When you lean on the gas in the '99 Saleen S351 you'd better be securely buckled in, because you're about to go on a very quick ride. Senior Road Test Editor Mae DeMere put it this way: "Driving either of the new Saleen Mustangs is mostly an exercise in tire-spin control." With up to 495 supercharged horsepower on tap, that's an understatement, Mac!

As has been the formula for Steve Saleen's ponies since day one, the '99 Saleens are modified versions of Ford's Mustang with a couple of significant differences. Interestingly, neither Saleen model is fitted with the independent rear suspension of the '99 Ford SVT Mustang Cobra (that pricey setup will find its way into the Saleen mix, which is built off base-model 'Stangs, not Cobras, by late '99). Why? The venerable solid axle rearend has worked fine for years, reasons the company. The other major difference between production Mustangs and the low-volume S351 is the 351-cubic-inch engine of the Saleen (it's the former Ford Lightning pickup engine from the mid-'90s). Whereas the'99 Cobra continues to use a four-cam 32-valve 4.6-liter engine, Saleen has yet to switch away from the pushrod 351 V-8 for its flagship model.

Scored in terms of horsepower, our red Saleen test car is the king of all production Mustangs! It's also available in convertible and ultra-sleek speedster form, motivated by the aforementioned 5.8-liter 351-cubic-inch engine with a Saleen centrifugal supercharger and backed by a transplanted Borg-Warner T-56 six-speed transmission. Standard equipment includes 13-inch front brake rotors with four-piston calipers, Saleen Racecraft front and rear suspension components, 18- inch Saleen wheels and Pirelli P7000 tires, ceramic-coated headers, dual 2.5-inch center-exit exhaust system, 22-gallon fuel cell, and S351 body enhancements including a carbon fiber hood, rear wing, and rear fascia. Options include 19-inch Saleen wheels (not fitted to our car) and 3.55:1 rearend gears(3.27:1 is standard).

Horsepower is a whisker shy of 500 at 5400 rpm, while torque is an equally impressive 490 at 3500 rpm. Even with its mammoth wheelspin problem, we still clocked 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 13.0 at 111.70 mph. We pulled 0.93 g circling the skidpad, blazed through the slalom at a very impressive 70.7 mph, and brought the beast to a halt in 109 feet from 60 mph. All in all, one hell of a Mustang, even at its sticker-shock tally of $57,550.

The yellow car came to us in milder S281 trim (a convertible is also available) powered by a 4.6 liter SOHC 16 valve V-8 engine. It packs a Borg-Warner T-45 five speed transmission, refined Saleen Racecraft front and rear suspension tweaks, 18-inch Saleen wheels and Pirelli P7000 tires, S281 body kit and rear wing, and suck external engine mods as performance pulleys and high flow exhaust system. Options on the S281 include a Saleen Roots style supercharger that uses a water to water intercooler and Saleen cast aluminum intake manifold, 19 inch tires and wheels and 13 in front brakes. Ours stickered at $33,580.

The S281's horsepower without the supercharger peaks out at 285 at 5100(up significantly from the '98 models 225), while the blown S281 racks the meter at 350 horses at 5000 and 410 pound-feet of torque at 3000. We tested the supercharged version of the S281, and it impressed us by running 0-60 mph just 0.1-second slower than the S351, turning the quarter mile in 13.4 seconds at 105.80 mph. It hustled through the slalom in an even-quicker 71.6 mph, circled the skidpad at a lower 0.89 g, and came to a stop from 60 mph in the same 109 feet as its big brother. All these numbers, it should be noted, are a marked improvement over Ford's '99 Cobra, but at a $5000 premium.

We could've gotten better numbers 0-60 mph and in the quarter mile with both cars had we bolted on a set of drag tires and run on a prepared racetrack However, our policy is to test using the production tires on our acceleration test track that approximates the typical public roads coefficient of traction. Saleen claims to have gotten the S351 down into the low 11-second range on drag tires. We don't doubt this to be true. DeMere said, There's a point where adding more power and torque won't make a car any faster on production tires and might actually make it slower! I'm certain another 100 (or 1000) horsepower wouldn't make it a lick quicker 0-30, and may not cut 0.1 second off its 0-60 time. It was so traction limited that, like an Indy car, I could barely get to wide-open throttle in first gear before the engine reached the rev limiter. Using full throttle in first would jest produce uncontrollable wheel spin. Also like an Indy car, I had to gently get back to the power after the 1-2 upshift or it would spin the tires in second.

On the handling course, Mac remarked, "The S281 felt like a smoother, more well developed package. In the slalom, it had more body roll and under steer, which made it easier to drive." The interior of the S281 is basically the same as a Mustang GTs with the addition of white faced gauges and a gauge pod on the dash that holds boost and intercooler water temperature indicators. The S351's interior is a little more upscale. It receives the same gauge treatment as the S281, but the stock seats have been swapped for a set of Saleen/Recaro buckets that keep you firmly planted but spare you (most of) the bun-busting ride penalty on long trips. Carbon fiber-look panels have been laid over many of the dash areas and door panels. The outside of both cars is covered in nice quality Glasurit 55 paint.

While the supercharged S281 has more power than required to dust most high priced competition, driving the S351 is a real hoot. Around town, its easy to get the S351 sideways, spinning the tires, without even going past quarter throttle. On the highway, where tire spin isnt a problem, the S351 really shines. You'll look for two-lane roads with moderate traffic just for the fun of passing. Both cars ride rougher than a stock Mustang, but the handling numbers are also better. Like most things in life, everything's a tradeoff. The improved brakes feel great and pro- vide linear feedback to the driver (something we cant say about every performance braking system). They're responsive, but without a too-fim pedal or poor cold-temperature driveability.

DeMere says that if the S281 is like a Smith & Wesson handgun shooting a .44 magnum cartridge, then the S351 is like the new king of handguns, the Raging Bull, which shoots the most powerful cartridge in the world, the .454 Casull. While a .44 magnum gives you a real good kick, the Raging Bull, like the 495 horsepower S351, is guaranteed to knock you flat on the floor the fist time you squeeze the trigger Grinning amid a cloud of smoke, of course.

Courtesy of Motor Trend Magazine.
Subscribe to Motor Trend
Send all Questions/Comments to Quick5pnt0@aol.com