Ford Performance is going to crank out some eagerly anticipated high-output machines, such as the Shelby GT350R and 2017 GT, but it’s not the only game in town for brawnier Blue Ovals. After some well-known highs and lows, Saleen continues to make Mustangs into race horses.
The tuner’s 2015 302 Black Label Mustang adds a twin-screw supercharger to the regular GT’s 5.0-liter V8. Horsepower goes from 435 to a colossal 730. Torque climbs from a peak of 400 lb.-ft. to the stratosphere of 600 – on 91 octane.
Upgraded springs, shocks, swaybars, and bushings keep those boosted numbers in check. The speedo needle gets brought back to 0 by dimpled 15-inch discs and multi-piston brakes. Twenty-inch five-spoke wheels and 275/35R20 (front) and 275/40R20 (rear) tires keep the 302 Black Label from flying off the road.
Saleen Mustangs are typically easy to spot and the new 302 Black Label is no exception. For the sake of downforce, it’s been lengthened by an inch and a half up front and nearly two in the back. A front splitter and a rear wing help this Saleen S550 manage air more effectively.
The car you see here wears a Saleen/BASF-developed paint color known as California Sunset, which is described by Saleen as “a cross between a golden yellow and the hues of a setting sun … that changes with the light.” Under that’s an interior with black leather and suede seats, and a dash plaque that lists the year the Black Label to which it’s attached was built and the car’s serial number.
Prices for the 2015 Saleen 302 Black Label Mustangs start at $73,214. Each one will have its own unique VIN and Steve Saleen’s signature on it.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
