Saleen announces their version of a Model S

[Johan]

He says they had to "change the software" with regards to ABS and Traction Control. I wonder how "deep" they've been in the software - how much (or little) did Tesla cooperate with them? My guess they've never been inside the "Tesla software" but only in the secondary specific controllers (3rd party?) for ABS/TC.

 

[Twiddler]

Front end reminds me of the late-90s Lexus SC400..

 

[WarpedOne]

>>I've gone full throttle around the track for numerous laps
The cooling enhancements must be working.

Full throttle != full power

>> 0-60 should be in the middle to low 4 sec category
The stock p85 is already there, so....?

MSP is officially at 4.2s
New gearbox in Saleen 416 should put it around 3.75s if grip is "linearly improved" i.e. it does not waste more torque then MSP's TC.
It could be even faster if it managed to deliver even more grip.

 

[yobigd20]

that's some expensive cupholders ... Oh and they "added sound effects" to it too so it's no longer silent. -$195k for it fully optioned out from Saleen. It better spit out gold from those front air intakes to make this worthwhile.

 

[JRP3]

Full throttle != full power

True, he could have been putting along at reduced power with the pedal mashed to the floor. However he did seem enthusiastic about the result so hopefully the better cooling did the trick.

MSP is officially at 4.2s
New gearbox in Saleen 416 should put it around 3.75s if grip is "linearly improved" i.e. it does not waste more torque then MSP's TC.
It could be even faster if it managed to deliver even more grip.

Don't know if it's possible but maybe he misspoke and meant to say "middle to low 3 sec category".

 

[Trnsl8r]

Oh man, that nose is hideous

Indeed. Looks like a Panamera - and that's not a good thing.

 

[thimo]

Oh and they "added sound effects" to it too so it's no longer silent.

They put in straight cut gears for the final drive.

 

[Hans (Amsterdam)]

Other way around. Higher numerical ratio = "lower" gearing. Lower top speed, better 0-60.

You will get a similar result when using lower profile tyres.
E.g. 245/30R19 instead of the standard 245/45R19 will result in the same effect as changing the final gear ratio to 10.75.
Of course it will lower the car 1.5 inch, but that is a good thing on the track, is it not ?
Probably with this tyre setup a 85S will beat 85P (with standard tyres) at the 1/4 mile.

 

[brandonmbeard]

Double the cost of my P85 for not much more? I'm perplexed by the enthusiastic statement about the sounding like an indy car. The goal should have been silent. I also bet the Saleen version voids every warranty from Tesla. Sorry Saleen - you really haven't done anything my local customization shop couldn't have done.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

You will get a similar result when using lower profile tyres.
E.g. 245/30R19 instead of the standard 245/45R19 will result in the same effect as changing the final gear ratio to 10.75.
Of course it will lower the car 1.5 inch, but that is a good thing on the track, is it not ?
Probably with this tyre setup a 85S will beat 85P (with standard tyres) at the 1/4 mile.

I have run 19" 275/30 series Potenza re-11 vs same spec S w/ 21" conti's (245/35) and we matched 1/4 mile times
2" diameter difference in the rear!

 

[WarpedOne]

It is not the diameter, it is radius that matters.
275/30R19 has 12,7" radius
245/35R21 has 13,9" radius

~10% difference that should result in ~9% stronger acceleration i.e. shorter time if all else were really the same.
Matched times strongly suggest insufficient grip and TC limiting power delivery.

LSD should help in this regard. AWD will help even more.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

huh? diameter = 2(radius)
25.4" vs 27.8"(stock)

and yes traction is limited on the strip w/ both set ups. my 19" all season tires were faster than either of the above

 

[tomas]

Right, and that's why a tuner is a tuner - because they do ALL of the things required to squeeze out useable performance... not just one. I'd guess that between the drive ratio, wheel, tire, weight, and suspension changes, Saleen found the harmony to produce a noticeable improvement.

Having said that, like the vast majority of posters here, I'm not impressed. Nose and hood? ychhhh!!!! Paint color? Blah!!!! I wanna see electric orange or something that positively glows for 25k extra. Interior? Looks incremental. Indy drivetrain sounds? I'm past that, now grooving on silent drivetrain!!! I ain't buying it, no way!

 

[WarpedOne]

huh? diameter = 2(radius)
25.4" vs 27.8"(stock)

Sure. It is just that torque "effects" via radius. Wheel diameter difference in inches does not tell the real difference between both setups. The real difference is ~10% difference in propulsion force that cannot manifest itself because of insufficient grip even for the "weaker" setup.

Wasn't Saleen supposed to reveal more details on their FourSixteen today?

 

[TEG]

Voldemort front-end... $194k....LOL.... no thanks

 

[artsci]

Indeed. Looks like a Panamera - and that's not a good thing.

Indeed! To cite another famous statement about a car design, it looks like a Panamera sucking a lemon I wouldn't want to be seen dead in that car.

And Indy sounds? Please.... Who's the moron who thought it would be a good thing to make a silent electric car sound just like the god-awful noisy poison emitters we EV drivers want to avoid like the plague.

 

[JRP3]

My guess is the gear set does not make anywhere near as much noise as an Indy car, but it probably does have something of a high pitched whine at speed. And Lord Voldemort is a bad ass, even when sucking a lemon, so I'm OK with the look :wink:

 

[trils0n]

Listen to the videos of Mission Motorcycles if you want to hear the whine that a straight cut gear makes. More like a turbine. Not sure how loud it is in real life, but the videos aren't particularly obnoxious. I'd still go for silent though.

 

[Chris TX]

Sorry, couldn't resist.

You increase the gear ratio, you get better 0-60 and possibly hit redline on the motor right around the finish line at the quarter mile mark.
Software tweaks were needed to accommodate the new gear ratio, otherwise ABS and traction control are going to mess up.

 

[James Anders]

They put in straight cut gears for the final drive.

I don't know if this has been proven. I heard racing gears but that doesn't necessarily always mean straight cut. Did you specifically read this?