Inside/Outside
There are a number of upgrades to the Saleen interior, the most notable being the reupholstered seats with louvered headrests. Not only is the leather richer than stock, but the bolstering is far more in line with a car of this sporting nature. With the stock Stang, it was all you could do to stay in your seat when carving corners. With the Saleen, you just planted your left foot on the supplied dead pedal and turned the steering wheel--no muss, no fuss. While the higher side bolsters make ingress/egress more difficult, it's a small price to pay for the increased comfort and functionality. The pedals are also covered in the S281s for better heel-and-toe driving.
All Saleens come with an upgraded 200-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm tach. The Supercharged has a pair of gauges mounted to the center of the dash, one to monitor boost, the other to measure intercooler fluid temp. It's a great idea that would work a helluva lot better if the gauges were angled toward the driver, instead of pointing straight back down the middle of the car. The brushed aluminum shift knob is a taller than stock, a nice touch that alleviates the problem shorter drivers have with smashing their right elbow on the arm rest when banging gears, but the shifter itself was rather recalcitrant.
Overall, we like the changes made. The main gauges, especially, are easier to read, but there's an awful lot of cheap Ford plastic in here for a $25,000 car, let alone a $56,000 one. And the wavy louvers in the headrests didn't scream quality, either.
The exterior treatment was quite polarizing. From the S7-inspired front fascia to the '70 Plymouth 'Cuda-like tail treatment and stacked wing, this is the most controversial-looking Saleen to date. The seven-spoke wheels, the Eleanor-style parking lamps and rear-quarter glass treatment all inspired debate in our office. No one, absolutely no one, liked the whale tail wing on top of the decklid. The rear three-quarter view of the standard S281 treatment is the most appealing from a visual standpoint, and it comes with a molded-in spoiler that extends from the edge of the decklid. The extra wing drew universal criticism.
Shows you what we know, however. The general populus went ballistic over it. Wherever we took the blown S281, people freaked. More than one person whipped out a digital camera on the highway to take a picture of the Saleen while we were driving it. Every gas stop was an invitation to play 20 Questions. Most telling was the fact than many people didn't recognize it as a Mustang. Whether that was the intention at creation, we can't say, but it was definitely the end result.
On the downside, there were quality concerns with the S281 SC. The side skirts were too long, extending past the wheel openings about at least a quarter of an inch--both at the front and rear. The hood didn't latch tightly. At highway speeds you could see it rising from the fenders; it also rattled a ton. With the car parked, you could actually grab the leading edge of the hood and shake it up and down. Lastly, the Saleen emblem that covers the Mustang logo on the steering wheel fell off. Oops.
No question, the latest S281 Supercharged earns the chevrons it proudly wears on the doors. For those whose personal Mecca is Irvine, it is a revelation. It's fast, powerful, and has razor-sharp reflexes. And if you're looking for a new supercharged Mustang, it's the only game in town until the Shelby Cobra GT500 appears a year from now.
We only wish it came at a more affordable price. And without the wing.