The 730 Hp Saleen Black Label Mustang Is Best Served Straight Up

Saleen's been an established name in the Mustang aftermarket since the 80s, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that its latest and greatest offering is primed to go toe-to-toe with 700 hp monsters like the Dodge Hellcat twins or the Shelby GT.

Prepare to drink in the S302 Black Label Mustang. It's putting down 730 hp and has the suspension and body work to match. No chaser necessary.

Traditionally, Saleens are a bit on the flashy side, yet the Black Label's carbon fiber bodywork is deceptively subtle. Although it looks like a normal Saleen-ified Mustang, it's actually 3.5 inches longer (1.5 in the front, 2 in the rear). According to Saleen, that extra length creates significantly more downforce than a normal Mustang, without adding extra drag.

While you can get the Black Label in any color you want, Saleen worked closely with BASF to develop the "California Sunset" shade of yellow that you see here. This isn't (entirely) a trick of the lighting—it's a color-shifting paint designed to mimic, you guessed it, a California sunset.

Inside, it's a sea of leather and suede, and as per Saleen tradition, each car has its unique serial number engraved in a plaque. Nice touch: Steve Saleen is signing every dashboard personally.

So how do you maintain control of a car that takes a stock Mustang V8 and supercharges the hell out of it? Saleen reigns in the 730 hp beast with giant brakes developed in-house, then helps the car stay planted with springs, shocks, swaybars, and even bushings, to make sure the car's geometry stays the same at all times.

Simply refreshing.


Aaron Miller is the Rides editor for Supercompressor, and can be found on Twitter. His first encounter with a Saleen was getting to see an SSC on the showroom floor in 1987.