Vehicle Description
For you numbers junkies out there, this 2001 Ford Mustang Saleen
S281SC is one heck of a rare beast. It's one of only 223
Supercharged Saleen convertibles produced in 2001, so you aren't
likely to see another one at the local cruise night. For everyone
else, this droptop features a thundering 4.6L Supercharged V8 under
the hood, a quick-shifting T5 5-speed manual transmission handling
the gear changes, a gorgeous Oxford White over Oxford White color
combination shining bright, and a top that goes down - making it
one of the slickest examples of the Saleen/Mustang co-op ever
produced. And to top it all off, this beauty queen has only logged
5800 actual miles since she left the factory, so the party's just
getting started.
Saleen has always had a way of giving the Mustang an edge without
diluting its basic personality, and #240 is no exception. In fact,
a lot of folks argued that the Cobra just wasn't unique enough
given its performance (and price) differential over the standard
GT, so this Saleen really delivers across the board. It offers a
complete body kit, including a front fascia, side skirts, rear
wing, and lower valence that make it look downright predatory on
the road. The Code Z1 Oxford White paint is beautifully preserved,
showing almost no signs of use (in fact, the only minor complaints
we could find were a couple very small chips on the lowest parts of
the rockers, the rest of the car pretty much looks new), and kudos
to the Saleen techs for matching it so precisely before laying down
their signature graphics package. And the stuff's totally
functional, having been tested on the track and not just designed
because some guy thought it looked slick-that's the Saleen
difference. The chin spoiler still looks excellent, the rear
diffuser is always a treat to see when a Saleen just passed you
like a blur on the left, and we love the look of the roll bar and
hard tonneau cap that's fitted when the top is down - a direct
homage to the 'Bullet-Bird' Thunderbird M-Code sports roadsters
from the early 1960s. Man, this sucker is clean!
Inside, it's pretty much stock Mustang, mostly because it was
already a first-class cabin for doing the serious business of
driving. Comfortable bucket seats are wrapped in matching Oxford
White leather and show very little wear and no damage over the past
22 seasons. Saleen added their own sporty white gauge faces -
including the faces on the auxiliary gauges mounted to the center
of the dash - along with a special serialized Saleen badge behind
the sporty, leather-trimmed shifter that manages the lively 6-speed
gearbox. Other than those minor Saleen-spec items it's basically a
stock Mustang GT inside, and that's okay because Ford got the N95
Mustang right, so there wasn't much need to mess with success. The
rear seats look completely unused, and with just over 5800 original
miles (not a typo), this car was never used for daily commuting.
It's loaded with every feature Ford offered, from A/C to power
everything with the lone aftermarket modification being the 7-inch
Pioneer multi-media player mounted in the factory slot, making this
a no-compromises supercar that can be enjoyed every day if
needed.
The 4.6L SOHC fuel-injected V8 that formed the core of the Mustang
GT is a gem of a motor. Willing to spin to 6500 RPM with an exhaust
note that sounds like ripping silk, it's potent and makes the
Saleen feel like a vastly more expensive car. Nevertheless, more is
always better, and with the addition of a Roots supercharger on top
of the V8's intake, it cranks out a stout 365 horsepower and 400
pounds of torque, all without hurting reliability or drivability
one bit. There might even be a bit of extra power on top thanks to
a 90mm throttle body, custom tune from Sean Hyland, upgraded
throttle body, and an upgraded H-pipe dual exhaust system that
sounds downright nasty. Saleen's upgraded suspension features
Racecraft shocks, struts, and springs, which gives this car amazing
reflexes, and it works with Saleen's chassis reinforcements,
Saleen's quick-ratio 5-speed gearbox, and a heavy-duty 8.8" rear
end stuffed with 3.27 gears out back. A great-sound SR Performance
cat-back exhaust system sounds heroic and all the fluids are fresh
thanks to low miles and regular maintenance through the years.
18-inch split-five white alloys finish the killer look and come
shod with recent Sumitomo performance radials with plenty of grippy
tread left.
For future Mustang collectors, this is a rare gem, and even today,
it is an absolute blast to drive. If you're looking for a unique
Mustang, there aren't many better choices than this S281SC Saleen
convertible. Call today!
