The Saleen S7 is an American supercar built from 2000 to 2004. It was built to not only be fast but also usable on the street. With 750 horsepower sent to the rear wheels, it seems the Saleen designers met their mark with gusto. Despite its controllable driving dynamics, the orange painted wedge of lightweight materials and American V8 power is simply outlandish – especially for the early 2000s.
At least it was before the Russians got ahold of it.
Now, a group of Russian tuners called Total Race took an S7 and not only gave it an all-wheel drive powertrain upgrade but also cranked the horsepower up from a substantial 750 to – as you can see in the video below – 2,282 horsepower and 1,737 pound-feet of torque.
When writing these kinds of stories, I often joke that a car with over 700 horsepower has enough grunt to restart a dead planet or to power a Russian nuclear sub. I am always exaggerating, of course.
In the case of the Total Race S7, though, I’m staggered. Opening full throttle on this Frankensteined land monster on an open city street just might set off all the volcanoes in Eastern Europe while simultaneously altering the space/time continuum.
Suddenly, nights turn to days and there are Neanderthals in the supermarket. Talk about a weapon of mass destruction.
What kind of powerplant has the prodigious power to throw the Earth off its axis? Why none other than a $62,000 ProLine engine, according to Motor Authority. I usually feel that few aftermarket upgrades are worth the exorbitant asking price. But $62k for over 2,000 horses? Sign me up.
My favorite part is watching as the S7 nearly breaks its straps and jumps off the dyno as the daring technician remains in the driver’s seat, calmly watching his laptop as the incredible noise and huge numbers build.
Simply amazing.
