Steve Saleen celebrates 25 years with 720-horsepower anniversary Mustang concept

Click above for a high resolution image
If you've noticed that there are more than a handful of Mustang variations out there, then consider Steve Saleen a trend setter. He's been tweaking Mustangs for 25 years now, and even though he and Saleen, Inc. parted ways last year, Steve has continued to work on Ford's ponycar with his new company, SMS Limited. While SMS released a rendering of an upcoming Challenger back in May, this 25th Anniversary Mustang Concept is the first actual vehicle the company has built. It features a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 with 720 horsepower, carbon fiber bodywork, 15-inch brakes, carbon fiber exterior trim, and a custom leather interior with two-tone seats. The SMS Mustang also has a unique Red Butterfly induction system and a pretty trick Light Blade taillight system. Follow the jump for a history of Steve Saleen's career and a complete list of features of the SMS 25th Anniversary Mustang Concept.
Gallery: SMS 25th Anniversary Mustang Concept
[Source: SMS Limited]
PRESS RELEASE:
July 6, 2008 - Orange County, California. Twenty five years focused on performance automobiles takes a great deal of commitment and passion. From his early automotive days spent race preparing his personal cars, to his inevitable entrance into the professional racing world, and finally into the domain of the automotive business, automotive icon Steve Saleen has done it all. Steve set the course for his automotive future in his first race on August 19th, 1973 at Riverside International Raceway, where he took his GT350 to the winners' circle, and he never looked back.
Steve Saleen moved up through the amateur and then professional ranks of closed and open-wheel racing during the 70's and 80's, racing and winning against drivers such as Bobby Rahal, Gilles Villeneuve, Danny Sullivan etc. His racing career eventually intertwined with his USC business degree when, in 1983, he formed Saleen Autosport and produced his first vehicle, a 1984 white and blue high performance Saleen Mustang, the first of thousands of vehicles that would eventually be built based on his innovative niche manufacturing, certification and racing business model.
Steve and his vehicles have dominated the competition wherever they raced around the world, having won nine championships, countless races and set track records from Daytona to Le Mans and every track in between. And Steve is still racing, he is currently testing one of the two European Le Mans Series Championship winning S7R's in preparation for his return to competition in the American Le Mans Series later this year.
For 25 years, Steve Saleen has been the leading pioneer in lifestyle performance automobiles, with his companies building an amazing array of high performance, sports, race and collector cars that are coveted by enthusiasts and celebrities alike from Tim Allen to Tom Cruise. His companies have created everything from the world's fastest production Mustang, the S302 Extreme, to the Saleen S7 and S7R the most victorious supercar based racing vehicle ever, bar none, with 171 Top Tens, 118 Podiums, 84 Pole Positions, 76 Fastest Laps, 72 Wins and 9 GT Championships. Amazing cars are not the only thing associated with Steve Saleen's name and ingenuity, his companies are also credited with an impressive array of patented automotive technological innovations.
As an entrepreneur, his endeavors encompass more than simply delivering the performance hardware. In 2006 he was the driving force behind the opening of his company's first automotive retail experience. With as much visual impact and excitement as one of his supercars, Maxim Magazine awarded it "Best Automotive Retail Store".
To celebrate his illustrious automotive career, Steve Saleen and his new company SMS have developed a truly innovative and exceptional celebratory vehicle - the 2008 SMS Twenty Fifth Anniversary Mustang Concept. To find out more about the 720 hp SMS concept car, we talked to its creator, Mr. Steve Saleen.
Comments by Steve Saleen, Chairman and CEO of SMS
"In celebration of my 25 years in the niche manufacturing business I wanted to create a personal car for myself that appropriately marks this very special Anniversary. The functional aesthetic innovations that we have developed are truly exceptional in every way. Though this car is not going to be for sale, it nevertheless demonstrates the technological advances present at SMS."
"With the SSC, SA-10, SA-15 and SA-20, I used those platforms to introduce new technology to the automotive market. In keeping with that tradition, this concept car incorporates many important advances developed by SMS. In particular our patented SMS Red Butterfly™ Induction System and SMS Light Blade™ LED Taillight System are definitely the coolest things that any Anniversary car has ever had! When those butterflies crack open under throttle, people stop and stare, you can be sure you will see those on our future products. And when you are passed by this car and the full width sequential turn signals come on, you will be just as awestruck!"
"Along with the main features, the supporting cast of innovation developed by SMS is just as deep, including; SMS Side Splitters and Diffuser Fences in carbon fiber, SMS billet aluminum signature elements, a beautiful SMS Two Tone Leather interior and the unique SMS "Chromosome Silver" paint with the signature anniversary yellow, white and black graphic accents.
"My Anniversary cars were always the most powerful of the breed and this car continues that tradition, as this engine produces 720 Horsepower at the crank and 612 Horsepower at the rear wheels! And the exhaust note truly is something else. Topped with 670ft lbs of Torque it is quite a steed to tame, thus it is equipped with SMS Cross Drilled 15" 6-Piston Front Brakes and a completely new SMS Billet Aluminum Watts Link System that is robust, durable and attractive."
"The performance is astounding; the SMS Twenty Fifth Anniversary Mustang has reached nearly the same levels of performance as was previously achieved in the S7 Twin Turbo! It is not everyday that the word Supercar is associated with a Mustang, but in this case it is appropriate. The team and I are very excited about the vehicle as it incorporates an entirely new platform of technological advances by SMS, and it is a testament to what our company is capable of. We look forward to it touring the show circuit this summer to show that we are in the business of power!"
"I look forward to the next twenty five years!"
Key functional and aesthetic innovations:
SMS 720 HP Supercharged 5.0L Aluminum Block V8
SMS CNC Ported Saleen Supercharger
SMS CNC Aluminum Heads
SMS Red Butterfly™ Induction System
SMS Light Blade™ LED Tail Light System
SMS Billet Aluminum Watts Link System
SMS Cross Drilled 15" 6-Piston Front Brakes
SMS Cross Drilled 12" Rear Brakes
SMS Two Piece Billet Aluminum Hood Vents
SMS Carbon Fiber Side Splitters
SMS Carbon Fiber Diffuser Fences
SMS Red Butterfly™ Quarter Intakes
SMS Chromosome™ Silver Paint
SMS Leather Grip Billet Aluminum Shifter and Shifter Bezel
SMS Leather Dash
SMS Leather Two Tone Door Inserts
SMS Leather Two Tone Seats
6-Speed Transmission
Performance:
720 HP/612 WHP
667 TQ/565 WTQ












Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
AntBee 9:01AM (7/08/2008)
This car is bad-ass and all, but what I wanna know is, did Steve do something about that hair?
Reply
Kumail 10:05AM (7/08/2008)
concept
boy do i hate that word...
Reply
John Johnson 10:06AM (7/08/2008)
"the SMS Twenty Fifth Anniversary Mustang has reached nearly the same levels of performance as was previously achieved in the S7 Twin Turbo!"
Pretty cool.
Insert "oh no not another Mustang" comments below.
Reply
Quattrofan 10:47AM (7/08/2008)
No comment, just a big YAWN!
Quattrofan 10:48AM (7/08/2008)
No comment.... just a huge YAWN!
mk 10:07AM (7/08/2008)
So...
This is an SMS car, not a Saleen, Inc. car, celebrating that Steve Saleen has been doing-up mustangs for 25 years, but now no longer at the company he founded?
And why does the aero kit on this car look like a round-edged and not particularly seamlessly fitting knock-off of the Saleen Inc bodykit for the Mustang?
I kinda do like the tail lights... that is kind of slick, and I always like the glass roof.
Aside from that, we've seen this all before. And to be honest, I'd rather have a Fox-body Saleen Mustang (especially if any were built as a t-roof). An original, or even a very good knock off of that.
Reply
Pete 2:16PM (7/08/2008)
It has an embossed "Saleen" logo on the rear bumper, which begs the question of what the remnant relationship between SMS and Saleen actually is... because if the front fascia/grille doesn't cause serious heartburn at Saleen, then the logo definitely would.
Dude 10:10AM (7/08/2008)
So modded cars can be called "concepts" now? Get ready for a boatload of emails from every kid who painted the hubcaps on his Mom's Accord "concept".
Also, lets just give the Mustang tuners a Flickr account and let them post their "special editions" and "concepts" over there. This is getting insane.
Reply
Kimura 10:12AM (7/08/2008)
The rear end treatment is cool. Here's the thing I want to know: witha ll of these tuned and custom Mustangs out there, you'd think that someone would put an IRS out back. That'd be the Mustang I'd buy.
Reply
mk 10:16AM (7/08/2008)
amen.
That is half of why I would prefer a Fox, at least the new-edge Cobra's IRS subframe fits...
And the more compact Fox body is still somewhat lightweight, even with significant chassis re-inforcement, and modular engines can fit under the hood, if one is talking about modifications...
MajorGeek 10:19AM (7/08/2008)
Love Saleen modifications and congrats Steve. That said, I find this design a bit busier then most of his Mustangs, almost like going to the local auto store and buying a pile of stick ons and cheap add-ons. I like most of the Mustangs after markets out there, this one just feels wrong. Tone it down Stevey boy! If you want to go loud, I think stick to the body kit, spoiler, hood scoop and wheels to make any noise. Of course, as a concept one can assume he is just trying a pile of ideas in which case this whole post was a waste of time :)
Reply
John 10:31AM (7/08/2008)
I disagree and thus prove the point that everyone has their own taste, and therefore we have many variations of tuner Mustangs. You may not add this to your list, but I certainly would add it to mine, without changing any of the add-ons.
MajorGeek 10:35AM (7/08/2008)
Thats ok, my son also bought everything at Pep Boys and bolt, stuck and wired it on his car. Ill bet you that car wont have anywhere near all that crap on it and that you will not buy it. Holler with your bet terms for both crap on it and you buying it.
John 10:26AM (7/08/2008)
I'm wondering if the motor is a purpose built version that Saleen Inc created for the S7, rather than a Ford sourced block.
Steve could certainly acquire one such motor and create his own concept car with it, but I doubt it would ever be supplied by Saleen Inc to SMS for an SMS production Mustang.
But then, tuner companies seem to be more flexible than OEMs.
Reply
duh 10:44AM (7/08/2008)
I can't be the only person tired of seeing modded Mustangs. We get it- spending more money on a Mustang makes it faster and gets the owner more stares.
Let me know when Ford changes the interior and gives it a modern suspension.
Reply
HumanShield 10:48AM (7/08/2008)
Another Mustang!!
This is as newsworthy as the sun rising.
Reply
J3-Colt 11:19AM (7/08/2008)
Wow! I love it...this version is so MUCH better and will get you noticed faster than the other 6,503,409 Mustang version that I've seen this year!
Reply
nick 11:42AM (7/08/2008)
Maybe, just maybe, Ford did such a great job on this car that's the reason why there are so many versions of it. Knocking Ford about the Stang is like knocking the Apollo program, just plain stupid. The non IRS works there is no reason to change it. An 03 Cobra and my 06 gt handles exactly the same way, you can't tell the difference except the heart stopping rear hop slide. Which never gets old. :) it's scary at high speeds.
Reply
Torrent 12:03PM (7/08/2008)
1 of the 312 Mustangs this week look good so far. This is it. Out the the 789 last week: the winner is........ the 427R Trak Pak.
Reply
jcar302 12:23PM (7/08/2008)
As a mustang fan, i wish some companies were as concerned about getting the power to the ground as they are about huge Hp numbers.
You can have all the power in the world, but if you are just blowing off the tires, it doesn't do much good.
That's what make the zr1, zo6 and GTR so great, they roll off the showroom floor on factory tires, run low 12's and handle great.
Reply