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The Saleen S5S Raptor was one of the stars of the New York Auto Show, so it’s not surprising that Saleen is considering building the 650-hp, V8 hyper car. According to an interview in Automobile with Chris Theodore, Ford’s former head of NA product development, one of the men behind the Ford GT and the man atop Saleen, “the car has the potential for reality.” He went on to say that the concept was “designed around a feasible business model,” and that the S5S was very well received after its debut. This could mean that a production version is on the way and that it would take all of six months to have a prototype in testing. The major hurdle Saleen has to overcome is finding a suitable production partner, but if that wrinkle is ironed out and they decide to build the Raptor, Saleen’s halo car might be spied in prototype form next year.
[Source: Automobile]

There are rumors circulating the web of a Ford truck so freakin’ cool it’d make even the most Euro-centric bloggers among us stop dead in our tracks, and if true, would make everything else do just the same.

The report claims that Ford is working on a derivative of the all-new F-150 pick-up internally known as “Raptor”. The pumped-up version of the popular truck is said to feature a long-travel suspension (developed with Fox Racing), 35-inch tires, and – wait for it – a possibly turbocharged version of the upcoming Boss V8. Essentially a Baja 1000 or Dakar racing truck available to the public, the Raptor would be capable of covering rough terrain at high speeds, and also feature distinctive bodywork wider and lower than a conventional F-150. Word of the Boss V8 finding its way into an F-150 has also led to speculation that Ford is preparing a new Lightning, but the Raptor seems much, much cooler. If given the green light, the Raptor could be a year-and-a-half to two years away. Stay tuned.

[Source: Pickuptruck.com]

This very blogger wrote a post yesterday about the Saleen S5S Raptor. I didn’t mention the cars I thought the Raptor looked like, but a fair number of commenters did. This is what you should know: in person, the car looks like nothing else but the S5S Raptor, and it looks better than any car you think it might look like. It is, to put it plainly, all kinds of hot. Even in yellow, which is this blogger’s least favorite car color, I’d still pay for it. Saleen CEO Paul Wilbur said the Raptor is a concept, and he wanted the media’s feedback on building it. Mr. Wilbur: yes. Today. Like, now. Check out the hi-res pics and let Mr. Wilbur know what you think.

source:autoblog