Saleen S5S Raptor Concept Finds the Web a Day Before Debut

hell yeah

I think it looks like a lamborghini with an american touch. It looks good i like it =)

For the first time, an American car that really impressed me.. Excellent.. Hope it performs as it looks.

No!!! The old one was looking much more better. This is like an evoluting Tesla Roadster.

The old one??? There was never one before it. Maybe you meant the "S7"? This is actually a second model, not a replacement. I kinda like it, though.

yay, this car looks so cool. I wonder how much it will weigh. I look forward to more Saleen super cars.

I like it!...I guess the engine its from Ford no? Chevy, Ford and Dodge...learn from this to made a real car please...3.2s whit manual gearbox, not bad :) and also the engine power looks very good

I have heard it will be the same engine found in their 302 Mustang. It's a supercharged V8 making about 620hp. Also, the car should be light. Its chassis is supposed to be aluminum

Sort of boring...nothing unique or special about this car as far as the looks are concerned...moreover, its fairly forgettable. On the plus side, its proportions are much better than most American cars. Thank god Saleen didn't make something massive and stupid like most cars coming out of Detroit. Side scoop design is getting old...same kind of scoop we've been seeing on cars for at least a decade of not way longer. Front end has nothing that makes it stand out. I guess one step at a time...

Fundamentally, it is a design and shape we have seen for decades. However, I believe the S5 is an improvement over the S7. The S7 was a race car adapted for road use. The S5 appears to be more road oriented, and Saleen is targeting the F430 and Gallardo. Also, there's a reason why side scoops are needed. It's a rear engine car. How else are they going to get cooling air to the engine? A roof scoop could work, but it appears the roof is glass. Personally, I hope they build it.

Right..and how many cars do you see coming from BMW that look any different from an everyday street car.

WOW, i think silversedanman has been resurrected yet again as bmwer, does anyone agree with me?

i think this car i beautiful and i think it will be a hit just like the s7, way to go saleen. and i think nowadays that you can't look at any car without seeing design ques from something else. so bmwer your insults are pretty much falling on deaf ears. you say this design is nothing new, well your insults are nothing new either.

I have to agree with bmwer about the design being boring and very forgettable. The car has the flare you would expect from a super car, but nothing that catches my eye. i think if the front were different i'd have a slightly better opinion of the car.

I personaly think if this car came from Ferrari, people have gone WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!! This car is just perfect!! The car chose the italian design philosophy to stand out in the crowd from the other American cars. They wanted to show that this car is a "real" rival for euro cars. Moreover, for a small company like Saleen, this is more than a Reventon as an achivement. Probably best American design I've ever seen.. Well done Saleen.

Well, I certainly couldn't agree less concerning the Ferrari comment...I think this car would get torn to bits by any Ferrari enthusiast. Can't compare this to a Ferrari...and it certainly isn't perfect. I agree that it will stand out against American cars, but that isn't saying much because there just aren't that many other American companies making cars like these. In a European market, this car couldn't compete (from a design standpoint) with other cars in this segment. In America, however, I'm sure it'll do well, but that's not really a surprise.

And what are some European cars that look much more interesting from a "design standpoint"? Honestly if this car were made to compete with the likes of the R8/ F430/ Gallardo/ 997 Turbo, again from a "design standpoint" it could outdo the rest by a large margin. And I don't understand by what you meant in your other comment when you said the sidescoop designs are getting old. Any performance car needs sidescoops and I'm sure the Gallardo or even the Enzo has sidescoops that look any more significantly interesting..

I really am shocked by your comments.. I think you were watching some other images for other cars not this one!! This is better than "MOST" of the european cars.. Better than a Ferrari, Porsche, and I think even Astons. This car will have a very strong side going along with it.. And you know what, its the design of the car.. I've never ever liked an American car, but now I really am.

This is cool!!! As mentioned it looks abit like the Lambo and the VW W12 concept, maybe its the colour.

I really have to say....it kinda looks like a future nsx. It's awfully pretty...

I dont think so.. Honda, Acura are soooo conservative when it comes to exterior design.

just look at those rear lights....if honda were taken over by italians...

This is what a super car should look like...crazy but refined..out there and original..it has its very own character and that is what makes it beautiful.. may to Saleen

A pillars & full glass window remind me of the Volkswagen W12, Lovely car though. Could be america's car of the year.

Nice design. Very aggressive. I just hope they dont copy the Audi's front LED design though.

This is more like it, performance to price ratio is much better than the S7. Looks stunning.

Yea I think he has, although he doesn't sound to be as much of a dumbass as silversedanman was. I dunno. could be just another one of those german fanatics that don't know jack about cars and blabber off without knowing half of what they're talking about.

That was in reply to FOXHOUND

Not sure who this silver guy is, but I find it laughable that someone would think I'm him with so little to base that on. Also, I find it funny how defensive people get about cars when it comes to patriotism. I do actually know what I'm talking about, considering I'm not only a automobile enthusiast but studying automotive design. Sure, that doesn't mean my point of view will resonate with yours, but it is my opinion. No, I wasn't saying that scoops aren't necessary, I'm saying they can be creatively and imaginatively designed, considering not ALL scoop cars have the same scoops. Also, not all rear or mid engine cars have side scoops. If you're a car buff, who knows something about cars (not just American ones) then you will be able to think of some of them. One example is the McLaren F1, no rear side scoop, and that had a big engine! In any case, my opinion was regarding this car, so I'm not sure how BMW's figure into any rebuttal? They don't make super cars at this point. If you know anything about design trends, you would also know that BMW sets many of them, which is why so many cars look like BMW's (manufacturers tend to copy what is successful and attractive). Anyhow, look up European sports cars and super cars, and not just the big names, and you will find a variety of interesting and unique designs that are much more advanced and "risque" than the Saleen. The Saleen is a nice car, but I still find it boring and not very avant garde...that is my opinion!

well i dont think patriotism ever entered my thought processes when i wrote that comment, but take it easy i'm just joking. its all in good fun, and i do agree that the side scoops leave something to be desired, but you do have to admit that this is a beautiful car, and i bet it would look absolutley georgeous in red or black. and its cool to see someone studying a similar feild as me, i'm majoring in aeronautical engineering, but sadly i'm just a sophmore and have a number of years to go. but im in no rush.

You call it 'patriotism'. I think its just defense against an unfairly biased attack on American cars (which are stereotypically known to be crappy). And I do know my part on car design. No offense, but you make all these claims (this car wouldn't stand out, BMW sets many design trends). Yes I admit this isn't the most exciting supercar design, and that BMW is somewhat innovative (in a weird way; the X6? the little indent above the line where the greenhouse/body meet?) in its design, but please support your claims with evidence. Then maybe I'll reconsider my standpoint on this issue. And BTW I think that if any company set design trends, it would be either Mercedes or Lexus/Toyota. Notice how over the years BMWs are becoming much more elegant and flowing after being so crude and boxy. I'd think that a little Mercedes-ism may be involved? Example; compare the old 7 series (the one in the james bond film) to the current one(even before the facelift). And relate them to the S classes of their generation. Which one set the "trend"?

What about the roof scoop of the McLaren F1 you genius?!?!?!

Um, if you re-read what I said you would notice I said "side scoop"...as in it didn't have SIDE SCOOPS. I didn't say it didn't have scoops.

I dont really know which is the successful company that will accept a designer with you "weird" imaginations.. I think you'll have to work for your own, designing cars in your bedroom.. That could be useful.

make it !

Ok, perhaps my patriotism comment wasn't completely fair. Unfortunately, many people do argue from a patriotic standpoint. There's no secret that Americans are particularly patriotic, and I've had quite a few arguments with car enthusiasts who defend American designs only because they are American. My apologies if I was off the mark there. You make some good points, although I would contend that the bangle butt is a good example of BMW trend setting, as ugly as it may have been considered early on. Seems that rear end features are making their way onto other cars. Otherwise, I wouldn't really say the Japanese makers are getting creative, although they do have some original designs. BMW's flame surfacing designs aren't really copied from any manufacturers, I would say. For example, the Z4 was very controversial when it came out, and that's a car that really breaks new ground, whether you like it or not. I see some significant differences in Mercedes and BMW design strategies, and I wouldn't really say they are based on one another. That being said, they're both German makers, and as such there are similar cultural backgrounds which may be responsible for some similarities. As for the Saleen, I've seen some updated pics since these came out, with better side shots of the car. Besides my views on its features, its not an unpleasant car. Proportions are fairly nice, and it does present well. I'll maintain it's still a little vanilla, but I'll gladly concede that it deserves some credit for breaking the mold concering American "supercars" or American cars in general which often seem to follow principles of "bigger is better".