America's First Hypercar Was A One Hit Wonder
Hypercars are a fascinating area of the automotive world. Pushing the limits of technology and engineering, breaking each other’s records every week, and showcasing the capabilities of automakers, hypercars are widely regarded as the pinnacle of performance. The American car industry was never really associated with hypercars, but that has changed in recent years thanks to brands like Hennessey, Czinger, and SSC.
362-1.png
Hennessey
Hennessey (specifically Hennessey Special Vehicles), is an American automaker founded in 2017 with the announcement of the Venom F5 hypercar. Previously, Hennessey operated as a vehicle tuner since 1991, specializing in Dodge Vipers initially before branching out to cover a wide range of American vehicles. Prior to the Venom F5, its most notable achievement was the limited-run Venom GT, a highly modified Lotus Elise chassis that set multiple speed records.
Hypercars used to be the domain of brands like Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz. However, there have been a few exceptions throughout history. What can be considered the first American hypercar was built at the turn of the millennium, by a small company called Saleen. This car was called the S7, and was the first fully proprietary car produced by a brand that had, up until that point, focused entirely on modifying existing cars, most notably the Ford Mustang.
This article focuses on the Saleen S7, and the history of the Saleen company as a whole. All information has been obtained from reputable sources.
Meet The Saleen S7
Saleen S7
The Saleen S7 In Numbers | |
|---|---|
Engine | 7.0-liter V8 |
Horsepower | 760 hp (unrestricted) |
Torque | 740 lb-ft (unrestricted) |
0-60 | ~2.8 seconds |
Top Speed | ~220 mph |
(specs refer to naturally aspirated version)
The Saleen S7 was ahead of its time in many respects, deriving features from the world of motorsport and anticipating the age of the hypercar. Its body was constructed entirely of carbon fiber, its chassis of lightweight steel; complex aerodynamic features were used to maximize airflow.
Its engine was derived from Ford’s 351 Windsor small-block V8, and it was paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. In 2005, Saleen upgraded this engine with Garrett twin-turbochargers, launching a variant of the car called, appropriately enough, the S7 Twin Turbo. This version also underwent some bodywork changes, with redesigned front and rear diffusers and a new rear spoiler. An optional Competition Package was also made available for this model, with further bodywork upgrades and a power boost that brought the engine’s output up to around 1,000 hp.
Saleen S7 LM
The Saleen S7 also spawned a racing variant, called the S7-R. Derived from the naturally aspirated S7, the S7-R was produced between 2000 and 2007; a total of 14 complete cars were built. The S7-R enjoyed a good degree of success in several different areas of motorsport, including the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the wider American and European Le Mans series.
The Early History Of Saleen
Saleen S1 - Steve Saleen
Saleen, the company responsible for the creation of the S7, was first founded in 1983 under the name of Saleen Autosport, by former racing driver Steve Saleen. During its early years, Saleen started offering modified, high-performance versions of vehicles by other automakers such as the Ford Mustang. The company still works in the area of car modification today, and has produced Saleen versions of several vehicles, including the Tesla Model S and the Ford Bronco.
Throughout the 1980s, Saleen also enjoyed some success in the world of motorsport, with the Saleen Mustang making a name for itself in the Sport Car Club of America racing series. Towards the end of the decade, the company also began to gain popularity for its aftermarket parts, and in response to customer demand a separate business was established: Saleen Performance Parts.
At the turn of the millennium, the company was restructured, simply becoming “Saleen, Inc.”; not long afterward, the S7 was introduced as its flagship car, becoming one of the brand’s most well-known models.
29-Bronco_OLY--02
Limited Edition Saleen Bronco Is A Fitting Tribute To A Legendary Baja Racer
It's got reworked mechanicals too for maximum off-road performance.
What Happened To Saleen?
29-Bronco_OLY--02
From the 2010s onwards, the history of Saleen gets a little more complex. Steve Saleen briefly lost control of the Saleen brand name at the start of the decade, but was eventually able to get it back; the company went public shortly afterward. Financial difficulties followed, and Saleen found itself on the verge of bankruptcy. In 2017, Saleen looked towards China to reverse its fortunes, thanks to the input of Steve Saleen’s business partner, Charlie Wang.
State-owned company Nantong Jiahe agreed to invest in Saleen, with a view to expanding the brand in the Chinese market. However, this proved to be less straightforward than originally thought, with Wang being accused of embezzlement and eventually leaving China for the United States. The company’s Chinese facilities were shut down in 2020, and Saleen went through a period of uncertainty before eventually being able to get back on its feet.
The company was able to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2023, with a special edition of the SA-40 (based on the Ford Mustang) built to commemorate the occasion. Only 10 units were built in total, the first of which was the prize in a charity raffle to raise money for cancer research. Last year, Saleen unveiled one of its most recent creations, a special edition of its reimagined Bronco built as a tribute to the legendary Baja 1000-winning "Big Oly" Bronco.
Other American Hypercars
The Saleen S7 may have been a pioneer of American hypercars, but it isn’t the only member of the category. Although fairly rare, there have been a few more hypercars produced in America over the past two decades. Here are a few of them:
Czinger 21C
2021 Czinger 21C White Front Angle
The Czinger 21C also became known as the “3D printed supercar” due to the technology involved in its creation: the product of both AI and human-led design, it was built with aerodynamics in mind using a proprietary system exclusive to the brand. The 21C’s innovative layout sees the passenger sit behind the driver; power comes from a 2.88-liter flat-plane crank V8 engine, one of the highest-revving engines on a production car, thanks to its 11,000 rpm redline. The engine is paired with an 800V electric motor and a regenerative braking system.
Despite being combustion-based, however, the 21C also has the ability to be driven in a fully zero-emissions way, thanks to its compatibility with green fuels such as carbon-recycled methanol.
SSC Tuatara
SSC Tuatara - airfield setting
The Tuatara hypercar was created by an ex-Pininfarina designer, inspired by the aviation industry, and named after a New Zealand reptile known for having the fastest molecular evolution in the animal kingdom. It was initially launched at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as a concept car; seven years later, a production version finally arrived. The Tuatara was produced by SSC (formerly known as Shelby SuperCars Inc, a small sports car manufacturer based in Richland, WA.
At the Tuatara’s heart is a 5.9-liter twin-turbo V8, created by California-based firm Nelson Racing Engines. The seven-speed automated manual transmission, on the other hand, was built by Italian firm CIMA (Costruzione Italiana Macchine Attrezzi, or “Italian Machine Tool Company”). CIMA was also responsible for building the manual transmission found in the NILU Hypercar.
Hennessey Venom F5
Hennessey Venom F5 Coupe
Another of the most high-profile American hypercars is the Hennessey Venom F5, one of the contenders for breaking the 300-mph barrier (having already smashed a few records along the way). Built by Texas-based Hennessey Performance Engineering, the Venom is built around a carbon fiber monocoque, keeping its weight low. Power comes from a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V8, paired with a seven-speed single-clutch semi-automatic transmission.
There is also a variant of the car called the Venom F5-M: the world’s most powerful car equipped with a manual transmission, the F5-M is only available in the open-top Roadster configuration. As was the case with the SSC Tuatara, the gearbox has also been developed with input from CIMA; however, this is not an automated manual, but a genuine gated manual, a rarity in the hypercar world.
Sources: Saleen, MPH
