Autoblog

click above image to view more pics of the Saleen S281 Heritage Edition

Thanks to the Saleen Owners and Ethusiasts Club, we can show you these pics of a new Mustang soon to be released by Saleen (Yes, another special edition Mustang!). The car is called the S281 Heritage Edition, and while we have no official information on the car besides what can be gleaned from these pics, it's apparent Saleen has taken many cues from the wildly popular Parnelli Jones Edition Mustang. The S281 Heritage Edition, however, is dipped in white rather than the iconic Grabber Orange paint color. It appears that exterior differences are limited to the absence of the shaker scoop and tie down pins on the hood. The graphics treatment is different as well, with a large black stripe only on the hood and two-prong black stripes on the sides. Thankfully, the rear louvers are in tact. The wheels also appear to be unique five-spoke rims, whereas the Parnelli Jones Edition wears seven-spokers, though we're not sure if this new set is a Saleen design or not. Finally, out back we can see the Saleen name spread across the rear deck lid and, wait, what's that down there? That's right, quad exhaust outlets in place of the pair of oval tips on the Parnelli Jones Edition.

Again, since we have no official info yet, we can't say what's going on under the hood, but we wouldn't be surprised if the same enlarged 5.0L powerplant in the Parnelli Jones Edition is offered here, as well. Of course, it could also be offered with the variety of engines available in the S281 lineup, all the way up to the S281 Extreme's 550-hp mill. We'll let you know when we have more info, but for now you can feast on these images.

[Source: SOEC.org]

click above image to view 69 high-resolution photos

When the new Mustang debuted in 2005, pony car enthusiasts were elated. After decades of rehashed Fox-platformed Mustangs that could barely get out of their own way, the new DEW98-derived DC2 'Stang promised so much more. At just over $25,000 for a 300hp GT, it delivered big time in the bang for the buck category. With such a low entrance fee, the platform really allows for things to be taken up a notch or two. Seems everybody and their mother are offering tuned Mustangs with body kits, wheel and tire packages, and enough underhood goodies to make that 300 hp look positively anemic.

We've already profiled several of these and have even had our grubby little hands wrapped around the steering wheel of a Roush 427R for a week. While we're still waiting for Ford's own super 'Stang, the GT500, to find its way into the AB garage, specialty manufacturer Saleen stepped up to offer us a sampling of their current lineup. Although our first choice Parnelli Jones limited edition was previously spoken for, we know that we will get one soon. In its place we were able to park a 2006 S281 Supercharged convertible. With 435 hp under its lightweight hood, we figured it might be an acceptable substitution.

And we weren't disappointed. This sucker is fast. And fun, if you can define fun as having dozens of strangers speed up to get a pic of you on the freeway, giving you thumbs up at a stop light, fielding questions from bright-eyed young ladies at every (frequent) gas stop, and being able to light up the tires at will in almost any gear at almost any speed. Those are a few ways we usually define fun, so it seems we have a winner here. But is living with one for a few days as much fun as it seems? Read on for the whole story.

On July 29, Orange County, CA saw the grand opening of the first-ever Saleen Store at the Irvine Spectrum. Split into two distinct sections -- Lifestyle and Automotive Technology -- the store offers a full range of Saleen-branded goods, from simple gift items like keychains and pens to memorabilia and a full clothing line.

Visitors will find an S7 supercar and and S281 Mustang on display, and if they're interested in putting one in the garage, they can do that as well. Staffers are equipped to answer all vehicle-related questions and can help prospective buyers kick off the purchasing process via an onsite referral service that matches them up with their local Saleen dealer.

The Saleen Store also is also home to diversions such as a racing simulator that lets customers experience what it's like to pilot an S7R on the track, refreshments at the Saleen N20 Bar, and interesting exhibits like a bissected Saleen Mustang. You won't find that at Banana Republic.

For enthusiasts in Orange County, the presence of the Saleen Store should make routine shopping trips a whole lot more interesting. Autoblog superfan Frank Filipponio was on-hand at the grand opening and was kind enough to send us some pics along with a link to his own gallery full of even more shots.

[Source: Saleen]