Saleen Sneak Peek

With the magical five-point-oh menacingly back on the quarter panels of 'Stangs, it didn't take long for tuners to saddle up performance steeds for 2011.

Saleen Performance has goosed the 2011 Mustang GT with a slew of enhancements to create the S302, including a shorter-throw six-speed manual, optional brake upgrades that measure 14 inches with six-piston calibers and a Racecraft suspension that lowers ride height by 1.5 inches.

The exterior gets rockers, a scooped hood and front and rear fascia, which are complemented by a redone interior with piano-black finishings.

This should all sound familiar; these are the same upgrades for the 2010 Mustang S281, but the reason is simple: It allows Saleen and enthusiasts a chance to get their hands the freshly minted and more-powerful GT for 2011 with custom enhancements. The Saleen 302 pumps out 425 hp from the 5.0-liter V8. A supercharged version is set to arrive later.

The S302 will come in coupe and convertible forms. Saleen is already at work outfitting the new models at its Michigan base. The 302 officially bows at the Carlisle Ford Nationals in Pennsylvania this weekend.

The 302 moniker is, of course, magical in itself for the Mustang mafia. It summons the spirit of the 1969-70 cars, the Boss 302s, which were sold to the public to allow Ford to use racing versions in Trans-Am. And if you're wondering, yes, the 2011 GT V8 measures 308 cubic inches.

Additionally, a racing model called the 302R, which is not street legal, is also available in a limited run of 50 copies through Ford dealers later this year.

Meanwhile, Steve Saleen, the founder and namesake of the company who left the firm a few years ago, has also crafted a version of the 2011 GT which makes 440 hp from a supercharged V8. It's called the SMS 302.

Got all that? It's a lot of numbers. But just as in the original pony-car era, horsepower is again paramount.

By Greg Migliore