A “new” S7 supercar is also available with 1,500 horsepower.
Saleen is a company with a rich, colorful and sometimes contentious history within the automotive industry. The company has produced some remarkable performance vehicles, from modified Ford Mustangs to the S7 supercar and current S1. The C8 Chevrolet Corvette’sdebut was the focus of almost everyone in the auto industry. Saleen, however, was in Bejing along with Jiangsu Secco Automobile Technology Corporation. Four vehicles were presented to the crowd for the Chinese market in a long presentation. Two of them are new and quite different than what we’re used too seeing from the tuning company.
A Facebook post by CarNewChina.com states that the new offerings include an SUV, and an electric microcar. These machines don’t have any official names. In fact, we don’t have any official information about the models from Saleen. However, we reached out to them for more information. The people-mover is called the Saleen MAC, according to Greg Kable. The Maimai is a microcar that boasts a 107-horsepower motor and a range of 190 m. They will both be made in China, along with the S1.
Technically, Saleen presented three brand new vehicles at this event. However, the third vehicle isn’t new nor for mass consumption. A modified version of the 19-year-old S7 supercar will produce 1,500 horsepower and have a top speed at 298 mph. According to Jalopnik seven of these cars will be produced. We’ll assume the top speed is an estimate since there have been no reports of production car speed records being broken. Saleen also displayed its S1 supercar at this event. You can see the entire video at the top. You can also browse our gallery of photos to get a sense of the ceremony.
Saleen can certainly produce some amazing machines. However, the company has also been through many partnerships and financial difficulties. An SUV and a city car are two ways to enter the Chinese market. A 1,500-hp halo car is also a great way to market the brand. Jason Statham is also a guest spokesperson for the brand. It is not yet clear if the SUV will be made available in the US, but we have questions about Saleen. We’ll update this story as soon as we get more information.