Video: Saleen S7R thunders round Spa

16th August 2024

Ethan Jupp

The 2000s GT1 era really was spectacular, wasn’t it? Finally, the supercars and hypercars, that were arguably inspired by the sports prototypes of yesteryear, got their chance to race. Saleen, Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin, Corvette and for a brief moment there, even Pagani, met at the enduros with race-honed versions of their cars to do battle.

It was a short-lived but glorious moment in time for sportscar fans and as such, it didn’t take long for historic series to pop up catering to these old cars. Today, we focus on one of the coolest, the Saleen S7R, as it does battle once again, 22 years on from its heyday, at the Spa Classic.

The first shot sums up the glory of the S7 beautifully, as it thunders down towards La Source, rooster tails spitting upward. It might look like an exotic hypercar but those vocals could be a dub from the Daytona 500. That 7.0-litre V8 has over 600PS, bereft as it is of the later road car’s twin-turbo system. It looks like a real challenge deploying this thing on a damp and drizzly Spa, especially through Eau Rouge on the run up to Raidillon. But in sessions with better conditions, the car absolutely flies. The race itself is a bit greasy so caution is needed as the Saleen does battle with the Panoz and the Vodafone MC12.

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: McMurtry Spéirling obliterates opposition at Laguna Seca hillclimb