Stallions Of SMS

We've all seen the recent influx of reborn, regenerated ponycars from days gone by. Ford got the party started in 2005 with the Mustang, then Dodge brought out a new Challenger, and Chevy was right on their heels with the new Camaro. These days you can hardly swing a cat -- living or otherwise -- without hitting a retro-modern rental "sports" car with a V6 and workhorse automatic transmission. Not that we would recommend such a travesty -- or swinging a cat around, for that matter.

One of the kings of American musclecar tuning is Steve Saleen, who made his name racing Fords years ago, and thereafter spent over 2 decades creating some of the best all-around tuned Mustangs in the market. Today, Saleen has left his namesake company to form SMS Supercars and bring forth a wider variety of tendon-snapping beasts. In fact, ironically enough, the range includes all three mentioned above -- Mustang, Challenger, and Camaro.


The SMS 460 is a Mustang with a supercharged version of the "old"4.6-Liter V8, producing 470 horsepower. Yawn. What you want -- and this is true with all of the SMS cars -- is the X! Add that sinister letter to the end of the model designation, and everything changes. Now, your SMS Mustang is fitted with a fully-built supercharged 5.0-Liter V8, good for a thundering 655 rampaging stallions.


Similar spec can be had with the SMS 570 Challenger. Whilst the ordinary supercharged 5.7L engine makes do with a puny 500 horses, the 570X pounds the pavement with seven hundred -- accomplished through boring the block out to 6.4 Liters. Likewise, the SMS 620X Camaro churns out an even more astonishing 715 from its supercharged 6.2L V8.


Dwell on that for a mite. How many production cars (supercars, even) can you list off with over 700 horsepower? Greenpeace would not be amused . . . and yet, we certainly are! Of course, this being Steve Saleen's outfit, suspension/braking and interior are all fully upgraded. Expect no less. Revamped bodywork, good for traffic-stopping looks, is also a trademark of Steve's, and these three offerings are no exception.

Back Streets Option

You're probably thinking it would be easy enough here to simply recommend a tuned up musclecar of some variety and move on. Far be it from us to skate off that easily. On the contrary, coming up with a viable solution to inexpensiveness takes a great many coffee drinks and late hours. At long last, we realized there could be only one option -- the 1990-93 Saleen Mustang SC.


It would be simple to view the SC as simply a Fox-body with a Vortech blower stuck on top. That, folks, would be a travesty. Saleen is a holistic tuner, which is what we respect most in the world of aftermarketness. Everything imaginable is upgraded with an SC, from the Saleen 200mph speedometer to the form-fitting black leather racing seats, to the trademark Racecraft suspension components.


There is also a body kit that is conservative and a rear wing that is not. Thing is, Saleens are extremely rare -- very limited numbers of these were produced -- and with rarity comes a steep entry price. Just ask the classic Alpina guys. To create your own version of a Saleen SC is much simpler and cheaper.


Start with a 1990-92 Mustang GT. That gets you a body kit straight away, although we would swap in the LX taillights rather than those cluttery-looking louvered covers. We would also add a set of 17" SVT Cobra R 5-spoke wheels, as they are all kinds of cool. A simple 1993 Cobra rear wing will suffice, as will the usual bolton/exhaust mods. As for serious power, the Saleen SC made 305hp, and that's easily duplicated with a Vortech kit for less than $2,000 these days. That's an instant 100-horsepower jump. Install a tighter suspension (we like Maximum Motorsports kits), black leather bucket seats, and other details, and you have yourself a near-enough Saleen Mustang!

Post-script:

Turns out the original Saleen company is alive and kicking after all! They have just released pictures of their new 2010 S435S, which uses a supercharged 4.6L V8, good for 475hp. Perhaps we will have two competing Saleen-style companies in the near future.