By: N.A. on April 1, 2002
Original Article: AUTOWEEK, VOL. 52, ISSUE 14

Saleen says it will have no trouble producing 12 road-going (as opposed to racetrack-going) S7s required by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest for homologation in time to race without weight and intake penalties May 19 at Sears Point.

Saleen says it has 16 S7s in existence now, all of which could be converted to “road cars” to meet ACO rules requiring manufacturers to produce at least 12 road cars to qualify for Le Mans. Because ALMS uses the same rules as ACO, S7Rs in the Sebring ALMS race ran with 70 kilograms (154 pounds) of ballast and 15 percent smaller engine air restrictors.

Saleen claims the first S7s will be in customer hands before the press launch of the road cars May 10. The company says all U.S. government certifications are currently complete on the car except EPA emissions, which will be done in April.