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2015 Saleen 302 Black Label Mustang unveiled with 730 horsepower

The last time Saleen made these pages it was to report that the firm was out of money. However, just before that announcement, the tuning specialist told us about the three Saleen 302 Mustangs it was developing at three levels - White Label, Yellow Label and Black Label, with those latter two trims to put out 640 horsepower and 565 pound-feet of torque. Well, the Black Label is here - don't let the California Sunset paint fool you - and it's more powerful than planned, with 730 hp and 600 lb-ft blasted out of a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 hooked up to a twin-screw supercharger. Saleen says it's the most powerful, refined, and advanced Mustang it has ever built. Keeping all that power on the road is the increase in downforce that comes from a body that's been extended one inch in front and two inches in the back, and the wing suspended over the decklid. The stock suspension is refitted with Saleen S4 springs, shocks, swaybars and bushings, and the 20-inch wheels on 275-section rubber hide 15-inch dimpled rotors. The interior gets the requisite frills in leather and contrasting stitches, as well as new gauges and badging. It'll take $73,214 to open the door, but just $2,015 to put down a deposit. For more info, check out the press release below. Related Video: 2015 Saleen 302 Black Label Mustang March 15, 2015 -- Earlier this year, Saleen Automotive released their 2015 White and Yellow Label 302 Mustangs to much fanfare. To round out their fleet, Saleen pulled out all the stops and developed one of the best Mustangs to date. This car is set to change the way pony cars are looked at from here on out. At a one-of-a-kind event in Downtown LA, Saleen raised the curtain on the latest pony car out of their Corona, CA headquarters. "Since I started building cars in 1984 my goal has always been to go above and beyond where anybody has been before", said Steve Saleen. "This will by far be the most refined and advanced Mustang we have built to date." With over 30 years of experience in both racing and manufacturing vehicles, it was only a matter of time before Saleen built a Mustang as comprehensive and technologically advanced as the 2015 302 Black Label. Power Saleen combined the reliability and potency of the 5.0L Coyote motor with a twin-screw supercharger. The pair produces the most power from a production Mustang yet at 730 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque on 91 octane gas.

Creations n' Chrome Top Notch Mustang is a one-of-a-kind fox

Is there a cooler car from the 1980s and early 90s to mod than a Fox-body Ford Mustang? No, there isn't. If you disagree with us, we suggest you have a look at this 1990 Mustang Coupe, which just might change your mind. Although considering just how extensively modified this car - the Top Notch Mustang from Creations n' Chrome - is, we wonder just how much Ford is left in this old pony.
It rides on a custom race tube chassis that weighs a scant 700 pounds, while carbon-fiber bits and bobs help lower the overall curb weight to a mere 2,400 pounds. When paired with supercharged, 5.0-liter, Aluminator V8 from Ford Racing, the results are, doubtlessly, exciting. 855 horsepower at the rear wheels and 667 pound-feet of torque are available from that force-fed V8 should be just plenty for this car's intended purpose of running in standing-mile competitions.
The Top Notch Mustang is more extreme than just weight savings and a big engine, though. That 5.0-liter is essentially in what's known as a front-mid layout - where the engine is actually behind the front axle. In this case, the 5.0-liter V8 is 17 inches further back than a factory Fox-body, for better weight distribution. As a result, the cabin has been completely overhauled. An SLA front suspension, wheels from HRE, Wilwood brakes and Sparco interior items round out the extensive list of mods.

Consumer Reports criticizes small turbo engines for misleading performance, fuel economy claims [w/video]

Consumer Reports has taken aim at at small-displacement, forced-induction engines, saying the powerplants don't manage to deliver on automaker fuel economy claims. Manufacturers have long held that smaller, turbocharged engines pack all power of their larger displacement cousins with significantly better fuel economy, but the research organization says that despite scoring high EPA economy numbers, the engines are no better than conventional drivetrains in both categories. Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, says the forced induction options "are often slower and less fuel efficient than larger four and six-cylinder engines."
Specifically, CR calls out the new Ford Fusion equipped with the automaker's Ecoboost 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. The institute's researchers found the engine, which is a $795 option over the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder, fails to match competitors in acceleration and served up 25 miles per gallon in testing, putting the sedan dead last among other midsize options.
The Chevrolet Cruze, Hyundai Sonata Turbo and Ford Escape 2.0T all got dinged for the same troubles, though Consumer Reports has found the turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the BMW 328i does deliver on its promises. You can check out the full press release below. You can also read the full study on the Consumer Reports site, or scroll down for a short video recap.