Saleen S351: Tested 0-150-0 MPH

From the August 1998 issue of Car and Driver.Saleen S351Street Drivability: 4 stars
Durability: 5 stars
0 to 60: 4.4 sec, 213 ft
0 to 100: 9.5 sec, 826 ft
1/4-mile: 12.9 sec @ 116
0 to 150: 23.0 sec, 3533 ft
150-to-0-mph braking: 781 ft
Total time, 0 to 150 to 0 mph: 31.1 secOf all the Mustang modifiers featured here, only Saleen Performance is recognized by the federal government as a specialty-vehicle manufacturer. What sets Saleen apart from other modifiers is the fact that each of the company’s seven models (the S281 and S351 coupe and convertible, the S281 Speedster, the SR, and the Saleen Explorer) is built to a particular set of specifications. The cars are developed and certified for emissions durability and then sold and serviced as new cars through select Ford dealers. As such, our S351 was subject to a $3000 gas-guzzler tax and $1679 worth of luxury tax, both of which can be avoided with the other tuners by modifying a six-month-old car. But, company president Steve Saleen argues, his cars are more durable and offer stronger resale value. The Saleen parts added to the stock Mustang are warranted for 12 months and 12,000 miles, and the Ford parts retain their original warranty.Okay, so what’s it got? Our S351 model is powered by a Ford SVO iron-block 351-cubic-inch V-8, dressed with Saleen pistons, rods, crank, heads, intake, and cam, and pressurized by a centrifugal Speedlab supercharger by Vortech. The resultant motor pumps out 495 horses at 5700 rpm and 490 pound-feet of torque at 3500 rpm.Of the three modified Mustangs, only the Saleen uses a Borg-Warner six-speed transmission. Interestingly, it’s the same box used by GM’s Firebird and Camaro and the Dodge Viper, although it has Saleen-specified gear ratios. A 3.27:1 axle ratio is standard, but our test car had the no-cost optional 3.55:1 rear end for improved quarter-mile performance.Up front, 13-inch vented and grooved discs are gripped by Saleen/Alcon four-piston calipers. The rear uses 10.5-inch grooved and vented discs with single-piston calipers. The tires are Michelin Pilot SXs, size 265/35ZR-18 in front and 295/35ZR-18 in the rear. Suspension mods include new springs, shocks, anti-roll bars, bushings, and rear lower control arms. In the 0-to-150-to-0 test, the S351 turned a respectable performance of 31.1 seconds. That beats the stock Viper GTS—one of Saleen’s prime competitors—by 0.4 second. Among the tuner cars, it beat only the Kenny Brown 289RS Cobra. The short axle may have hurt the S351’s overall time by causing an earlier shift into the tall fifth gear.During testing, the Saleen was the only Mustang that didn’t exhibit any detonation, but test driver Schroeder said it was the most difficult car to launch. “There’s a sweet spot of power at 1600 rpm. Launch it with any more revs, and the tires go up in smoke; any less, and the engine bogs.” The brakes felt quite strong, and the anti-lock system worked all the way down from 150 mph. There was some noticeable fade at the end of the braking run, but the brakes returned to full power after each cool-down lap. The air conditioner cut out at times during a day of driving. Nevertheless, the S351’s consistent performance and lack of detonation earned it the highest possible rating of five stars in our durability contest.On the street, our findings were slightly less flattering. A few of us found the shifter’s action too stiff, with reverse almost impossible to find on the first try. This resulted in the S351’s four stars for drivability.The total tab for our S351 came to $61,669. Performance and drivability cost money. That price seems more palatable when one considers that, of all the cars we tested, only the Steeda Q, the 540i Sport, and the stock Chevrolets were less expensive. Saleen Performance; www.saleen.com
Source: caranddriver.com