Sentinal

OMG it was insane fast...

This is by far the fastest car I have ever driven...

OK to start off with I drove an SVT cobra big disapointment it was sloppy all over steering and suspension sucked *** it was barely faster than my stock evo when it was suposed to have over 100 hp more....

So then I thought ok one last chance for ford the Saleen....
I got in the car sat down and thought **** this is just like the other mustang...

We pulled out of the lot and I hit the gas and got my *** thrown to the back of the seat hard! the torque on this car was considerably more than the SVT then I went to shift and noticed the gears were much closer together.. It felt like a sports car instead of a semi. I turned the traction control systems off for some fun in the corners and wow all you had to do was hit the gas and the tires ripped loose from the pavement... but better yet when cornering hard it didn't slip all over like the SVT.
I asked the guy about the suspension and he said saleen totally rebuilds the suspension and its completely different from the SVT and I can vouch its not as good as the AWD Evo but for a RWD car it handled very well. The sound of that engine when the supercharger was full open was amazing. I just cant get over the amount of power that thing had and even when it was boggin down (I put it into the wrong gear thinkin the gearbox in a ford would be bigger) It sounded like a freakin Semi truck.

So altogether it was a great fun car to drive much improved over the SVT or any other american car I have driven to date. I saw a C6 vette but they wouldn't let me drive it

1 word for that car POWER!

Sentinal

has anyone else driven one of these?

lookslikeanevo

iTrader: (23)

i can only dream of driving one...been in a corbra and wasnt realy impressed...yeah it faster than my car...but not my cup off tea...sounds like you had fun though

VTECH8TR

iTrader: (70)

Yep i driven a Saleen and a friends Z06 at work . They are some FAST cars. I lke the Vette better IMO...

hectik

iTrader: (3)

z06 definetly faster....as i have driven both but.... i used to work at a chevy dealer....and they made me drive a z71 surburban from jersey to maryland.....swap...then drive the z06 back.... sh*t kicks *** and boy was i feeling great and lucky the whole way...

MisterSpoot

When you say Saleen... which model? Do you mean the S7?

I've driven the old S351, and that thing was a BEAST.

UFO

iTrader: (7)

Wow, no offense but the Saleen is not a fast car unless you were driving a S351 or S281E. The supercharged S281s are slow for a supercharged 4.6 V8. I don't care what numbers Saleen quote but I have seen one run 15s at the track. Yes, 15s. I was running low 12s in my supercharged GT at the time and would walk away from him in every gear. To say the Cobra is slow is somewhat ironic when comparing it to a supercharged Saleen. The Cobra's 390 HP is underrated and maybe it felt slow to you due to the Roots type supercharger (although the Saleen probably had a Roots blower too) and the fact that power and torque come in very early in the powerband. The quote that they totally reconfigure the suspension isn't exactly true either. Saleens are overpriced and underpowered.

WestSideBilly

iTrader: (1)

Bingo, S7 aside.

I'll assume you were in a S281 SC. The Cobra is a faster car than the Saleen, and quite a bit faster than your stock Evo (especially without a hard launch). You just don't feel it as much because of the nature of the power delivery. Side by side though, the Evo's looking at tail lights.

evolved04

iTrader: (2)

i totally clicked on this thread thinking that sentinel had driven the S7. now i have blue huevos.

Sentinal

no not the S7 if I was rich enough to even test drive one of those my Evo would not be stock!

it was the supercharged 4.6 saleen mustang...

as for WSB and UFO Ive driven both the SVT cobra and the saleen and the saleen is WAY faster it has 10 less horse power but a ton more torque than the SVT. Anyone who pulled a 15 with a saleen has no clue how to drive at all. The SVT is sloppy all over the place the saleen is much more refined suspension and gearbox. Unless the SVT I drove was a complete lemon car the Saleen pulled way harder.

Edit:
I don't see how you could say 375hp and 415 ft pounds of torque is underpowered the thing was a beast maybe not quite as much as a Z06 but deffinately more pull than the cobra or a supercharged GT. As for over priced yes it is when you can pick on a Z06 or a C6 for around the same amount but non-the-less still a fun car to drive. Would I buy it no... but drive the hell out of it on a test drive OH YEA!!!

nine4surfah

I traded my 98 cobra for the EVO and as far as handling is concerned the evo owns....Although the 98 cobra is completely different from todays cobra it really wasnt much of a slouch. I had simple bolt ons (bassani catless x pipes, borla exhaust, k&n open cone intake and a steeda tri-axe shifter) but what really woke the beast up was changing out the ring and pinion gears. Stock ratio was a 3:27 I switched it for a 4:10 and acceleration was greatly improved. I really do miss the torque v8's provide at the blip of a throttle, but the turbo on the evo has really grown on me. I also had the oppertunity to test drive a zo6 and the pontiac gto on a coarse and those things are awsome! Saleens are cool but really they are just over priced after market products with a cool body kit and decals. most saleens out there are really made from bolt ons readily available and less expensive. Back when i was a mustang enthusiasts the big dog salenn was the super charged 351 saleen but that costed serious $$$.

UFO

iTrader: (7)

More pull than a supercharged GT??? The S281SC IS a supercharged GT. Man.... 375 HP? Ohhhhhh. My GT put out more than that at the wheels on stock (8PSI) boost with a Vortech. My GT and mods came nowhere near the base $42K price tag for the Saleen either. For almost $20K extra that Saleen charges it is underpowered and overpriced. I could build you a GT that will spank the Saleen for $30K and I'm an idiot. As for spanking a '04 Cobra? No. Saleen quote 1/4 mile times of 13.0 @ 108, which is a little low considering the HP numbers they quote (my GT ran 11.9 @ 116 in case you were wondering) and Cobras tend to run high 12s @ 110+ bone stock. The only Saleen that will beat a stock Cobra is the S281E (and the S7 of course) but that car's a little bit more expensive than any Mustang should be.

[edit] Oh yeah.... How does a Saleen run 15s? It's called 18" wheels and no traction. When the driver hits 2.6, yes 2.6, 60' then it's kind of difficult to get a good time. Of course, some 17" DRs on there and he would run low 13s but he still got pulled in every gear by me. Guess what the owner drives now? Hint: It's an '03 Cobra.

WestSideBilly

iTrader: (1)

What year Cobra did you drive?

greenemac2003

iTrader: (1)

Ok guys, I have to say that the Saleen S281 and the cobra are awsome cars. I have owned the cobra and drove the S281 saleen. I have to admit the two are faster than the Evo in stock form, but just with a tweak of the computer, intake and exhaust and a little more boost the Evo can blow the S281 away and can hang with the SVT. I have owned two out of three of the cars above and will side with the Evo anyday. The mustang is S281 and the SVT would be a better cars with better suspension and chasis upgrades. Just my 2cents though.

sleek_concepts

iTrader: (3)

first of all there is no way that he test drove a new s281sc. they dont make them anymore. they make a s281e secondly if he drove an s7 he wasnt at a ford dealer. ford does not own saleen or technically have any dealings with them. in fact the saleen line up of cars is not even considered a ford product at all. when you purchase a saleen you get no documentation from ford. it is all saleen. registered as saleen, purchased from saleen. its not even called a mustang. its a SALEEN S281 or whatever model you happen to get. if you wanna drive a fast saleen get the saleen sr. the not so street legal car that saleen did on the mustang platform. whoa!!!!