Car Auto Magazine

Saleen Automotive is celebrating its twenty-fifth year in business by offering the first $100,000 new, nonracing Ford Mustang - the Sterling Edition S302E. The "302" refers to the 5.0-liter V-8's cubic-inch displacement, which was achieved by stroking the Mustang's stock twenty-four valve, 4.6-liter mill. An intercooled, twin-screw supercharger and reinforced internal components help the revised engine produce a mind-blowing 620 hp at an enhanced 6400 rpm and 600 lb-ft of torque at 4400 rpm. Saleen reports a 0-to-60-mph time of less than four seconds - about a second quicker than the 500-hp Ford Shelby GT500. All S302Es will feature a six-speed manual transmission, twenty-inch wheels, and we-mean-business brakes.

All those Benjamins also get you a custom-trimmed interior with nicely done leather and Alcantara seats, a sterling silver (yet tacky) serial-number badge, and a push-button starter. Unique touches on the exterior include beautiful silver paint, carbon-fiber front and rear diffusers, a Gone in 60 Seconds Eleanor-like face, and an aluminum hood.

Still, this Saleen doesn't feel or look like a $100,000 car. Exclusivity is a big part of the equation, though, since only twenty-five S302Es will be built. Buyers also receive a custom leather jacket (probably not Members Only, but it'll do) and a first-class plane ticket to Detroit, where they'll tour the factory (where the car was unveiled in January 2008) and dine with a Saleen executive.

For the man or woman who has everything, perhaps a six-figure Mustang makes sense. But we can think of a lot of other cars on which we'd rather blow $100 grand.

Click the link below for high-resolution Saleen S302E images.

2008 Saleen S302E Wallpaper Gallery

You may never see one on the street, so now's your chance to take in this limited-edition Saleen Mustang. The S302E looks pretty mean in silver.

Just when we thought we'd heard all that BMW had to say during the 2008 Detroit auto show, the company confirmed that a convertible will be joining the M3 lineup. The car's official unveiling will take place at the Geneva show in early March.

A convertible M3 is nothing new, nor are we surprised that one will be arriving on the E93 platform. All three previous M3 generations have been available topless, two of which were brought to the U.S. market. This is, however, the first M3 to get a retractable hardtop in its convertible form.

Based on the 3-series hardtop convertible, the droptop M3 features the same 414-hp V-8 engine as the coupe and sedan. The M team has made improvements to the convertible to improve torsional stiffness, and they've fitted the car with unique suspension tuning.

Convertible-specific features include the same special leather that debuted on the 3-series hardtop convertible. The seats resist heating from the sun's rays when the car is in direct sunlight with the top down. An automatic climate control system that monitors outdoor temperature and sunlight is also standard.

But wait, that's not all. BMW also took the opportunity to tell us about the long-rumored dual-clutch automated manual transmission that will be an option on all three M3 variants. It's called M DCT (for dual-clutch transmission) and has seven speeds like BMW's single-clutch SMG that's an option on the M5 and M6. The M DCT should fix the jerkiness problems seen with the SMG and not only improve everyday comfort but performance as well.

The new gearbox has a system called Drivelogic that allows drivers to select from eleven different shift programs. There are five automatic and six manual programs, including one with launch control that takes advantage of all of the onboard electronics to make you look good in front of your friends.

To keep things smooth - and to hear the roar of the 8400-rpm engine - the transmission will blip the throttle between downshifts if necessary. When a manual program is selected, race-style shift lights illuminate above the tachometer to inform the driver of the optimum shift point. Gears can be selected either by the console-mounted shift lever or paddles behind the steering wheel.

So how quickly does this thing shift? There is a consistent two tenths of a second improvement on 0-to-62 mph times over the standard six-speed manual on all three M3 body styles. The convertible makes the dash in 5.1 seconds (versus 5.3 for the manual) and the coupe - the quickest of the M3 range - gets to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds when equipped with the M DCT.

If you must have all-out speed and wind in your hair, this may be the car for you. Since the convertible adds weight and becomes more flexy, we'll stick with the fixed-roof coupe or sedan M3s. Just make sure it has the slick new transmission.