Saleen S1 Specs, Price and Engine: 2026 Guide
Is the Saleen S1 a Mustang? Does it have a V8? Get the specs, engine details and new $160,000 price in one place.
Saleen built its reputation by turning Ford Mustangs into sharper, faster performance cars. The Saleen S1 changed the formula completely: instead of modifying an existing Mustang, Saleen created a lightweight, mid-engine sports car of its own.
Saleen is now taking reservations for the S1 Street, the road-legal version, from $160,000. Saleen lists 450 hp, 425 lb-ft of torque, rear-wheel drive, a 2,685-pound curb weight, a 3.2-second 0-60 mph time, and a 171-mph top speed. Delivery dates have not been announced.
Those figures are impressive, but they're not the most interesting part of the S1. Its aluminum chassis, carbon-fiber body, rear-biased weight distribution, and purpose-built suspension reveal a different idea of what a Saleen performance car could be.
Saleen S1 Price and Availability
Saleen reopened S1 reservations in October 2026. The S1 Street starts at $160,000 before delivery and other fees, with a fully refundable $1,000 deposit. The track-only S1 Race starts at $250,000 with a $2,000 refundable deposit.
Saleen has not announced when deliveries will begin or how many road-going cars it plans to build. Its original 2017 plan called for up to 1,500 cars a year at its Corona, California facility. When the S1 was first shown in 2017, the starting price was $100,000, so the new figure is a large increase.
The S1 Race is quoted at 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds and a 180-mph top speed, against 3.2 seconds and 171 mph for the Street.
A Clean-Sheet Idea for Saleen
The S1, officially called the Saleen 1 in Saleen's materials, was unveiled at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show as an all-new, two-seat, mid-engine sports car. Saleen said the vehicle had been designed and engineered by Steve Saleen and his team.
That made it fundamentally different from the company's established Mustang programs.
With a Mustang-based Saleen, the starting point was already defined. Saleen could change the engine, suspension, brakes, wheels, aerodynamics, and other components, but the underlying architecture remained Ford's.
The S1 gave the company a different opportunity.
Why the Engine Sits Behind the Driver
The S1's mid-engine layout is central to its identity.
The engine sits behind the occupants but ahead of the rear axle, giving the car a 42:58 front-to-rear weight distribution according to Saleen's specification.
That arrangement puts more mass over the driven rear wheels while keeping the engine close to the car's center.
The rest of the S1's chassis was designed around that architecture:
Rear-wheel drive
Independent wishbone suspension
Wide front and rear tires
Large performance brakes
Low overall weight
Aerodynamic development
The result is a sports car designed around balance rather than simply finding space for a larger engine.
Lightweight Construction Was the S1's Secret Weapon
The S1's performance philosophy becomes clearer when you look at its construction.
Saleen used an aluminum tub chassis and carbon-fiber body, with Saleen listing a 2,685-pound curb weight. Saleen has not said whether that figure is a dry or wet weight.
More importantly, the lightweight construction allowed Saleen to extract serious performance without relying on a large-displacement engine.
At roughly 2,685 pounds, 450 hp represents a very strong power-to-weight ratio. Less mass also benefits braking, cornering, acceleration, and changes of direction simultaneously.
The S1 therefore follows a simple performance principle: make the car lighter before making the engine enormous.
Saleen S1 Engine: Why a Turbocharged Four-Cylinder
A turbocharged four-cylinder might seem unusual in a Saleen, especially when the company has built its reputation around powerful V8 Mustangs and other high-output American performance cars. But the S1's engine makes sense within its overall design.
Saleen's 2017 launch material described a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, and some outlets covering the 2026 reservations also report 2.5 liters. Saleen's S1 Cup race cars used a 2.2-liter. Saleen has not published a full powertrain breakdown for the S1 Street, so the displacement is unconfirmed.
The 450-hp output has stayed consistent. Saleen's current torque figure is 425 lb-ft, while older sources list anything from 350 to 460 lb-ft, which is why articles disagree.
Buyers can choose a six-speed manual or a paddle-shift automatic.
Saleen S1 Specs
Saleen's current figures give the S1 a serious performance profile:
Specification | S1 Street | S1 Race |
|---|---|---|
Starting price | $160,000 | $250,000 |
Reservation deposit | $1,000 (refundable) | $2,000 (refundable) |
Engine | Turbocharged four-cylinder | Turbocharged four-cylinder |
Power | 450 hp | 450 hp |
Torque | 425 lb-ft | Not stated |
Curb weight | 2,685 lb | 2,685 lb |
0-60 mph | 3.2 sec | 2.9 sec |
Top speed | 171 mph | 180 mph |
Transmission | 6-speed manual or paddle-shift automatic | Not stated |
Weight distribution | 42:58 (Saleen launch figure) | Not stated |
These are Saleen's claimed figures.
The figures are notable because they work together. A 3.2-second 0-60 mph claim isn't coming from a massive engine alone. The S1's low weight, rear-wheel drive, rear-biased weight distribution, and chassis design all contribute to the result.
That's why the S1 is better understood as a power-to-weight and chassis story, rather than simply a 450-hp car.
Saleen Designed the Chassis Around the Power
The S1's handling hardware was built to complement its engine.
Saleen specified independent wishbone suspension and 20-inch wheels with Continental tires, wider at the rear than the front.
The wide rear tires are particularly relevant on a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive car producing 425 lb-ft of torque.
Rather than treating suspension, tires, and brakes as supporting equipment, Saleen made them part of the S1's central performance package.
The Body Was Designed to Work With the Chassis
The S1's shape isn't simply a styling exercise.
Saleen's earlier S1 material says the carbon-fiber body was designed to reduce weight while its contours were developed to create greater downforce and reduce high-speed lift. It also identifies the car's 42F/58R weight bias as part of its performance balance.
That approach is particularly important for a mid-engine sports car intended for both road and track use.
The body, chassis, tires, and suspension were designed to work together, giving the S1 a much more integrated engineering identity than a vehicle where performance modifications were added individually.
It Wasn't Just a Road Car
The S1's track potential eventually became more than a claim.
Saleen launched the Saleen Cup, a one-make race series, in 2019 with SRO Motorsports Group, and built 20 S1 Cup cars for it. According to Saleen, the racing version used a 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 450 hp and weighed approximately 2,500 pounds.
That development is significant because it reinforced the basic idea behind the road car.
The S1 already had the ingredients of a dedicated driver's machine: low mass, mid-engine packaging, wide tires, substantial brakes, and aerodynamic development.
The race program simply pushed those characteristics further. Saleen now also offers the track-only S1 Race for reservation from $250,000.
The S1's Place in Saleen's Performance Story
The S1 makes the most sense when viewed as a departure from the familiar Saleen formula.
The Saleen Mustang established the company's reputation by transforming an existing Ford performance platform. The S1 instead allowed Saleen to determine the architecture itself.
That difference is more important than simply saying the S1 was “another Saleen.”
It represented a shift from modifying a performance car to creating one.
The Mustang remains central to Saleen's history, but the S1 demonstrates what the company could do when it wasn't constrained by the architecture of an existing Ford model.
A Broader Saleen Performance Philosophy
The S1 also sits within a period when Saleen was applying its expertise to increasingly different vehicle platforms.
The Saleen 570X brought Saleen's performance treatment to a Dodge Challenger-based car, demonstrating the company's willingness to work outside its traditional Mustang base.
The Saleen F-150 applied the same performance approach to a pickup truck, combining Saleen performance development with truck utility.
But the S1 went a step further.
The 570X adapted a performance formula to an established platform. The S1 was conceived around an architecture Saleen itself controlled.
That distinction is what makes the S1 particularly important within the company's history.
The S1 Wasn't Limited to Sports-Car Theater
The S1's road-car design also shows that Saleen wasn't trying to build something that looked fast without considering usability.
The company's material describes a cabin using leather, suede, and Alcantara, together with racing-inspired instrumentation. It also included practical features such as storage compartments, door pockets, cup holders, and front luggage storage.
That combination gives the car a broader purpose.
The S1 could provide the focused driving environment expected from a lightweight performance car while retaining some of the practicality needed from a road-going sports car.
What to Know Before You Reserve a Saleen S1
Saleen has not announced delivery dates, so there is no established used market for the S1 Street yet. Before you put down a deposit:
Get the refundable deposit terms in writing.
Confirm which version you're reserving. The S1 Race is track-only.
Ask about the delivery timeline, final price, and destination charges. Saleen has not published them.
Treat all performance figures as Saleen's claims until independent testing.
The Bottom Line
The Saleen S1 isn't another Mustang, and that is its greatest significance.
Instead of modifying an established Ford platform, Saleen created a lightweight, mid-engine sports car with an aluminum tub, carbon-fiber body, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive, and a chassis developed around balance and handling.
Saleen's current figures for the S1 Street are 450 hp and 425 lb-ft, a 2,685-pound curb weight, and a 3.2-second 0-60 mph time, with reservations open from $160,000.
Its later racing development reinforced the same philosophy, proving that the S1's lightweight, mid-engine architecture could serve as more than a road-car concept.
For Saleen, the S1 represented a rare opportunity to move from modifying established performance cars to creating one around its own ideas.
That's what makes the S1 one of the most distinctive vehicles in Saleen's history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What engine does the Saleen S1 use?
A turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 450 hp, mounted behind the driver. Reports differ on displacement: Saleen's 2017 launch material and some 2026 reports say 2.5 liters, while the S1 Cup race cars used a 2.2-liter. Saleen hasn't confirmed which applies to the S1 Street.
Does the Saleen S1 have a V8?
No. The S1 uses a turbocharged four-cylinder. Saleen's V8 cars include the S7 and its Mustang-based models.
Is the Saleen S1 a Mustang?
No. The S1 is an original mid-engine sports car developed by Saleen, not a modified Ford Mustang.
How much does the Saleen S1 cost?
Saleen lists the S1 Street from $160,000 and the track-only S1 Race from $250,000, before delivery and other fees. Both can be reserved with a refundable deposit ($1,000 and $2,000), but Saleen hasn't announced delivery dates.
How much does the Saleen S1 weigh?
Saleen lists a curb weight of 2,685 pounds for both the Street and Race versions. Saleen hasn't said whether that is a dry or wet figure.
Does the Saleen S1 have a manual transmission?
Yes. Buyers can choose a six-speed manual or a paddle-shift automatic.
