Soheil Ayari, who drove for Oreca, recalls how the work done by Oreca on the Saleen transcended the car.

"David Floury joined as Oreca's technical director and developed incredible ingenuity with this vehicle! The chassis was outstanding. To my recollection, it was the only GT with which we could go full throttle through the Raidillon, lap after lap, from start to finish. I had an amazing time driving it."
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The Rise of the Saleen S7R

Initiated in the early 1990s with the end of Group C, the resurgence of Grand Touring cars became evident with the launch of the BPR series in 1994, followed by the FIA GT in 1997, as the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile recognized the potential of this concept. The victory of a McLaren F1 GTR at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995 marked a significant turning point, signaling that "GT" cars had a rightful place in motorsport.

This spectacular achievement inspired manufacturers around the world, particularly in the United States. The Saleen S7R is a prime example of this ambition for conquest, finding success on both sides of the Atlantic, largely thanks to the expertise of RML and later Oreca. Chassis #080R is the heir to this story that originated in America and was refined in the south of France by Hugues de Chaunac and his teams!

The Birth of the Saleen S7R

Founded in 1983, Saleen (originally Saleen Autosport) first built its reputation by preparing Ford Mustangs and engaging models adapted for GT racing in the United States.

Saleen modified production cars, developed its own parts and kits, and gained a solid reputation as a tuner in North America. The company launched its division for aftermarket parts, Saleen Performance Parts, and expanded its range of "transformed" models until the desire to create a proprietary car emerged.

In 1997, Steve Saleen experienced a significant revelation while at Le Mans. While with his Mustangs, he found himself alongside the McLaren pits. Realizing he had already extensively developed his Ford models but could not take them further, he saw inspiration in the McLarens. He wanted to develop his own supercar, in his unique way.

Why not follow in the footsteps of his compatriots, like the Viper GTS-R, prepared by Oreca and shining around the globe? Why not join General Motors, which was officially launching a racing program with its C5? In the summer of 1999, Saleen decided to design a supercar developed for both road use and competition. The "civilian" S7 would subsequently be transformed into the S7R for the racetracks.

From the drawing board in December 1999 to its debut at Laguna Seca in the summer of 2000, everything progressed rapidly. The entire project was driven by the goal of making the S7R a car capable of competing at the highest level, particularly aiming for victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the GT category—a goal that would be achieved ten years later.

The S7 project was managed by Steve Saleen, who provided the vision, assisted by Ray Mallock (RML) for the chassis, suspension, and aerodynamics, and Phil Frank (PFD) for the design and development of the bodywork. The tubular steel chassis, reinforced with riveted honeycomb aluminum panels, would become one of the car's strengths. Ray Mallock also designed the suspension, featuring independent upper and lower arms secured to the chassis by aluminum plates that function as "fuses" in the event of a collision, thereby protecting the chassis.

Initially, the engine was the Achilles' heel of the design. Although it draws heavily on the Ford Windsor V8, it underwent substantial modifications by Saleen. Its displacement was increased to 7 liters, generating 600 horsepower at 6400 rpm. Space-age materials and techniques were employed throughout: magnesium throttle bodies and intake manifolds, carbon fiber induction systems, titanium valves and valve guides, beryllium exhaust valve seats, and a ceramic-coated stainless steel exhaust system, with Saleen's cylinder heads fully CNC machined from aluminum.

Starting in the 2001 season, Saleen made significant strides, achieving numerous successes:

- Konrad Motorsport secured three victories in ALMS, including the 12 Hours of Sebring.

- Fordahl Motorsports claimed seven victories in GTS.

- RML won four ELMS races, clinching the championship by just one point over Konrad Motorsport.

- Saleen Allen-Speedlab finished the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 18th place overall and 3rd in the GTS category.

- Park Place Racing triumphed in four races and earned the Grand-Am title in 2002.

- Graham Nash Motorsport achieved nine victories in British GT and four victories in the Spanish GT Championship with its Saleen S7R, ensuring titles in both series.

In 2003, the Saleen S7R participated in the FIA GT but without success.

The year 2004 marked the peak of the S7R's performance: RML joined the FIA GT, while Konrad Motorsport managed two cars, including one for Vitaphone Racing. Michael Bartels and Uwe Alzen achieved three victories and secured 4th place in the championship against fierce competition from Ferrari 550 Prodrive and Maserati MC12.

In France, Dominique Dupuy's team (DDO) won two races in the FFSA GT. In the United States, ACEMCO Motorsports finished 2nd in ALMS behind Corvette Racing.

The 2005 season revealed the limitations of the car introduced in 2000.

Konrad Motorsport and Graham Nash Motorsport faced financial difficulties, leading to sporadic engagements for the Saleen and a lack of ambition. Vitaphone Racing abandoned the Saleen in favor of the Maserati MC12. ACEMCO continued to compete in ALMS but struggled to challenge Corvette. The S7R only shone in France that year, under the guidance of Dominique Dupuy. France became the birthplace of the Saleen S7R's revival.

In 2007, Oreca manufactured three Saleens: the ultimate evolution of the S7R that would go on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans!

After five seasons of competition, the harsh reality was clear: Le Mans was missing from the accolades. The Sarthe circuit had always been tough on the S7R. In 2003, an initial unease was palpable. Only two S7Rs were entered, instead of the usual three chassis. Graham Nash Motorsport (n°64) and Konrad Motorsport (n°66) failed to finish, a disappointing result given the dominance of the Corvettes.

It wasn't until 2006 that S7Rs returned to the starting grid at Le Mans. Client teams had focused, as noted, on FIA GT, FFSA GT, and ALMS.

A resurgence occurred in January 2006 when Oreca partnered with Saleen. The agreement initially covered an endurance program and the establishment of a customer competition service in Europe. Oreca became the distributor for Saleen in the Old Continent and was tasked with developing the car to restore its performance.

Oreca began to familiarize itself with the Saleen, working on durability and seeking new solutions, using the Le Mans Series and FFSA GT chassis #066R and #067R for this purpose. This development work, conducted without entering Le Mans, ultimately paid off.

"By embarking on this collaboration with Oreca, it felt as though the S7R project was getting a new lease on life," confided Bill Tally, Saleen's technical manager, at the end of the 2006 season. "This first year of collaboration was somewhat of a 'test' year. There were many things to establish between us; we needed to learn to know each other and work together. The competition at Le Mans is very intense in the GT1 category. It wasn't reasonable to attempt it in our first year of collaboration. Oreca didn’t yet know the car well enough, as the first chassis arrived later than expected from the United States. Above all, we needed a level of reliability that we didn’t have at the beginning of the year."

With the experience gained over the season, Oreca oversaw the assembly of new chassis for 2007: chassis #080R, #081R, and #082R, which would become the ultimate version of the S7R.

Chassis #080R offered for Sale

The #080R chassis that we are pleased to offer for sale is one of the few chassis developed by Oreca, benefiting from all the evolutions and knowledge accumulated by the French structure.

This Saleen #080R was entered in the 2007 Le Mans Series and was subsequently used almost exclusively in the FFSA GT, where it became the champion in 2008. It also took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2008.

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2007: Entered in the Le Mans Series by Racing Box

The Italian team Racing Box took delivery of the S7R #080R at the beginning of 2007. They entered the car in the Le Mans Series, marking its grand debut.

Achieving 13th place at Monza and 5th in the LM GT1 category was encouraging. #080R was the best of the Saleen S7Rs in Italy.

At Valencia, the second event, the winding circuit designed for motorcycles proved ideal for the American cars: Oreca secured pole position in the category with Soheil Ayari, while the Saleen Racing Box qualified 2nd on the grid thanks to Marco Cioci's performance. During the race, this order was maintained, resulting in a victory for the Oreca Saleen and a superb 2nd place for #080R, finishing ahead of the Aston Martin DBR9, Corvette C5.R, and C6.R.

At the Nürburgring, an early puncture hindered the car's progress. During Tavano's stint, a prototype's engine failure in front of them flooded the windshield with oil, severely reducing visibility and forcing the driver to make an unexpected pit stop to clean. The final result was a commendable 4th place.

Next came the event at Spa-Francorchamps. Piergiuseppe Perazzini and Marco Cioci were joined for this occasion by Belgian driver Kurt Mollekens (who had already won the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in 2000 and would do so again in 2009). On the starting grid, the Saleen Racing Box was again in the front row. Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed early on during the race after 29 laps due to engine problems. Meanwhile, the Oreca Saleen triumphed, finishing 6th overall. The Silverstone round, the last event in Europe, concluded with a 6th place finish in LM GT1 for #080R.

Racing Box did not participate in the Mil Milhas, with only two Corvettes competing in LM GT1. This inaugural campaign was already promising, marked by strong qualifying performances and a podium finish. Oreca had a firm grip on the season, demonstrating that the S7R was once again a formidable contender for victory!

Soheil Ayari, who drove for Oreca, recalled how Oreca's work on the Saleen had transformed the car. "David Floury came on board as Oreca's technical director, and he developed incredible ingenuity with this car! The chassis was outstanding. To my recollection, it was the only GT with which we could maintain full throttle through the Raidillon, lap after lap, from start to finish. I had an amazing time driving it!"

For 2008, Racing Box decided to continue in the Le Mans Series, but this time in LMP2. The Saleen S7R #080R was sold to Larbre Compétition.

2008: The Saleen S7R Champion of the FFSA GT

Larbre Compétition initially aimed for a comprehensive program that included the Le Mans Series, FIA GT, and GT FFSA with its two chassis (#080R and #081R). However, due to scheduling conflicts between the championship governed by the ACO and the French GT championship, it was decided not to compete in the Le Mans Series. Consequently, Jack Lecomte's team focused on the FIA GT championship (with #081R) and the French GT championship, which the team ultimately won with #080R. Apart from the FFSA GT, this Saleen was also seen competing in only one round of the Le Mans Series (Barcelona) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (which we will discuss later).

The victorious campaign in the GT FFSA began at Nogaro. Starting from 8th place, Patrick Bornhauser and Christophe Bouchut climbed their way to victory in the first race under dry conditions, before finishing in second place on Monday in the rain, behind the DKR Engineering duo driving a Corvette, with Jean-Philippe Dayraut and Yvan Lebon.

A month later, at Lédenon, they achieved another podium in the opening race and secured victory on Sunday. The weekends continued in France with impressive results: at least one podium finish, except for the event at Albi! The season concluded at Magny Cours with a victory in the first race held on Saturday night. Patrick Bornhauser expertly managed his race to secure the championship victory, allowing several non-title contenders to pass. He was determined to win another crown after those of 2004 and 2005. However, when it was Christophe Bouchut's turn to drive for the final laps, he could not hold back. "When I got behind the wheel, I thought: I’m going to push it and win this race!" With a lead of 25 seconds at the finish line, Christophe Bouchut added style to his result! The title was sealed on Saturday, though the weight penalty on Sunday forced the duo to settle for 3rd place. #080R finished the 2008 season with an impressive total of 5 victories and the drivers' title.

Qualified in second position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a time of 3'47''761, just one hundredth of a second behind pole position in the GT1 category

In addition to this impressive haul of successes, the highlight of the 2008 season was the participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Christophe Bouchut and Patrick Bornhauser were partnered with David Hallyday. The work done by ORECA speaks for itself: Christophe Bouchut qualified the Saleen in second position with a remarkable time of 3'47''761, just a hundredth of a second behind the pole position set by Magnussen in one of the Corvette C6Rs. The fastest DBR9 was over 4 seconds behind...

Unfortunately, the race proved more complicated. After a superb start, the left rear wheel detached, forcing Christophe Bouchut to return to the pits on three wheels, causing damage to the car. After initially being in a position to influence the duel between Aston Martin and Corvette, the S7R ultimately finished in 7th place in its category (28th overall).

2009: A New French Campaign and Victories

Pedro Lamy, initially announced, ultimately did not join the ranks of Larbre Compétition for the French Championship season. Laurent Groppi replaced Christophe Bouchut and partnered with Patrick Bornhauser. The duo made their mark from the very first race of the Coupes de Pâques at Nogaro, which was made particularly challenging due to very wet track conditions and the intervention of the safety car midway through the race. On Monday, for the second race, the Saleen, wearing number 1, was burdened with an additional weight of 80 kg, as required by the regulations. Logically, this excess weight would degrade the performance of the American GT. Despite the return of good weather in Gers, Groppi and Bornhauser could not compete on equal terms with their rivals, compounded by an unforeseen tire assignment error from the official supplier, Pirelli.

At Dijon, the weekend began with a podium finish (3rd) while still carrying the 80 kg weight penalty. The second race, without this burden, concluded with a victory, allowing Larbre Compétition to take the lead in the championship.

A podium finish and an abandonment at Magny-Cours, followed by a 5th place and a victory at Val de Vienne, preceded the event at Albi, where they started with a win in the first race. Patrick Bornhauser executed a decisive overtaking maneuver on Eric Debard early in the race, before it was halted due to a spectacular fire in the pits.

At Paul Ricard and Lédenon, #080R secured a victory each weekend, culminating in a total of 6 victories. This was an improvement over 2008, but Eric Debard in the DKR Engineering Corvette gained 4 more points over the season. Thus, a new title slipped away from the Saleen S7R and its drivers.

#080R was no longer entered in competition. Larbre Compétition continued in 2009 with the Le Mans Series, eventually leading the S7R to the highly anticipated victory at Le Mans during the 2010 edition (the last under the GT1 regulations) with #082R. However, given the very unfavorable evolution of the regulations for GT1, it was significantly slower than the previous year: burdened with an additional 100 kg and equipped with a less powerful engine due to smaller restrictors, it qualified in 4'03''18, whereas #080R had qualified in 3'47''761—nearly 15 seconds slower than two years prior!

The GT1 for winning in Endurance Racing Legends and Le Mans Classic

Even without considering the price factors, this 2007 Saleen S7R developed by Oreca represents the pinnacle of performance and undeniably allows for victory in both the Endurance Racing Legends GT1 Championship and the Le Mans Classic Legend in GT1. Competitors and collectors alike, the ball is in your court!

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Race results

26/03/2007 – Paul Ricard (Le Mans Series Test) - Piergiuseppe Perazzini / Marco Cioci - Racing Box – 22nd (No. 61)
15/04/2007 – Monza (Le Mans Series) - Piergiuseppe Perazzini / Salvatore Tavano / Marco Cioci - Racing Box – 13th (No. 61)
06/05/2007 – Valencia (Le Mans Series) - Piergiuseppe Perazzini / Salvatore Tavano / Marco Cioci - Racing Box – 12th (No. 61)
01/07/2007 – Nürburgring (Le Mans Series) - Piergiuseppe Perazzini / Salvatore Tavano / Marco Cioci - Racing Box – 22nd (No. 61)
19/08/2007 – Spa (Le Mans Series) - Piergiuseppe Perazzini / Kurt Mollekens / Marco Cioci - Racing Box – Retired (No. 61)
16/09/2007 – Silverstone (Le Mans Series) - Piergiuseppe Perazzini / Salvatore Tavano / Marco Cioci - Racing Box – 19th (No. 61)
03/03/2008 – Paul Ricard (Le Mans Series Test) - Christophe Bouchut - Larbre Competition – 20th (No. 50)
24/03/2008 – Nogaro (FFSA GT) - Patrick Bornhauser / Christophe Bouchut - Larbre Compétition – 1st / 2nd (No. 7)
06/04/2008 – Catalunya (Le Mans Series) - Christophe Bouchut / Frédéric Makowiecki / Patrick Bornhauser - Larbre Competition – 18th (No. 50)
27/04/2008 – Lédenon (FFSA GT) - Patrick Bornhauser / Christophe Bouchut - Larbre Compétition – 3rd / 1st (No. 7)
11/05/2008 – Dijon (FFSA GT) - Patrick Bornhauser / Christophe Bouchut - Larbre Compétition – 6th / 1st (No. 7)
01/06/2008 – Le Mans (Test) - Christophe Bouchut / Patrick Bornhauser / David Hallyday - Larbre Competition – 27th (No. 50)

15/06/2008 – Le Mans (24 Hours) - Christophe Bouchut / Patrick Bornhauser / David Hallyday - Larbre Competition – 28th (No. 50)

29/06/2008 – Val de Vienne (FFSA GT) - Patrick Bornhauser / Christophe Bouchut - Larbre Compétition – 2nd / 8th (No. 7)

20/07/2008 – Spa (FFSA GT) - Patrick Bornhauser / Christophe Bouchut - Larbre Compétition – 2nd / 1st (No. 7)

07/09/2008 – Albi (FFSA GT) - Patrick Bornhauser / Christophe Bouchut - Larbre Compétition – 6th / 4th (No. 7)

12/10/2008 – Magny-Cours (FFSA GT) - Patrick Bornhauser / Christophe Bouchut - Larbre Compétition – 1st / 4th (No. 7)

13/04/2009 – Nogaro (FFSA GT) - Laurent Groppi / Patrick Bornhauser - Larbre Competition – 1st / 5th (No. 1)

10/05/2009 – Dijon (FFSA GT) - Laurent Groppi / Patrick Bornhauser - Larbre Competition – 3rd / 1st (No. 1)

31/05/2009 – Magny-Cours (FFSA GT) - Patrick Bornhauser / Laurent Groppi - Larbre Competition – 3rd / Ret. (No. 1)

05/07/2009 – Val de Vienne (FFSA GT) - Laurent Groppi / Patrick Bornhauser - Larbre Compétition – 5th / 1st (No. 1)

06/09/2009 – Albi (FFSA GT) - Laurent Groppi / Patrick Bornhauser - Larbre Competition – 1st / 2nd (No. 1)

04/10/2009 – Paul Ricard (FFSA GT) - Laurent Groppi / Patrick Bornhauser - Larbre Competition – 1st / 4th (No. 1)

18/10/2009 – Lédenon (FFSA GT) - Laurent Groppi / Patrick Bornhauser - Larbre Competition – 3rd / 1st (No. 1)

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Period photo credit 2007 (blue livery): Geoffroy Barre Media / 24 Hours of le Mans 2008 : John Brooks

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