Saleen launches new GTS contender
US specialist tuner Saleen's new British-built GTS contender is an all-new mid-engined supercar that owes little to its Ford-based predecessors
That was the surprising revelation when the wraps came off the road version of the Saleen S7 at the Monterey Historic Festival at Laguna Seca in California last weekend.
Rumours had indicated that the car, developed with reigning British Touring Car champions Ray Mallock Limited, would mark a major step forward from Saleen's previous Mustang hybrids. But the fact that it was designed from the ground up by Saleen had been kept secret.
Company founder Steve Saleen said: "I wanted to build a production street car that showcased what we could do. That meant starting from a clean sheet rather than a Mustang."
The first race version, dubbed S7R, should run by mid-September, possibly in time for the car to make its debut in the Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta at the end of the month.
Saleen is confident it will be competitive against the dominant GTS-class car, Chrysler's Viper GTS-R.
"That's the car to beat," he said.
A full announcement of Saleen's plans for 2001 is due in September. A two-car programme based around June's Le Mans 24 Hours is expected, while an assault on the American Le Mans Series is likely.
Customer racers will also go on sale next year, priced at £280,000.
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