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2004 Saleen S7, One of Three in Beryllium Is Going Under the Hammer

We have seen a lot of vintage cars going to find new loving owners or collectors looking for a smart investment at this year’s upcoming summer Florida event. But how about something close to youngtimer status, a very rare 2004 Saleen S7 produced in the atomic shade of Beryllium? Best of all, this handcrafted, high-performance sports car has been changed to the point of entering the hypercar category.
2004 Saleen S7 Mecum 5 photos
Photo: Mecum Auctions
2004 Saleen S72004 Saleen S72004 Saleen S72004 Saleen S7
The Saleen S7 itself has an interesting history. The first proprietary model of the exotic American manufacturer was just the fifth mid-engine production sports car in the United States, following in the footsteps of the Consulier GTP, Mosler Raptor, Vector W8, and its brother the M12.

It was also a joint effort by Steve Saleen (first concept, powertrain), Hidden Creek Industries (resources and funding), RML’s (Ray Mallock Ltd.) input on chassis plus suspension and aero, as well as Phil Frank’s styling.

Car aficionados might remember the Saleen S7 for its great performance and racing pedigree, but the reality is that one of America’s greatest sports cars of the 2000s might go down in popular conscience for its fast and silvery appearance in the 2003 Jim Carrey comedy “Bruce Almighty” and its God-like usage (how many of us would like to have a performance car and always-free open roads?!).

Incidentally, the model hitting the auction block this summer is another 2004 S7 example. But this time around it carved its own path – and one much closer to car enthusiast hearts. The spectacular Beryllium (a chemical element with the atomic number four) exterior shade is not the only thing setting it apart from the rest of the S7 range.

This one-of-three Beryllium with gray interior Saleen S7 has had just one owner through its life and has been thoroughly modified during this period. As such, the 427 cubic inches V8 (the final naturally aspirated 550 hp produced) has reached no less than 1,212 horsepower, which is now crossing well into hypercar territory.

In order to cope with this tremendous increase in power, the S7 gained a host of other enhancements, from a Tilton triple disc clutch with modified hydraulics, to eleven stages of traction control and another eleven stages of boost for the upgraded turbos, as well as a fully sequential gear lever with forward/back movements and down/up shifting for the 5-speed sequential manual transmission.
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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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