Though Saleen won't be officially unveiling its new supercar, the S5S Raptor, on stage until tomorrow, we've got pics and details for you now. Though slated to slot below the hardcore S7 in Saleen's lineup, the S5S Raptor looks no less the part of a high-powered high-performance sports car. It's powered by a supercharged 5.0L engine mounted amidships producing around 650 horsepower and 630 lb-ft. of churn on a steady diet of E85 ethanol.

Developed as a collaboration between Saleen and specialty builder ASC -- both of which are owned by the same private equity firm -- the car is plenty of tech and a bit of throwback. The aluminum chassis 2-seater can get from 0-60 in a supercar-standard 3.2 seconds. When it's time to stop, six-pot calipers hidden by 20-inch wheels clamp down on 15-inch rotors up front. The retro bit: a six-speed manual gearbox. A paddle-shifting sequential is also in the works and may be ready when the car goes into production in 2010. Compared to the S7, the S5S is another relative domestic bargain at only $185,000.

We'll bring you live shots of the S5S Raptor tomorrow when it officially debuts, but until then, check out the gallery of shots below.

I showed these images to a fellow NSX'r here locally that has a business dealing with HIGH end cars. He has sold anything and everything on the hign end market including the S7. He has absolutely ZERO confidence in Saleen. A friend of his bought one of their cars and with a nominal 5,000 miles on it is already on it’s 3rd transmission and 4th motor. A complete piece of garbage! Further I've been told they’ve treated him like crap … to the point of third party legal action being undertaken to get warranty work done. I understand he’s now trying to get his money back through the Lemon Law, but Saleen tells him they’re completely out of money and even if he wins, they can’t buy it back.

My NSX'r friend captures it well when he states - "less than half price from the S7 is right". His friend paid $700K CDN or so for his S7 and he feels they are just trying to hook some new “investors”, that will bring in a bunch of new cash - then fold their tents.

To further quote my friend, "Saleen has no integrity and has treated his friend so badly its comical. What he has is an undriveable $700K piece of junk. I highly doubt the Raptor will EVER get built."

That said, I guess it’s very possible that a bunch of folks will still drop big amounts of cash on their doorstep that haven't fully had the Saleen experience captured above.