The Ford GT went from concept to production in record time thanks to companies like ROUSH and Saleen that have niche manufacturing capabilities. Saleen handled the assembly of the GT in its 200,000-sq ft facility in Troy, MI, and whether it was part of the deal or just a thank you from Ford, Steve Saleen ended up owning a pre-production Ford GT, one of only nine built. There are some differences from the production version, including a 4.6-liter Mustang Cobra V8 that has been bored out to 5.4-liters, as well as a unique supercharger system made specifically for the car. The bad news is that its pre-production status means it can't be registered as a street legal vehicle, so this Ford GT will most likely be relegated to a collector's garage.
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.
We're big fans of Steve Saleen. He's created some pretty incredible Mustangs over the last 25 years, and any guy that successfully builds his own supercar gets major props in our book. Plus, we could listen to his racing stories for hours. After he announced his retirement from Saleen, Inc last year, we were somewhat disappointed when he took the position of CEO at ZX Automobile, a Chinese car company hoping to import trucks into the United States. It's not that we think Steve wasn't up to the task; we were just hoping he would stick to sports cars.
We shouldn't have worried, because Steve announced the formation of his new company, SMS Limited, in March of this year with plans to develop vehicles based on the new breed of American muscle cars (Mustang, Challenger and Camaro) as well as race in the American Le Mans Series. We wanted to get more info on Steve's plans with the company, and what better way than to hear it from the man himself. We were able to get a one-on-one with Steve, and got some inside info on the new company and his plans to race an S7R in the ALMS. Interested? Follow the jump for the interview.
Unbeknownst to many, Steve Saleen's empire incorporates a number of brands beyond the one that pumps out modified Mustangs, including Saleen Autosport, Saleen Productions, Saleen Speedlab, Saleen Performance and Saleen, Inc. The legend has just announced he'll be adding one more brand to his portfolio focused solely on "high-end of the diverse American Muscle Car and Global Supercar markets." Called SMS Limited, this brand will allow Saleen to develop and distribute high-end supercars developed in-house, i.e. having nothing to do with Ford. We've also confirmed that the Saleen S5S Raptor concept debuting at the New York Auto Show next week has nothing to do with SMS Limited and remains a joint development between Saleen, Inc. and ASC.
In the press release after the jump, Saleen also reveals that his company will have turn-key tuned versions and performance parts available for the entire trio of modern American muscle cars coming onto the market in a couple years, including the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camaro. Finally, he also makes mention of Saleen's return to American Le Mans Series racing, which we'll learn more about in the near future.
New Saleen supercars; Saleen versions of the next Mustang, Challenger and Camaro; and a return to ALMS racing? Sounds like a solid business plan to us.
