LCD screen. This last one is needed because there's actually no way to see through to the rear of the car. Confirming its sporting characters, the tachometre is centrally mounted for quick reference and when things get too hot to handle, you can always switch on the air-conditioning.

Sure, the Saleen S7 is a bit on the expensive side, bit how many cars do you know of that can drive upside-down? The car also means a great deal to the Americans and is likely the tip of the iceberg for Saleen and company.

The verdict? Very cool. Sitting on 19-inch wheels, with air-intakes everywhere and a nice quad-pipe exhaust system, the car certainly looks the part. But a US-built car that can take it to Lamborghini and Ferrari? Bravo.

Rumour has it that the Americans are working on a 'budget' version of the S7, in a bid to increases sales, but we'll have to sit tight on that one.

With its enourmous power - but refined driving characteristics, flowing lines and creature comforts, Saleen is positive the car will be a hit - and not just in America. The company has decided to manufacture some cars in the UK, to be sold all over Europe and the Middle East. As for Australia? Unfortunately, like the Davis Cup, we miss out...