Now, however, with heavy monetary help from the Chinese and the help of some German technology, Saleen has crafted a car that will reach more people than their car that was featured in 50 Cent's "Candy Shop" music video. Regardless of their exceptional focus on tuning, Saleen, with Artega technology, has managed to deliver a car that looks capable of competing with the likes of entry-level 911s, F-Types, or even entry-level R8s.
Aluminum and Carbon for lightness and turbocharger for power
Based on top of the aluminum tubular chassis, the S1 (the official name is the Saleen 1) features an all-carbon body. Provided exclusively by the Chinese, the carbon body and lightweight architecture ensured the exceptionally low weight of the machine, about 2,700 lbs. machinery. Of course, using a small four-cylinder turbocharged engine only contributed to the lightness. Colin Chapman, a man who envisioned and started Lotus, once said: Simplify, then add lightness. It seems that Steve Saleen follows the same principle.
While presenting the car at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, Steve Saleen noted this was an in-house design exercise, including the engine. It is a 2.5-liter turbocharged mill delivering healthy a 450hp and 425 lb-ft of torque. Now, the word on the streets (or on the Internet) is that this engine is actually a retuned and modified Ford 2.3-liter EcoBoost. If it is, it may only improve the experience associated with the new Saleen S1. In short, if something brakes (which it will), you would be able to fix it easily without breaking the bank.
The 450hp machine throws all of its power at the massive 335/25 Continental tires via a six-speed manual or the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
