Jalopnik: Steve Saleen

SMS Supercharger Boosts Hemi Horsepower By 45% In Challenger, Charger

Andrew Stoy — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EDT

SMS, Steve Saleen's new operation, wants to sell 2005-09 Mopar Hemi owners a supercharger that the company claims can bump underhood horsepower by as much as 45%. The SMS 296 supercharger has some unique features, including an internal intercooler and a low profile, letting the blower sit between the cylinder banks and fit entirely under the hood. Obviously, we can't verify any of the company's output claims, but if they'd send us a Challenger so-equipped, we'd be happy to amend this post with full test results. Steve? Anyone? Full release with specs after the jump.

Orange County, California. (August 7, 2008) Automotive icon Steve Saleen and his new company SMS are proud to introduce the first product in the SMS line of ultra-high performance technical parts, the SMS 296 Supercharger™, designed, engineered, manufactured and assembled in-house at our 150,000 square foot facility. Mopar owners of 2005 to 2009 HEMI 5.7 and HEMI 6.1 vehicles are now able to boost under hood horsepower by up to 45% with innovative new dual-screw supercharger (patent pending).
With over 30 years of racing experience Steve Saleen and the SMS design and engineering team have created the ultimate supercharger for Mopar enthusiasts. Now the aftermarket community can take advantage of the SMS 296 Supercharger™, which will be standard equipment on the highly anticipated 2009 SMS 570 Challenger™ and SMS 570X Challenger™, with power ratings from 500 to over 700 horsepower respectively!

The SMS 296 Supercharger™ is packed with innovative features created by SMS engineers to provide optimum boost in an exceptionally compact package.

At the top of the list is the Delta-Frame™ internal intercooler (patent pending), with dual thin-core intercoolers and single-pass coolant flow. The intercooler design provides for a considerable increase in surface area, which has the effect of minimizing pressure drop and optimizing thermal characteristics. The intelligent configuration also acts as a mechanical diverter for effective air transfer into the ports, while the angled manifold enables packaging of runners that are much longer than in conventional layouts.

The long intake runner optimizes airflow efficiency and provides the SMS 296 Supercharger™ with an extremely low profile. This arrangement means that it nestles comfortably within the V, and under the stock hood of all applications, as well as accommodating a bypass system for 3-way cruising off-boost.

At the heart of the supercharger are the asymmetric multi-lobe compressor screws, which are machined in-house by SMS on state-of-the-art CNC equipment. The screw concept is among the most efficient of all supercharger configurations. However, it is also one of the most challenging to manufacture.

In order to minimize parasitic losses, it is crucial to maintain incredibly tight tolerances between the profiles of the asymmetrical lobes. Running dry at speeds of up to 16,000 rpm, there is no room for error. In finishing the screw profiles, the SMS flexible CNC machining facility is working to exacting tolerances. The flexibility of the equipment also means that changes in the screw profiles can be accommodated for different applications.

The innovations on the SMS 296 Supercharger™ carry through to its exterior, with SMS Tailor Made™ custom finishes and powder coat color options to match most Mopar colors. Now enthusiasts can match the impact under the hood with the one at the rear wheels.

The complete SMS 296 Supercharger™ aftermarket assembly looks great and installs easily under the stock hood of all applications including; the Dodge Challenger SRT-8, Dodge Challenger R/T, Dodge Charger SRT-8, Dodge Charger R/T, Dodge Magnum SRT-8, Dodge Magnum RT, Chrysler 300C SRT-8, Chrysler 300C, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8, and Select 5.7L Hemi Dodge Trucks.

Please visit www.smssupercars.com for more information. For a broad understanding of the workings of superchargers please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercharger

SMS Sales 714-400-2121 x216

SMS 296 Supercharger™ key features: Patent Pending

* SMS-2955 cc / 180 cu. in. Displacement
* SMS-Integrated Front Drive/Induction Combo
* SMS-Dual Screw Configuration
* SMS-Asymmetric Multi-Lobe Compressor Screws
* SMS-Delta-Frame™ Internal Intercooler Configuration, Patent Pending
* SMS-Remote Drive 8-Rib Pulley and Dampener
* SMS-Internal High-Volume By-Pass Valve
* SMS-Low-Profile High-Volume 10 Inch Long Runners
* SMS-Dual Thin-Core Intercoolers with low pressure drop
* SMS-Single-Pass Intercooler Coolant Path
* SMS-Symmetric CNC Intercooler Caps with integrated coolant passages
* SMS-High-Volume Intercooler Water Pump with recovery tank
* SMS-High-Volume Heat Exchanger with all hardware
* SMS-80 mm Venturi with high-flow air filter
* SMS-88 mm Cold Air Inlet Tube
* SMS-SuperTune OBD Compliant Calibration and Program Tool
* SMS-Extruded Aluminum Fuel Rails with upgraded fuel injectors where applicable
* SMS-Ultra-Light Weight Aluminum Construction
* SMS-Stainless Steel Fasteners
* SMS-Instruction Manual
* Utilizes factory throttle body and hood

[SMS]

SMS 25th Anniversary Mustang Concept Has 720 Candle-Extinguishing Horsepower

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:20:00 EDT

Though no longer head of Saleen, Inc., you can't keep Steve Saleen from making Mustangs. In this case, his new company, SMS Limited, has built a very Saleen, Inc-looking concept to celebrate 25 years in the industry. In addition to the 720 HP engine and extreme body kit, this concept has the "Red Butterfly Induction System," which may explain the KITT-esque hood scoop. More details from the man himself, who says it has performance almost on par with the Saleen S7, below the jump

Automotive Icon Steve Saleen is celebrating his 25 years in the business with the introduction of the 720 hp SMS Twenty Fifth Anniversary Mustang Concept
July 6, 2008 - Orange County, California. Twenty five years focused on performance automobiles takes a great deal of commitment and passion. From his early automotive days spent race preparing his personal cars, to his inevitable entrance into the professional racing world, and finally into the domain of the automotive business, automotive icon Steve Saleen has done it all. Steve set the course for his automotive future in his first race on August 19th, 1973 at Riverside International Raceway, where he took his GT350 to the winners' circle, and he never looked back.

Steve Saleen moved up through the amateur and then professional ranks of closed and open-wheel racing during the 70's and 80's, racing and winning against drivers such as Bobby Rahal, Gilles Villeneuve, Danny Sullivan etc. His racing career eventually intertwined with his USC business degree when, in 1983, he formed Saleen Autosport and produced his first vehicle, a 1984 white and blue high performance Saleen Mustang, the first of thousands of vehicles that would eventually be built based on his innovative niche manufacturing, certification and racing business model.

Steve and his vehicles have dominated the competition wherever they raced around the world, having won nine championships, countless races and set track records from Daytona to Le Mans and every track in between. And Steve is still racing, he is currently testing one of the two European Le Mans Series Championship winning S7R's in preparation for his return to competition in the American Le Mans Series later this year.

For 25 years, Steve Saleen has been the leading pioneer in lifestyle performance automobiles, with his companies building an amazing array of high performance, sports, race and collector cars that are coveted by enthusiasts and celebrities alike from Tim Allen to Tom Cruise. His companies have created everything from the world's fastest production Mustang, the S302 Extreme, to the Saleen S7 and S7R the most victorious supercar based racing vehicle ever, bar none, with 171 Top Tens, 118 Podiums, 84 Pole Positions, 76 Fastest Laps, 72 Wins and 9 GT Championships. Amazing cars are not the only thing associated with Steve Saleen's name and ingenuity, his companies are also credited with an impressive array of patented automotive technological innovations.

As an entrepreneur, his endeavors encompass more than simply delivering the performance hardware. In 2006 he was the driving force behind the opening of his company's first automotive retail experience. With as much visual impact and excitement as one of his supercars, Maxim Magazine awarded it "Best Automotive Retail Store".

To celebrate his illustrious automotive career, Steve Saleen and his new company SMS have developed a truly innovative and exceptional celebratory vehicle - the 2008 SMS Twenty Fifth Anniversary Mustang Concept. To find out more about the 720 hp SMS concept car, we talked to its creator, Mr. Steve Saleen.

Comments by Steve Saleen, Chairman and CEO of SMS

"In celebration of my 25 years in the niche manufacturing business I wanted to create a personal car for myself that appropriately marks this very special Anniversary. The functional aesthetic innovations that we have developed are truly exceptional in every way. Though this car is not going to be for sale, it nevertheless demonstrates the technological advances present at SMS."

"With the SSC, SA-10, SA-15 and SA-20, I used those platforms to introduce new technology to the automotive market. In keeping with that tradition, this concept car incorporates many important advances developed by SMS. In particular our patented SMS Red Butterfly™ Induction System and SMS Light Blade™ LED Taillight System are definitely the coolest things that any Anniversary car has ever had! When those butterflies crack open under throttle, people stop and stare, you can be sure you will see those on our future products. And when you are passed by this car and the full width sequential turn signals come on, you will be just as awestruck!"

"Along with the main features, the supporting cast of innovation developed by SMS is just as deep, including; SMS Side Splitters and Diffuser Fences in carbon fiber, SMS billet aluminum signature elements, a beautiful SMS Two Tone Leather interior and the unique SMS "Chromosome Silver" paint with the signature anniversary yellow, white and black graphic accents.

"My Anniversary cars were always the most powerful of the breed and this car continues that tradition, as this engine produces 720 Horsepower at the crank and 612 Horsepower at the rear wheels! And the exhaust note truly is something else. Topped with 670ft lbs of Torque it is quite a steed to tame, thus it is equipped with SMS Cross Drilled 15" 6-Piston Front Brakes and a completely new SMS Billet Aluminum Watts Link System that is robust, durable and attractive."

"The performance is astounding; the SMS Twenty Fifth Anniversary Mustang has reached nearly the same levels of performance as was previously achieved in the S7 Twin Turbo! It is not everyday that the word Supercar is associated with a Mustang, but in this case it is appropriate. The team and I are very excited about the vehicle as it incorporates an entirely new platform of technological advances by SMS, and it is a testament to what our company is capable of. We look forward to it touring the show circuit this summer to show that we are in the business of power!"

"I look forward to the next twenty five years!"

[Source: Saleen]

Steve Saleen Is Back, Reveals Limited Edition Supercharged Challengers

Ray Wert — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:33:26 EDT

They may have taken his company, his cars and even his name, but they'll never take Steve Saleen's desire to customize cars to make them look so radically similar to the originals, they're virtually identical to all but the most carefully trained eye. Saleen and his new company SMS have just revealed the new company's first two custom cars. The twin set of Challengers, dubbed the SMS 570TM Challenger and the SMS 570XTM Challenger will, as Phil Frank, the company's Chief Creative Officer puts it "help define our design DNA." So we guess that means more of the same, eh? Anyway, these first two products of his new "Signature Series" of "ultra-high performance vehicles" are based off the 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T and will feature a SMS-supercharged 5.7-liter Hemi engine under the hood with power ratings purported to go from 500 to over 700 HP. Full press release after the jump.

May 12, 2008 - Orange County, California. Steve Saleen and his new company SMS are pleased to introduce the first product in his line of Signature Series ultra-high performance vehicles, the SMS 570TM Challenger and SMS 570XTM Challenger.
As a professional racecar driver and innovative businessman, Mr. Saleen is well known as the founder of a number of Steve Saleen brands including Saleen Autosport, Saleen Productions, Saleen Speedlab, Saleen Performance, Saleen, Inc. and now SMS. In the years of building the many brands, Mr. Saleen oversaw and participated in every aspect of the business, in product development, sales and marketing. Mr. Saleen's latest endeavor will focus on the expansion into the high-end of the diverse American Muscle Car markets.

The fully certified and street legal SMS 570TM Challenger and SMS 570XTM Challenger will be based on the all-new and exciting 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T platform and will feature a SMS Supercharged 5.7L Hemi with respective power ratings from 500 to over 700 horsepower! Both models are fully equipped with a compliment of SMS ultra-high performance components including: drivetrain, suspension, aerodynamics, tires, wheels and interior.

"The horsepower and torque that we are developing from the SMS Supercharged Hemi is phenomenal" explains Billy Tally, SMS Chief Technical Officer, "combined with suspension and braking improvements our SMS Challenger will be an incredibly capable, refined and tractable automobile".

Each of these limited edition vehicles will be personally signed by Steve Saleen as part of the SMS Signature Series product line complete with unique badges and graphics. Production numbers will be limited per year depending on the model, and the opportunity to be one of the few owners is limited to a first-come, first-served basis, so prospective customers need to act now as production is commencing in the fourth quarter of 2008.

"The Dodge Challenger is a great canvas to start with" notes Phil Frank, Chief Creative Officer, "the SMS Challenger will help define our design DNA as we introduce some exciting and functional aesthetic innovations to this already great platform".

"I am drawing upon 25 years of rich experience in the automotive industry to address the rapidly expanding global market of automotive lifestyle vehicles, technical performance parts, accessories and apparel" explains Mr. Saleen "SMS is enabling us to do what could not be done at Saleen, Inc. due to the their heritage with the Ford dealer network and Ford vehicles. We are using this freedom, along with our new technology developed at SMS, to create world-class specialty vehicles."

Saleen S5S Heading To Production?

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:40:00 EDT

When we first saw the Saleen S5S at the New York Auto Show, we thought, "That's nice, but it's got concept only written all over it." Well, apparently there's a greater degree of possibility there than we'd initially thought. Saleen Vice Chairman and Chief Technical Officer Chris Theodore dropped in to the offices of Automobile magazine to talk S5S. Seems they're feeling out the market by touring the car around their dealers right now and thanks to an overwhelmingly positive response, the company no longer related in any way to Steve is considering sending it into production. Our favorite part of the whole discussion is about how they decided on the design:

We had an in-house design competition among half a dozen designers, and it came down to two finalists. We had a Betty Crocker bake-off, and David's design won.

Yep, The Saleen S5S is one sleek looking brownie. Or is that a lemon bar? Whatever, we'd eat it either way. [Automobile]

The 2008 Dodge Viper Paint Job, By Steve Saleen

Ray Wert — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 09:40:00 EDT

One thing we didn't know about the new 2008 Dodge Viper is Steve Saleen's helping to build them. And by helping to build them we mean is he's painting all of the body panels, with Prefix doing the racing stripes for the 'merican side of the still-a-German-American hybrid. Who knew? Not us. [via YWV]

Saleen Retires from Saleen

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 15 May 2007 19:30:00 EDT

Founder and Vice-Chairman of Saleen Motorsports Steve Saleen has officially retired from the company's executive team. Steve Saleen is shown here with Carrol Shelby, and series sweeping SCCA Mustang driver Rick Titus. Mr. Saleen himself will continue on as the Ambassador of the Saleen brand in order to help prevent any possible spins. Press release after the jump. – Mike Bumbeck

STEVE SALEEN RETIRES FROM SALEEN INC.

Saleen Continues Legacy as the "Go-To" Brand for OEM Performance Projects

IRVINE, CALIF., MAY 14, 2007 - Steve Saleen, founder and vice chairman of the board at Saleen Inc., today announced his official retirement from the company's executive team. After years of planning, Mr. Saleen will take a greater step back from the company's day-to-day operations to act as corporate spokesperson and ambassador for the brand.

"I have a vested interest in the company's future and intend to remain involved," said Steve Saleen. "I take great pride in knowing I have assembled a team of the most talented and innovative professionals in the industry. Each person at Saleen has helped me achieve my dream and will help to continue my legacy into the next generation of Saleen products and services."

As founder and a major shareholder in the company, Mr. Saleen will continue to influence product design and development activities, as well as its branding strategies and promotional efforts.

Saleen Slashing Jobs: Performance Vehicle Company Cutting 40 Jobs In Irvine, CA And Troy, MI?

Ray Wert — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:13:22 EDT

We received the following tip from a very reliable source about the specialty vehicle manufacturer, Saleen:

"The investor group Hancock Park Associates that owns Saleen, Inc. last week laid off 40 people from Saleen's two facilities in Irvine, CA and Troy, MI.

Some of the executive level positions that were effected include; CFO, VP Engineering, VP Design, VP Dealer Development, Director of Aftermarket, Image Design Director, IT Director, as well as numerous engineering, production, sales and development positions."

We've heard that tensions have been rather strained between the folks at FoMoCo and the Saleen team — which is one of the reasons Steve-O's...

...been looking to snag some work from other automakers. But this doesn't bode well for the Steve Saleen-created company — because losing your chief money guy, chief design guy and chief sales guy is probably not so good of a thing. If anyone happens to know anything more, feel free to drop us a quick e-mail to our tips line. – Ray Wert

In General, Steve Saleen Is Open To Experimentation, Transforming Other Automakers

Ray Wert — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 14:58:18 EDT

Steve Saleen, founder of Saleen, Inc. and customizer of all things FoMoCo since 1984, says that the niche vehicle maker is, "open to building specialty cars for automakers in addition to Ford Motor Co." In a recent interview with Ward's Auto, the sassy Saleen said, "It has to make business sense and fit in with our philosophy and appropriate branding, but we're looking at other opportunities and only time will tell." Hmm, we're wondering who or what he'd be looking at customizing next? You know Steve, just quit the bumblebee-ing around, and tell us who you're thinking about partnering with. [Hat tip to Zerin!]