The Saleen S5S Raptor is a sports car revealed by Saleen, Inc. on 20 March 2008 at the 2008 New York International Auto Show It is intended to be equipped with a Saleen 5.0 liter supercharged engine (similar to that used on the 2008 S302E) which will yield 650hp, capable of accelerating the car to 60mph in 3.2 seconds or less. The Raptor is expected to complete the 1/4 mile in 10.9 seconds. It is projected to retail for $185,000, roughly $400,000 less than the S7. Possible production may start in 2010, the Raptor represents a collaboration between Saleen’s engineering team and the design group at ASC. Both companies are owned by Hancock Park Associates, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm.

duPont released their picks for the best cars available in 11 different categories.  The Bugatti Veyron took the 2009 Car of the Year award while the Corvette ZR1 got best bang for the buck.  Read on to find out who the winners were in the other 9 categories.

PRESS RELEASE

ERA OF EXTREME RAW HORSEPOWER MAY HAVE PEAKED

Exotic Cars Are Becoming Greener with Increased Social Awareness from Buyers

St. Petersburg, FL. (October 7, 2008) – The days of new exotic cars emerging with astonishing amounts of horsepower may have reached their apex in 2009 model year and may decrease in the future, according to industry expert Tom duPont. Manufacturers at the top end of the auto industry are making luxury vehicles that perform better through lighter weight construction and advanced engine technology.

Tom duPont believes that, despite the luxury marketplaces’ tradition of resisting environmental change, the technological advancements and social implications that go along with environmentally friendly vehicles are creating a “social consciousness” and greening of the exotic car market.

Readers of the duPont REGISTRY™ Exotic Car Buyers Guide will have the chance to take a look at the current industry leaders and winners of the “Best Of” Categories – on sale October 7.

Focusing on the eleven “Best Of” categories in the annual duPont REGISTRY™ Exotic Car Buyers Guide for 2009, the key stats illustrate the new peak in horsepower and trends for 2009:

* Total Price of vehicles in the all 11 “Best of” categories rose 200 percent from 2008-2009
o $1.5 million to more than $4.5 million
* Average price for the winning 11 categories was up 118 percent – an increase of $222,000 due mostly to the addition of two $2 million plus supercars this year
o In 2008 the average price of the “Best of” car was $188,000
o In 2009 the average price was just over $410,000
* The total cumulative horsepower skyrocketed by 57 percent from 4,276 to 6,723
o That is an increase of more than 2,447 hp
* Average horsepower is up by 13 percent from 2008
o On average, there was an increase of more than 75 hp per vehicle
* Interestingly, an average engine cylinder for the 11 winners was a V-10

“The trend of increasing raw horsepower may have peaked this year,” says Thomas L. duPont, Publisher of the duPont REGISTRY™. “Some of the vehicles in this year’s guide are going to be the last of their breed and we may see the horsepower fall and the carbon footprints reduce even faster over the next three years as the parent company manufacturers take into account the environmental realities.”

With the recent introduction of powerful, ultra-luxury green machines to the automotive marketplace, there has been a fundamental shift in what influences buyers’ decisions. The annual duPont REGISTRY™ Exotic Car Buyers Guide highlights the newest and most sought-after green exotics including the $2.3 million E85 clean-burning Koenigsegg CCXR, the electric Tesla Roadster and hydrogen-fueled Ronn Motors Scorpion.

Selected by the duPont REGISTRY™ luxury automotive experts for price, performance and value, the annual list incorporates the most exclusive and most powerful to assist buyers when choosing between sedans, convertibles, and green vehicles:

For 2009, the duPont REGISTRY™’s “Best Of” winners are

· 2009 Car of the Year: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
· Best New Performance Sedan: Bentley Flying Spur Speed
· Best New Performance Coupe: Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series
· Best New Convertible: Ferrari California
· Best New Exotic: Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4
· Best Exotic Concept: Saleen S5S Raptor
· Best Bang for the Buck: Corvette ZR1
· Best New Luxury Coupe: Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe
· Best Performing Green Exotic: Koenigsegg CCXR
· Best Green Car Innovation: Ronn Motors Scorpion
· Best Green Exotic: Tesla Roadster

About duPont Publishing, Inc.

duPont Publishing, Inc., founded in 1984 and headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, publishes six luxury/lifestyle titles that reach individuals whose net worth significantly exceeds what is traditionally considered upscale, and dynamic web sites that mirror and complement these publications. Current publications include duPont REGISTRY A Buyers Gallery of Fine Automobiles®; duPont REGISTRY A Buyers Gallery of Fine Homes®; duPont REGISTRY A Buyers Gallery of Fine Boats®, duPont REGISTRY Celebrity Car®, duPont REGISTRY™ Exotic Car Buyers Guide and duPont REGISTRY® Luxury Living in Tampa Bay, which is a lifestyle guide to Tampa Bay, Florida. For additional information on duPont Publishing and its luxury/lifestyle titles, call 727-573-9339 or visit www.duPontREGISTRY.com

Source: AutoBlog

În cadrul Salonul Auto de la New York, constructorul american Saleen a prezentat în premiera cope-ul Saleen S5S Raptor care va încerca să se lupte cu europenele Ferrari F430 şi Lamborghini Gallardo.

Oficiealii de la Saleen nu au oferit prea multe informaţii depsre motorizare, însă au anunţat că motorul alimentat cu benziă (dar şi biocombustibil) va dezvolta 650 CP la 6.300 rpm şi un cuplu maxim de 850 Nm/ 4.400 rpm. Acceleraţia de la 0-100 km/h se va opţine în 3,2 secunde fiind capabil să atingă o viteză 320 km/h. Însă, va mai exista un al doilea motor dotat cu un turbocompresor. Motorul va fi ajutat atât de o cutie manual cu 6 trepte, cît şi de una secvenţială.

Cope-ul are un şasiu construit în totalitate din aluminiu, patru discuri de frână de 15″ şi jante de 20 ” încălţate cu anvelope performante Pirelli Rosso: 275/35ZR20s pentru roţile din faţă şi 315/35ZR20s pe spate.

Pretul estimat al noului model se va situa în jurul sumei de 185.000 de dolari

In a quick glance, you might think this is the Italian car – a Lamborghini, perhaps, or even a Ferrari. That is all yellow-American supercar, however. The Saleen S5S Raptor made its world debut at the New York Auto Show, putting an exclamation point on specialty manufacturer’s recent reinvention of itself.

Noticeably more limited than the previous Saleen S7 supercar, S5S Raptor features clean lines sculpted in light composites. A solar glass roof allows the light of day, and half of the engine looks purposeful design world-class.

Read more(foto)!!!

Saleen’s racing heritage is evident in the heart S5S Raptor, a new 5.0 liter supercharged V8. This-650 hp, 630 lb-ft torque motor runs on ethanol, just as the IRL and American Le Mans cars, and the Saleen indicates a second time 3,2-0-60 mph and a maximum speed of over 200 mph. Saleen has chosen engine burning ethanol partly as a nod to the track and, in part, to consider a reduction in emissions and dependence on oil. The engine uses a double-screw compressor and is connected to a six-speed manual transmission. The Raptor is also designed to manage a paddle-shifted sequential change, if desired.

Double wishbones are used in all four corners, and the massive fifteen inches in front, thirteen-inch rear brakes are increased by ABS and traction control. The 20-inch forged aluminum wheels have a black diamond and finishes carbon fibre.

This is all very exciting, but it’s all just talk until bench rubber hits the road. Saleen says that S5S Raptor could be on the road in two years at an estimated $ 185000 MSRP, depending on the public reaction to this car. Saleen seems to have thought that this form, so it’s a good bet that we will see a Raptor road in the near future.