The Americans have created a new weapon of terror. The difference between a rocket and a bomb is that a bomb releases all of its energy at once, in all directions. A rocket releases its energy in one direction over a period of time.
Behold the newest North American rocket: The Raptor. American tuner and automaker Saleen, the producer of the awesome S7 and S7 Twin Turbo, snatched the covers off of its most maniacal experiment at the recent New York Auto Show.
Powered by a ravenous engine that thumps out 630 pound-feet of torque and 650hp, the Raptor concept is “designed for the premium performance market.” Saleen estimates an asking price of $185,000, which sounds like a relative bargain compared to the S7 Twin Turbo’s dizzying price of $600,000 (Just a side note, this time last year my house was worth more than that, now, not so much).
Trasmission: standard six-speed manual, directed through 20-inch wheels and tires. The rubber footprints are Yao Ming sized at 275/35 at the front and 315/35 at the rear.
The curb weight theoretically stands at just under 3400 pounds, with 44 percent of the tonnage allotted to the front axle.
Top speed is claimed to be north of 200 mph. Zero to 60 mph slaps you in the face around 3.2 seconds, and from the Christmas tree to the quarter-mile mark will cost you 10.9 seconds.
Saleen says this is just a concept, but it looks too close to production to buy that bluff. Ironically, the chances I’ll ever drive one are about the same as me fulfilling my fantasies with Natalie Portman, but even if they’re 1 in a 1,000,000 at least there’s a chance.
Damn, that looks sick