2015 Saleen Mustang S302 Black Label Arrives as a 750-hp Hellcat Killer

It was 31 years ago when Steve Saleen marketed his first Ford Mustang-based creation. It had spoilers and stickers and snazzy wheels and 140 hp, which in 1984, seemed like a lot.

Fast forward to 2015, and Saleen Automotive, Inc. of Corona, Calif., is still producing pumped-up Mustangs, only now, Saleen’s steeds are rather more potent and more extreme than before. The least powerful of his latest crop of Mustangs, all of which are based on the all-new 2015 model, is the S302 “White Label,” producing 450 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque, up from 435 hp and 400 lb-ft for the stock Mustang GT’s 5.0-liter Coyote V-8.

And then there’s this car: the 2015 S302 “Black Label," which made its official debut in Los Angeles last weekend. First announced last fall, the Black Label would be equipped with a supercharged version of the aforementioned Coyote V-8, with output pegged at 640 hp. But as it spun on a turntable before us, Saleen announced that his twin-scroll supercharger actually ups the Coyote’s output to a monstrous 730 hp and 600 lb-ft of twist — on 91 octane gas, no less. And if you live in a state where the fuel octanes are higher, the Black Label’s supercharged V-8 pumps out up to 750 horses.

While Saleen would never admit it, we can’t help but think that the extra 90 horsepower — discovered by repeatedly upping the boost and recalibrating to ensure drivability — were found in order to gain bragging rights over the 707-hp Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Regardless, we’re sufficiently impressed. Call it Hell-yote.