Revealed ahead of the 2009 SEMA Show and then officially debuting at the aftermarket expo, it seems as though with all the hundreds of modified Camaros to cover, Saleen’s latest project flew under the radar. To remedy that, we thought we’d look back and give an update now that the new Saleen (Saleen Performance Vehicles) has released complete details on its 2010 S281 model.

The car features a Saleen Series VI.5 twin-screw supercharger and dual-stage intercooler mated to the factory 4.6-liter V8 engine to produce 485 hp and 460 ft-lbs of torque. All S281 models also feature a limited-slip differential. Additional modifications include a lowered suspension with new springs and shocks/struts, a sway bar, 7-spoke 20-inch wheels with Pirelli P-Zero Rosso tires, a custom interior and aerodynamics kit.

“Our goal was to create the most visually enticing American sports car ever,” said David Byron, design director at Saleen Performance Vehicles. “Ford provided the perfect launching pad with the 2010 Mustang, which allowed our team to create a car that’s world class and authentically Saleen. We painstakingly toiled over every bend and break in the body and every stitch and fold in the interior.”

“For more than 25 years the Saleen name has stood for excellence in design, engineering, and driving dynamics,” said Mike Shields, CEO of Saleen Performance Vehicles. “The new S281 is an excellent example of what those words mean when we craft concepts into real cars. Our team has done a terrific job; I’mproud of them and proud to be offering this car to our customers.”

GALLERY: 2010 Saleen S281

See more details on the 2010 Saleen S281 after the jump:

Prior to its official SEMA Show debut, several photos of the Saleen S281 version of the 2010 Mustang have leaked onto the net. With all the controversy surrounding the Saleen brand as of late, it’s no surprise that this pony car won’t be displayed along with the stable of Stangs at Ford’s booth. Then again, with the Saleen name still carrying a lot of cache, the Mustang tuner doesn’t exactly need to piggy-back.

The S281 2010 Mustang is (arguably) the first full package to come from the new Saleen Performance Vehicles company. Several months back the “new Saleen” did roll out a 435S model, but in many ways it was more a collection of parts than a fully thought out vehicle. Even the company admitted that the 435S was more of a budget-minded performance vehicle.

As for the S281, it promises much more and we have to say the exterior styling is impressive – although we’ll take ours without the rear quarter window covers.

And as for the rest of the package, that info didn’t leak out with the pics, so we’ll have to wait for SEMA to find out more.

Be sure to check back for AutoGuide’s 2009 SEMA Show coverage starting November 3rd.

GALLERY: 2010 Saleen S281 Mustang

[Source: TheMustangSource]

Saleen Performance Vehicles has released pictures of the 2010 S281 Mustang ahead of the car’s official unveiling at the SEMA show in Las Vegas.

The three  pictures, posted on Saleen’s Flickr and Facebook pages, provide a peek of the S281’s front and the rear, which a couple of Facebook commenters called an improvement on the 2010 Mustang’s original rear.

Full details will be released at the 2010 Saleen S281 Mustang’s unveiling Nov. 4 at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

We’ll be sure to bring you full details and photos from SEMA.

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

Gallery: 2010 Saleen S281 Mustang

Saleen Performance Vehicles (SPV) has just released its version of the 2010 Mustang, the 435S. The release of this 435 horsepower pony car comes just days after Steve Saleen announced he is suing SPV and its owner MJ Acquisitions for using his name.

For those not up to date on the continuing Saleen saga, Steve Saleen sold his company to MJ Acquisitions roughly a year ago and then promptly went out and opened up his own pony-car tuning shop, SMS Supercars.

But back to the 435S.

SPV unveiled that car during the Special Vehicle Team (SVT) Owners Association’s annual Mustang Week event.

The “New Saleen” designed the 435S to deliver a lot of performance for a reasonable amount of money (although pricing has yet to be released).

The 435S gets its power from a Saleen Series VI twin-screw supercharger and two-stage intercooler and along with 435 horses it delivers 425 ft-lbs of torque through a five-speed manual transmission with a 3.73:1 rear end and a much-needed limited-slip differential.

To help out in the handling department the car gets a full Saleen Racecraft suspension adjustment with new shocks, a stiffer front sway bar and springs that help the car sit 1.5-inches lower than stock. A set of 18-inch wheels comes standard with both 19- and 20-inchers available.

As for the look of the car we have to say we’re impressed, as the (optional) new front splitter and rear spoiler give a race-ready look. Inside there are also a few changes with a short-shifter, Saleen logos on the headrests and new gauges that keep the Mustang’s MyColor setup.

“All in all, we believe the 435S is the right car at the right time,” said SPV CEO Mike Shields. “It’s a terrific performance value that we’re proud to offer. And this is just the first of many great Saleen vehicles we’ll be launching in the future.”

GALLERY: SPV 2010 Mustang 435S

Official release after the jump:

Steve Saleen to the rescue!

That’s right, Steve Saleen, the former owner of Mustang-tuner and manufacturer Saleen Inc. has announced that his new company SMS Supercars will honor the warranty on any Saleen product purchased before February 2nd, 2009. Now that’s standing behind your product!

“The ones who have been left out in the cold are the loyal customers of Saleen products,” said Steve Saleen in a statement. “While my new company, SMS Supercars, has no legal or moral obligation to take up any of the warranty claims against Saleen Inc. or MJ Acquisitions, Inc., I would like to make a bold statement on the right way to treat customers.”

The news comes roughly a month after Saleen Inc.’s new owner, MJ Acquisitions, announced that it would not support the warranties on Saleen vehicles and parts sold before the Feb. 2nd date.

We predicted in that story that the new Saleen Inc., wouldn’t be long for this world and that prophesy seems to be playing out. First MJ Acquisitions scared off all it’s customers (and infuriated the Mustang community) and now Steve Saleen has made a move that will likely see all current Saleen product owners driving their American muscle straight into his open arms.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Saleen’s new owner, MJ Acquisitions, will not be honoring any outstanding warranties on Saleen Inc. products, services, or vehicles.

That’s right, MJ Acquisitions recently sent a letter to all certified Saleen and Racecraft dealers stating that customers will have to pay for any repair costs because Saleen Inc. has ceased operations. It clearly states that, “MJ Acquisitions, Inc. is not responsible or obligated to cover warranties and/or any financial liabilities of Saleen, Inc.” The bad news applies to all Saleen products sold prior to February 2, 2009.

That’s bad news for the customers, but there is also bad news for the retailers. Saleen Inc. will also no longer be able to cover parts or labor on any vehicle with a Saleen warranty – including unsold vehicles currently sitting on showroom floors. This will certainly make those vehicles a lot harder to move.

MJ Acquisitions says in the letter that it feels sorry for the outcome and wants to reassure customers and retailers that the Saleen brand will continue.

Now, we can’t see the future, but it’s not a stretch to predict that Saleen might just fade away after this news. The Mustang community is a tight-knit one and trying to sell Saleen cars and car parts to that same customer base after this news could be damn-near impossible.

[Source: www.soec.org]

MJ Acquisitions, which recently purchased most of Saleen Inc., has made it clear that purchasing Viper from Dodge/Chrysler is of interest to the company.

Automotive News reports that MJ Acquisitions co-owner Mike Shields states that, “We’ve considered a purchase of Viper.” Shields and his bothers own several auto-industry related subsidiaries including Cyltec, LLC, Power-Tec Engineering, LLC, Arrow Racing Engines, LLC, and Control-Tec, LLC.

Chrysler has publicly stated its interest in selling off the successful Viper brand, and recently announced that it is currently looking over three proposals – although the company would not say if one of those proposals is from MJ Acquisitions.

In news relating back to Saleen, Shields stated that the continuation of the Racecraft brand and S-Line are not certain.

As for the continued uncertainty of the S7 and S5 Raptor supercars, former Saleen president Chris Theodore is still on the hunt for a buyer.

Read the AutoGuide review of the Viper ACR here:

Dodge Viper ACR

[Source: AutoNews]

After decades of modifying Mustangs (and other Ford products), last year Steve Saleen sold the company that bares his name. Now he’s back with a new company, SMS Limited, based in Anaheim, CA. And while he plans to copy his old business plan of tuning Mustangs and selling them as complete packages (Didn’t anyone make this guy sign a non-compete contract?), he’s also going to do the same for the new Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camaro.

Branded as SMS, the first vehicle the company will release will be based on the new Dodge Challenger.

Saleen’s old company, Saleen Inc., secured OEM status (meaning that each Saleen vehicle was registered as a Saleen and not a Ford). It appears as though SMS will do the same with the first two reworked and rebadged Challengers being called the SMS 570 and SMS 570X. The two models will produce 500 and 700hp respectively.

Each vehicle will also receive a ground-up transformation, including new aerodynamics, suspension components and interior work.

The modified Challengers will be followed shortly thereafter by an SMS version of the 2010 Mustang, called the SMS 460.

Visit www.smslimitedusa.com for more info.

[Source: The Detroit News]