Racecraft 420S Mustang is what Ford should really sell.
Priced right with just enough of what you need and none of what you don't.
Saleen Incorporated is in a state of transition. The guy whose name is on the door has left and opened up shop elsewhere. The company is now merged with American Sunroof Corporation, which like Saleen, has been trying to redefine its purpose in a changing automotive landscape. Not everyone is a fan of the current Saleen lineup's heavily gilled and grilled styling, and several models are pretty pricey. But there are some sharp folks running this outfit and several of them, such as CEO Paul Wilbur and product-development whiz Chris Theodore, have considerable OEM experience. One of their responses to all this is Racecraft.
Mustang mongers will remember Racecraft as the name of Saleen's suspension components. Now, it's the new brand name for a lineup of cars that are short on frills, long on performance, and easier on the wallet. The first salvo in the Racecraft attack is called the 420 S, and it's one of the most well-balanced, fun-to-drive, not-overdone Mustangs we've tested in a good while.
The package begins with a zero-option Mustang GT and builds from there where it counts. The heart of the issue is underhood, in the form of Saleen's twin-screw supercharger. This is a slick installation, as it incorporates an intercooler, and the blower mounts low in the engine valley. That means no big snail hanging off the front of the engine nor long lengths of intake plumbing. The EMS is recalibrated and a 98mm mass airflow sensor is installed, along with a high-flow inlet tube and K & N air filter. The result is 420 hp, up from the stock GT's 300. Premium fuel is now required.
Revised underpinnings include Racecraft specific front and rear springs, revised struts and shocks, and a new front anti-roll bar. Top-level Saleens, such as the Dan Gurney and Parnelli Jones editions, use 19-in. wheels, but the company has stuck with 18s for the 420 S. They're nice-looking alloys, an inch wider than the GT's factory-optional 18s, and wrapped by Bridgestone Potenza 275/40-18s.
Inside, Saleen has replaced the factory speedo and tach faces with its own, silver-colored pieces, although the four ancillary gauges remain stock. The factory shifter remains, but is topped by a handsome (and comfortable) leather and alloy knob. Sport seats might have been nice, but are expensive, so they've added some Racecraft embroidery to the stock headrests.
Saleen has gone light on the body armor -- most exterior mods consist of matte black paint or vinyl. We're not sure about the five-foot-long R A C E C R A F T lettering along the rockers, but with the wider wheels and subtle black trim, the 420 S looks the business. It's almost too subtle; perhaps a black, factory-style aftermarket honeycomb grille that did away with the chrome horsey, or one that puts the foglights to the center, would have given it a more unique appearance. But the goal here was to put the money where it makes performance, which is hard to criticize. Besides, Mustang owners have a plethora of parts available from which to choose and can bolt on whatever else they want.
A 0-to-60 time of 4.4 sec puts the 420 S just ahead of the Paxton-supercharged Shelby GT/SC we tested (June 2008), which got there a tick slower at 4.6. The Racecraft's 10.4-sec 0-to-100 time virtually ties the Shelby's 10.5. What the times don't convey is how useable the power is. You can dawdle the Racecraft around all day and never know there's a supercharger there. Get into the pedal, and you get a pleasing blower whine and big power. No stumbling, overheating, or any of the usual tuner nonsense. Just as important is that the handling improvements are balanced to the increased punch. The car sits a little lower than a stock Mustang, but doesn't drag the ground. It rides firmer than a stocker, but doesn't beat you up. Steering response is sharper, but not to the point of kickback. It handles better all around, although the M+S rubber limits the grip. Stickier rubber would also improve braking distances, but would wear more quickly too. If there's any additional hardware request we'd make, it would be for a sportier-sounding pipes. The stock exhaust system is 2.5-in. stainless steel, so it's good quality and exhales adequately, but a car like this ought to serve up more rumble. Probably another step necessary to keep the price under 40 grand. The 420 S is offered in all stock Mustang GT colors. If you want a more heavily optioned car (leather seats, HID headlights, nav), your Saleen Ford dealer will accommodate, but that will of course increase the price. And the above-noted sub-$40K starter price was a huge goal of this project for Saleen; makes one question the viability of the naturally aspirated Saleen S281, which has 85 hp less and costs $6000 more. But if you want to drive the 420's price higher, you can opt for a limited slip diff, suspension upgrades, more gauges, a 475-hp power upgrade, big brakes, whatever. Even without a single add-on, the Saleen Racecraft 420 S is a solid piece that delivers the performance it promises. It looks tough without the use of unnecessary aero trash, the components are well balanced to each other, and it addresses several of the issues noted at the top of this story. Job well done.
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