Click above for high-res images of the 2008 Saleen S302 Extreme

My first experience with the Saleen S302E Mustang was an absolute blast. I was handed the keys and told to let loose on abandoned airstrip. Mash the throttle from a standing start and the 620 horsepower underhood would quickly turn the rear tires into a cloud of smoke. Use the throttle carefully and the rear tires would maintain traction, catapulting the car forward at an incredible rate. Brake to the absolute threshold, take a corner at high speeds, and then kick the tail sideways while exiting the turn - I was able to experience the full potential of the S302E, unrestricted by traffic and speed limits, with plenty of forgiving pavement in case of a spin.

Read on after the jump to hear about living with the S302E as a daily driver and check out our fab pics in the gallery below. Believe it or not, we took them ourselves.

Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Saleen S302 Extreme

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Saleen S302 Extreme

In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Saleen S302 Extreme originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

click above image to view more high-res photos of the Saleen H302 SC

There might be dozens (even hundreds?) of Mustang variations out there, but when Saleen sends you an invite to drive its new 620-horsepower S302E Extreme Mustang, you take it without thinking twice. You see, they have been working their magic on Ford's pony car for 25 years now, so if anyone knows how to do it right, it's Saleen. Company founder Steve Saleen might no longer be at the helm, but that doesn't mean the company's passion is gone for producing high performance automobiles. In fact, there seems to be a renewed enthusiasm, or what Saleen's General Manager Marques McCammon calls a "reawakening" of the company. Part of this is due to the recent acquisition of ASC (American Specialty Cars), and new key personnel in place including Paul Wilbur as the new President and CEO, as well as Chris Theodore, the father of the Ford GT program, as the new Chief Technology Officer. The two vehicles we drove, the H302 SC and the S302 Extreme, were the first two new vehicles launched under the new leadership. Follow the jump for our driving impressions of these two monster Mustangs.

Gallery: 2008 Saleen S302E and H302SC First Drive

Gallery: 2008 Saleen Vehicle Lineup

Continue reading First Drive: 2008 Saleen S302E and H302SC Mustangs

First Drive: 2008 Saleen S302E and H302SC Mustangs originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.