Saleen Mustang S281 Supercharged Roadster

Nauman Farooq explores this supercharged roadster

With the launch of the much-anticipated 2005 Mustang a few weeks ago in North America, I thought it would be appropriate to take one last look at the outgoing model (also do it -- as I write this -- while we are technically in 2004). And what better way than to look at the best and most outrageous model of its generation, the Saleen S281 Supercharged Roadster.

Saleen has been very heavily involved with customised, factory approved Mustangs for two-decades now. The cars are so heavily modified, that Saleen is recognised as a manufacturer, not just a modifier. That's why this car is called a Saleen Mustang, and not a Ford Saleen Mustang.

Saleen's extensive work just doesn't finish at an eye-pleasing body kit and a mammoth supercharger for those eye-popping acceleration runs. In fact, Saleen modifies the chassis, and even puts its patented live-beam rear axle to the car, to help make the car perform unlike any other Mustang on the road.

To test how good this Mustang really is, I picked up a Saleen S281 from the only authorised Saleen dealer in Ontario, Erinwood Ford in Mississauga. The car I got was equipped with just about every option you can specify, thus pushing the price tag to near CAN$80,000 -- that's £35,000 in real money.

That much for a Mustang? This had better be really good -- after all, you can buy some truly fabulous machines for that sort of money. That task would be especially hard to achieve since the Mustang platform isn't anywhere near the best basis to start off on.

So my expectations of this vehicle weren't very high, but all that was about to change, very quickly, after I put some very high-octane fuel in this hungry beast. Firing up the engine, it awakes with a very angry growl, planting a huge grin on my face. This was going to be fun -- a lot of fun.

I crawl around on city streets in second gear, listening to that fabulous exhaust note. You know the old saying, there ain't no substitute for cubic-inches? This car proves that, not only with its sound but also in the way it lunges forward when you stab that accelerator as if it were attached to a giant slingshot.

The speed rises quickly, and before you know it, you'll be well into speeds that would leave you explaining yourself to a judge. It'll go from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds, and top out at close to 170 mph, if your nerves can handle it. Those numbers are the work of the 4.6-litre V8 with a supercharger bolted on, which now produces 380 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. Power is handled by a five-speed manual gearbox that is beefed up, along with the clutch -- make that a very heavy clutch.

So, it can handle its newfound power but, unlike regular Mustangs, this one can handle corners too. Mustangs have never been regarded as good handling cars, which is disgracefully disappointing for a sports car. Most lay the blame for its lack of handling on the live rear axle. The Saleen with its patented rear axle design proves those cynics wrong. I won't try to explain the geometry of this suspension system -- truth is, I don't know how it works myself -- but I can tell you that it works very well.

So, this is a Mustang that you can point into a corner and execute it with speeds you'd think are impossible. Not only will the car come out shining through, you'll also be smiling from ear to ear.

However, stomp on the brakes and you are overcome with fear. You see, the brakes aren't quite up to the standard a car of such power demands. It has dinner-plate discs upfront but, in the rear, it still sports the standard car's tiny side-plates. This means, under heavy braking, you'll get lots of dive in the front, which can unsettle the rear.

This car can be a handful to drive, but when you learn how to handle this car properly, it'll excite you in ways most of today's sportscars with their techno-wizardry just can't.

Just when I was really enjoying myself, the fuel light came on again, and I was in the hunt for a Sunoco gas station. Why Sunoco you ask?

Because of the way this engine is tuned, it'll only run on 94-octane gasoline from Sunoco; in Canada, most gas stations have at best 91 octane. Use any lesser octane and you are in fear of burning the engine out.

That means you cannot use this car over long distances in Canada as highway rest stops usually do not serve 94 octane fuel. If you want to drive from Toronto to Montreal (home of Saleen Canada), you either have to fill your trunk with jerry cans, or rent another car.

Its fuel requirement is perhaps the biggest drawback to this car. Even if I could afford to buy this car, its picky appetite would be the reason I'd look elsewhere.

That's a huge shame, because I really loved this car. With a base price for a S281 Supercharged coupe at $68,000 (£29,100), it sounds like a lot of money, but this is better than any Corvette I have ever driven (and Corvettes cost about the same).

You know something, I like this car so much, if I could afford it, I might look into a cheap daily driver for those everyday chores, and keep the Saleen tucked away for the weekends. This way, I can listen to that wonderful centrally mounted exhaust whenever I want. I really do love that exhaust.

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