2006 Saleen S-281SC

For your own place in the sun, here is the most special of Mustangs, he Saleen. Built, ertified, nd serial numbered by Saleen with the company's own blend of performance, omfort, nd styling options, hese are the last word in Mustang exclusivity.

14-inch front brakes and MaxGrip differentialare standard in addition to the supercharging system, s well as 3.55 rear gears for manual-transmission cars.

The suspension is definitely not Ford. A set of higher-rate gas struts, inear-rate coil springs, nd tubular sway bars are grouped under Saleen's Racecraft name. Dunlop Sport tires, ize P275/35ZR-20, n satin-finished Saleen 20x9-inch forged-aluminum wheels.

Saleen's supercharger is an efficient Lysholm-screw design. The male/female rotor pack is sourced from Lysholm, ut the remainder is all Saleen. Air enters by way of the stock Ford inlet and panel air filter and tubing, hen passes through the Saleen upper casting, hich is the section of casting visible atop the blower package. At the rear of the system, he passage turns downward to reach the rear of the supercharger, hich sits deep in the 4.6L 3V's expansive valley. In fact, he supercharger sits deepest in the valley, ischarging upwards into an air-to-water charge cooler. After the heat rejection, he charge air is diverted 180-degrees outward and downward in the individual cylinder runners. It sounds convoluted, ut the air passage easily handles the volumes involved. By turning the alternator around, t maintains a single serpentine beltdrive.

In Screaming Yellow with black graphics, he S281 SC is a stunner. The anticollision yellow attracts attention at 1,000 yards, nd by the time you draw near, amera phones are out and fingers are pointing. Pull in for gas and somebody is sure to say something or want a closer look, nd who can blame them? The Saleen bodywork is attractive, nd so effective, ew can immediately identify the car as a Mustang. All but the Mustang die-hards ask what it is, nd everyone congratulated us on our good-looking car. Steve Saleen likes to say his cars are always parked up front, o matter how many Ferraris and Maseratis are already there, nd he's right.

The Saleen exhaust has an interesting twist. The mufflers, hich are mounted in the extreme rear corners, ave two outlets. Normally the exhaust vents through the center exhaust outlets, ut when making big power, valve on each muffler opens, llowing exhaust to exit through a short dump tube on the end of the muffler also. This increase in area lowers back pressure and aids power production.

Taking advantage of the new Mustang's more rigid chassis, aleen engineers have carefully chosen springs, hocks, nd sway bars that improve responsiveness without sacrificing ride quality. In fact, his may be the greatest improvement granted by the new Mustang platform: the ability to corner and handle like a thoroughbred without the hammering of previous performance suspensions.

The S281 SC moves down the road with mumbling grace. The exhaust sounds are always there, nd the blower gives the softest background whine, ut they're nothing the radio volume can't handle. As a daily driver, he S281 carries the real-world excellence Mustangs are famous for. The front end doesn't drag in driveways, oors clear all but exceptionally tall curbs, ngress and egress are fine, he Shaker 500 sound is a great companion, nd the climate control is remarkably effective.

Oh yes, he power: Saleen's supercharger makes ours one fly ride. It delivers boost immediately across the powerband. The Saleen supercharged 4.6L ramps up power in a smooth rush.