The first professional visitor day of the 17th Chengdu International Auto Show was held on Aug 30. In the luxury car pavilion, other than Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Porsche and Rolls-Royce, the show also included brands like Saleen, McLaren and KTM. A supercar Saleen S7, worth more than 30 million yuan ($4.9 million), was ordered on the first day, creating a record. The Chengdu International Auto Show is the first showing of the Saleen S7 from WMGTA in Chengdu.

A Saleen S7 on show

The Saleen S7 is a type of customized private car. Each car of this type needs a 12-month production period because it is designed according to the owner’s physical characteristics and driving habits.

The owner of a Saleen can receive a one-week autodrome training session. After passing the test, the owner can drive the car away and obtain a driving license of an international professional racecar driver. Each Saleen S7 has a unique number, making its owner different from others. There are only four Saleen S7 cars made every year. So after the order of the Chinese buyer, only one place is left worldwide for 2014.

The Saleen S7 not only has a superior appearance, but also has excellent performance. It has participated in 264 competitions in 17 of the world’s top events. During the last 15 years, the Saleen S7 has been in the top ten on 218 occasions, in the top three for 183 times and champion for 106 times, creating an unsurpassed record.

The whole weight of a Saleen S7 is only 2,800 pounds. The mid-engine design guarantees the stability of the car. It is equipped with a V8 engine with 1,060 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. It only needs 2.4 seconds to accelerate from zero to 100km/h and can reach a speed of 410km/h.

The center-control steering wheel of a Saleen S7

The customized Saleen Mustang NFS Edition, appearing in the Hollywood popular movie Need for Speed, was also ordered on the first day of the show, by a Chengdu local resident with a price tag of 2.58 million yuan. This type of Saleen supercar will also be exhibited in the track experiencing activity in Chengdu Golden Port Autodrome on Sept 8.

The stage photo of Saleen S7 in the movie Need for Speed