Unsold Auction: Rare Supercar
In 2017, Saleen unveiled a mid-engine supercar at the LA Auto Show, yet only one operating example of the street-legal S1 was ever built. Regrettably, even in spite of its scarcity, that prototype couldn’t be sold during an auction recently. It was proposed on eBay along with a confidential starting rate, but the reserve wasn’t met due to bids topping out at $150,100 – a sensible cost for a pre-manufacture concept.
Based on the listing, an additional three autos exist as primarily just moving displays. In addition, 20 Saleen S1 Cup vehicles were also built for a single-manufacturer racing event, though that too eventually failed to take flight.
The introduction of the S1 was declared with the claim that it tipped the scales at a mere 2,685 lbs due to its combination of a carbon-fiber frame and aluminium skeleton. It boasted a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that yielded 450 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, directed to the rear wheels only by means of a six-speed manual gearbox. Additionally, the possibility of a dual-clutch automatic transmission was advertised, yet never became available.
From 0-60 mph, the expectation is that it can be done in a maximum of 3.5 seconds, and the maximum speed is an impressive 180 mph. Way back in 2017, the introductory cost for the automobile was $100,000, with orders starting to be filled the year after. Presently, in 2023, the business’s website still shows that the S1 is coming soon.
Throughout its history, Saleen has constructed lofty expectations that it was unable to fulfill. However, the company has been and continues to be adamant in searching for investment with the objective of making these aspirations a true reality. Unfortunately, through the present time and the near future, Saleen’s output will only consist mainly of renegotiated versions of the Ford Mustang. This likely added to why the S1 couldn’t be sold. In combination with the common problems of pre-manufactured vehicles, the vehicle is additionally synonymous with a lackluster corporation. To ponder that this firm was famed for establishing outright speed marks makes it disheartening to comprehend that, at present, it is widely seen as just an average divulger of slightly improved sport automobiles.
