2005 Saleen S281

Tweaking an American favorite


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Click to enlarge. Steve Saleen debuts the S281 during a Ford press conference at the California Auto Show.

Ford Motor Company held the press conference for the unveiling of the 2005 Saleen S281, adding fuel to the rumor about corporate abandonment of the Special Vehicle Team (SVT) in Dearborn. Ford killed the SVT Focus after the 2004 model year, collaborated closely with Saleen to create the 2005 Ford GT, and last week announced that the 2006 SVT F-150 Lightning program was dead. With Saleen creating Mustangs with as much as 500 horsepower, does it make sense for Ford to align itself with Saleen in order to produce in-house performance products, the way Mercedes-Benz has done with AMG? Probably, but we really wanted the independent rear suspension that the next-generation Cobra was supposed to offer.

Maybe that wicked Saleen S281-E will get it, instead.

Photos by Erik Hanson

About Christian Wardlaw
Christian Wardlaw joined Autobytel's Automotive Information Center (AIC) in January 2003, and current serves as Manager of Content Development for Autobytel. Previously, Christian spent eight years as Editor-in-Chief and Director of Automotive Data for Edmunds.com. A writer, editor, and automobile aficionado, Christian is a different sort of car enthusiast. His passion lies in the vehicles that people most often buy, rather than with high-performance sports cars or ultra-luxury sedans. “Given the choice to spend an hour with a Dodge Viper or a Honda Accord, I’ll choose the Accord,” he claims. Unless, of course, the driving venue is a racetrack. Christian has been a car enthusiast all of his life, uttering “car” as his first word while growing up in Detroit. A graduate of Western Michigan University, he holds a bachelor’s degree in English. His daily drivers include a 1994 Mazda Miata, a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata, and a 2005 Nissan Murano.


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