2008 Racecraft 420 S Ford Mustang First Test

Saleen Corporation is a little different nowadays. The guy who's name is the namesake of the company is gone. The company itself has merged with American Sunroof Corporation, which like Saleen has been trying to redefine itself in an ever changing automotive market.

Saleen Mustangs have turned into heavily finned and spoilered cars that are rather pricey, thus not for everyone. Saleen's response to this the the Racecraft brand.

Mustang fans will recognize Racecraft as a brand of suspension components produced by Saleen. Now it has become a name unto itself, a brand of car. Racecraft cars are supposed to be easy on the eye and the wallet, all with stirring performance.

The very first Racecraft Mustang is the 420 S, which Motor Trend has recently tested.

The folks at Motor Trend have tested pretty much every version of Mustang under the sun. It's quite refreshing that they find the 420 S to be "one of the most well-balanced, fun-to-drive, not-overdone Mustangs we've tested in a good while."

The package starts with a base model, no option Mustang GT. The main power adder is Saleen's twin screw supercharger, which incorporates and intercooler with the blower itself resting low in the engine bay.

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.

For the twisties, the 420 S sports Racecraft shocks and struts along with an anti roll bar. It also has 18 inch wheels, down from the 19 inch that Saleen's sport, wrapped with Bridgestone Potenza 275/40-18s.

Visual mods are limited basically to a huge "Racecraft" banner across the bottom of the doors, which hopefully is an option.

Motor Trend recorded a 4.4 second 0-60 time and a 10.4 second 0-100 time. The quarter mile came in at 12.9 sec @ 110.0 mph. Handling is firmer than stock but completely liveable.

The 420 S is offered in all stock Mustang GT colors. Leather and other upgrades are available, but will push the price above the $40K mark. Saleen specifically wanted to keep the price below $40K.

Overall the 420S is a nice piece for a nice price. It's a completely liveable car that can be driven without being too aggressive to handle in everyday situations.

While just under 40K seems like a lot of money, consider that a base GT runs around 25K. Add the supercharger, intercooler, piping, and suspension pieces, and it adds up to a pretty good deal. Unless you are proficient at installing parts and tuning cars, in which case you could save a few thousand by doing it yourself.

AmericanMuscle.com has all the 2008 Mustang Parts you will need to spice up your 'Stang.