Raptor set to feast on Italian thoroughbreds

One of the stars of the recent New York motor show was undoubtedly the purposefully named S5S Raptor -- a Ferrari/Lamborghini-rivalling supercar conceived by renowned Ford tweaker/customiser Saleen.

The bright yellow concept showcased Saleen's ethanol-gulping supercharged 5.0-litre V8, which is said to thrash out 485kW at 6300rpm and 854Nm at 4400rpm -- seemingly more than enough to see off the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 (471kW/660Nm) and Ferrari 599GTB (456kW/608Nm).

The fact it runs on E85 ethanol (a mix of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent unleaded) not only bolsters the Raptor's greenie-friendly credentials, it also gives it added kick -- thanks to E85's higher octane rating -- according to Saleen.

The performance figures are impressive, with its maker boasting a 0-60mph (0-96km/h) split of 3.2 seconds and top whack of 320km/h-plus -- bona-fide supercar numbers.

Saleen says the Raptor can be equipped with a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox or an optional paddle-shift sequential gearbox unit.

No figures relating to kerb weight have been disclosed, but the fact the Raptor uses an all-aluminium frame with composite body panels suggest it's no heavyweight.

The glass-topped coupe rides on double wishbone suspension and the braking package appears up to the mark, featuring 381mm front rotors with 6-piston calipers, and 308mm rear rotors with dual-piston calipers.

Going on the massive footprint -- courtesy of 275/35 ZR20 front and 315/35 ZR20 rear Pirelli Rosso tyres -- we're guessing cornering grip levels should also be more than adequate

The gumball rubber is wrapped around a tasty set of 20-inch forged aluminium wheels that are coated with a special chemical formula that prevents brake dust from collecting -- so there's ostensibly no need to get down on all fours with a brush and alloy-wheel cleaner.

The S5S Raptor is already engineered with ABS and stability control, and Saleen executives suggest the car could enter the US market in as little as two years, priced about $US185,000, which is roughly how much a Ferrari F430 costs in America.