US performance manufacturer Saleen has resurrected its S7 hypercar for a limited-run to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its racing successes in the 1990s.
Called the Saleen S7 LM, just seven examples will be produced, one for each consecutive year the company won racing championships internationally from 1996 through to 2002.
The racing version of the S7 – the S7R – won events at every major circuit in the world, from Daytona and Sebring, to the legendary Nürburgring and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
For this special edition, the S7 will receive a unique livery (black on silver), along with special wheels, interior and performance enhancements.
Powering the S7 LM is a Ford-sourced twin-turbocharged 7.0-litre V8, rated at 1000 horsepower (746kW), a significant 25 per cent jump from the previous 2006 S7 Twin-Turbo, which used the same engine but produced 559kW/949Nm.
The company has been tight-lipped about performance figures, though 10 years ago the S7 TT could sprint from 0-60mph (0-96km/h) in just 2.8 seconds on its way to a monstrous top speed of 248mph (399km/h).
With the notable power bump, expect the S7 LM to improve on those figures, potentially a 2.5-second 0-100km/h sprint and a 400km/h-plus top whack, taking the fight to the European trio of the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren and Porsche 918 Spyder.
Each S7 LM will be hand-built at the company’s headquarters in Corona, California.
- James Wong, CarAdvice.com.au