ArvinC

Hello all.

Had a chance to talk to a Saleen owner a couple nights ago. He was parked next to me at the local mall...he had a 2002 S 281 Convertable in white with black graphics and interior. Although it did have a very angry, aggressive look to it, to me, it looked a bit too "kit-car" to me although I know that the workmanship is first-rate. The "bling-bling" chromed mono-block wheels weren't exactly my cup of tea, either.

Anyway, he showed me the engine and it was gorgeous...he had the supercharged version and had it chipped, mapped and programmed to the tune of 400 HP. He told me he was a big fan of our RX-8s, especially in the handling department, but he was just too much of a stop-light racer! At any rate, it was friendly guy/car-talk and that engine and the sounds it made were truly impressive.

My question is, is this a unique car, or just a maxxed-out 'Stang? And, for the price, why? There are 400+hp C5s/C6s that can be had for less money. And whatever happened to the S7? When it came out, it was supposedly America's great supercar. Now, it doesn't even get mentioned whenever the Carrera GT, Enzo, SLR, Zonda or even Ford GT are tested/compared.

I just don't get Saleen...no question, they have incredible design and engineering talents. And their commitment to racing as well as their contributions to the Ford GT and other projects are significant. But, the S7 not withstanding, their cars seem to be really over-priced considering they base their cars on the current Mustang.

Arvin

shelleys_man_06

I hate the Saleen reps. They were very rude when I talked to them about the S281. If they are as bad as the rest of Saleen, then they suck.

WilliamT

The S7 is still available. I would love to own one someday. I heard they treat those customers very well.

DreRX8

A coworker has a S281 hardtop yellow with the graphics and rims--its loud but its not supercharged. They are cool if you like Mustangs--but the new Cobras are faster than the non-supercharged Saleens and just as fast as the supercharged ones. The Saleens handle a little bit better.

AbusiveWombat

The biggest problem is price. When I looked at them pre-2003, the S281 (no sc) was $35xxx, with the sc it was $40xxx. Considering that a Cobra at the time could match or beat the performance of the sc S281 for $10k less it was a no brainer. The sticker for the converable sc s281 was $55k....yeh, for a mustang.

I did get to test drive the car and it was a very nice ride, nice short shifter, and that great V8 sound but the s281 (no sc) didn't feel any faster than a GT. It certainly cornered better but it was definitely not worth $10-15k over a GT's price.

Also, as someone else pointed out, for $40k you could get a new C5 that looks more up scale, is faster, handles better, and gets better gas mileage.

DreRX8

It is a truly niche maker for hardcore Mustang fans. I'm no Mustang fan but they are ok--for the price you could get a number of better cars. A C6 Vette with the 400HP and auto (!) could easily out do a S281.

shelleys_man_06

There are always several Saleens for sale at a dealership where I live. They're all grossly overpriced, and automatic for some reason. Why should I pay $44,000 for a bodykit and a few mods? This is why I bought the RX-8. My dad seriously wanted an S281-E, but I convinced him it was just a blown Mustang (I'm oversimplifying), and we could get something cheaper, better, and with just as much potential.

Saleens aren't bad cars, I just hate their reps. I would love to own the SR. That's my favorite. :D

picosrx8

The guys that would pay 45,000+ for a Mustang would NEVER drive a Chevy. That's why. I love Mustangs. My 68 was my first car and still have it today. It sounds stupid to some but some guys get a brand/model fever and would never consider going to the dark side. Personally, I prefer the boys at Steeda over Saleen. But with the perfomance that came out of Ford SVT shop lately, why spend so much on similar performance and a body kit that is starting to look a bit 90's.

shelleys_man_06

For the money, I believe the 03+ Cobra is the way to go.

SHOWOFF

Gee thanks I am the Saleen/SVT rep. for my dealership.

As for the car, it is kinda Kit carish. I was not as impressed as I thought I'd be when we received our S281E Speedster. I took the car for the weekend and it gets a ton of looks, but it is not nearly as fast as I though it would be. Just as you get into the useable part of the powerband the redline hits and you find yourself hitting the revlimiter. We sponsored a car show/racing event and I ran it around the 1/2 mile oval at I-70 speedway during intermission and had a blast. It would hit 105-110 in the straights if I tucked behind another car, but I had to let the pace car get out in front of me b/c I would catch him in the turns.

As far as driving dynamics, the car handles, rides and stops flawlessly. Saleen has the mechanical side of building cars down to perfection. People buy Saleens b/c they want a different car not a tricked out Mustang. They actually change enough of the car that it is assigned a totally new VIN# and it is warranteed by Saleen not Ford.

If you want a fully balanced ***** out car then I recommend an '03/'04 Cobra. When I went to Bondurant in Arizona for SVT Training in 2002 we ran the cars on the Bondurant Circuit against the C5 Vette and that car could not get out of my way fast enough.

Now, the new Cobra is stupid fast, but it's still a Mustang. EVERYONE has one. That is why I bought the 8. It's a little more coveted than a Mustang.

I love my 8 but I'd sure like to be able to run a little closer to the V-8's. When I bought the car I though hmm 247 HP in a reasonably light car should make it pretty quick, but just like everyone else, I was a little dissappointed.

Fanman

They tested these cars a few years back in Car & Driver and got nowhere near the times that they thought they would. C&D actually put out a stated & estimated (which was far lower) hp rating. For my money I would rather go Steeda or Roush than Saleen. And I agree the factory Cobra has everything you need. A simple pulley, I/H/E job will open up another 100 hp. A Kenne Bell upgrade could give you 600+ hp at the wheels.

Speed-ER doc

I love the S7.

I see Mustangs just about every mile I drive, but Cobras are about as rare as RX-8s around here. If they improve the ergonomics and interior, I would get one.

shelleys_man_06

Haha. Sorry. I talked to some reps at a car show once, and they wouldn't even give me the time of day.

You must be in the wrong part of town. :p

Over where I live, Cobras run rampant. It's kind of intimidating, but the owners are very nice.

mpt_yellowRX8

I saw a show on Spike TV, I think it was Horsepower TV, where they took an 04 Cobra and changed the SC pulleys and reworked some computer stuff to give it 425ish at the wheels. All that HP for about $600, you can't beat that! I like the 03-04 Cobra and might get one some day, probably not, because they are a lot of car for the money and they are easily upgradeable. For a little extra dough you can beat the crap out of most cars, in a straight line that is.

policyvote

This thread reminds me of the car club (rice club) I used to be in. The president of the club had a black base V6 Mustang convertible with $10,000 worth of all-show mods, including an authentic Saleen body kit. Looked like Tarzan, ran like Jane.

Peace
policy

magixpuma

hahah looked like tarzan ran like jaine nice.

picosrx8

Im guessing he didnt open the hood at these shows?
Love that Tarzan analogy! Some of my other favs are "If it dont go...chrome it" and "all show and no go"

shelleys_man_06

I ShIfT m@D F@$t y0!

PistolPete-RX8

You compare a Saleen to a C5??? The Saleen is soooooo much better. Resale alone is worth it. I personally love Mustangs. I had a 96 Cobra that was supercharged and was putting 420hp at the wheels. They are great cars and with some tweaking actually handle pretty well too. I'm not a fan of chrome wheels myself but would def. enjoy owning a Saleen.

shelleys_man_06

Well, the Saleen and the C5 Corvette are directed at very different markets. Saleen is fairly new, and is a specialty car, built for those who want the exclusiveness, much like an NSX. The Corvette is a production model, built for anyone, and is more accessible to potential buyers. If you want to compare the Saleen Mustangs with any Corvette, try comparing it to the Callaways, the Lingenfelters, and the 427 CI Guldstrand Editions.

PistolPete-RX8

I recently sold my baby which was a black 96 Cobra that I installed a Vortech S-trim supercharger running 8lbs. of boost. The car dynoed 420hp at the wheels and was a total animal. It had 4:10 gears and full Steeda suspension among several thousands in other mods. I've always missed this car since I sold it. Knowing I most likely wouldn't be able to get that type of power out of the 8 I still decided to buy it. (a week ago) I'm already thinking of mods and will prob. start with suspension. I debated between the new Mustang and the 8 but decided on the 8 because it is just so unique.

The 05 Cobra will have a 5.0 Liter 32 valve supercharged motor making 500 hp. Talk about a sweet car. I was th inking of waiting for this until talking to the SVT reps who predict this car will be in the $60,000 range. A little to rich for my blood. It will be interesting what the price will actually be.

shelleys_man_06

Welcome to the club.

I've always wanted an older SN95 Cobra, but I couldn't find one that was already grossly modified, or in crap condition.

mpt_yellowRX8

Shelleysman, Steve Saleen has been officially modifying the mustangs since the 1884, is that fairly new? He had the Mustang II ruling the racing circuits back in the day. Hopefully Saleen will turn back towards the performance side of the Mustang rather than going with the showcar route that they seem to be on now. Not that they wouldn't blow my doors off, but they aren't living up to their reputation as far as I'm concerned.

shelleys_man_06

1884? Damn that's freakin' old! No seriously, since 1984, Saleen has been modifying Mustangs, and he's been racing long before that. Just wanted to reiterate that. :p

Saleen is out to make money, and if he has to make showy cars, then he's going to make showy cars. Performance is fun, but it's not for everyone. A car will always be identified by its looks, and not what's under the hood, unless the car was made of Plexiglass.

When you compare the Saleen pedigree to the Corvette pedigree, the Corvette program is eons older. That's what I was getting at.

mpt_yellowRX8

I want a 63 Split Window. Any color, Silver, Brown, black, it doesn't matter. Can't corner, burns the tires till they're gone, loud as heck, looks as aggressive as they come. Oh Man! I have to calm down now.

The older new Mustang, 95ish or so, is the best looking within the past 20 years IMO. They have curves instead of jagged edges. Now if you were to throw a Cobra or Roush engine in the newer Saleen chasis you would have a force to be reckoned with. Not only could you smoke the 1/4 but you could still handle your biz on the track too. All of that while having a pretty nice looking ride to boot.