From hot-rodded Mustangs to the S7 supercar, Steve Saleen made a name wringing horsepower out of eight-cylinder Ford engines. His eponymous firm’s latest creation, though, is something different. And after a lengthy gestation, the Saleen FourSixteen, a modified Tesla Model S, has finally made its debut at Pebble Beach.
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The car’s quoted output of 416 hp remains unchanged from the Model S P85 its based upon, but Saleen’s tuned EV isn’t just spoilers and stickers. Adjustable monotube-damper packages are available, as are carbon-ceramic brakes (which Saleen says will trim 18 lbs. per corner compared with the factory steel stoppers) behind either 21- or 22-inch specialty wheels.
The biggest difference is in the transmission, where the stock 9.73-ratio gets swapped for an 11.39:1 alternative with new straight-cut gears.
“With that gearbox, it sounds like something that should be screaming down Mulsanne straight,” Steve grins.
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Outside, the bumpers and rockers are redesigned, a trunk spoiler is added, and the hood, front splitter, and rear diffuser are all composite pieces. Thanks to the revised aero, cooling, the new transmission, and lowered suspension, Saleen expects the FourSixteen to offer performance that’s “approaching 20 percent better” than the Model S, all while also improving slightly on the stock 265-mile electric range.
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“This isn’t a fad. It’s a trend,” Steve says. “Tesla has proven that this changes your whole driving perspective. It’s green, it’s fun to drive, it’s practical … it does everything better than a gasoline counterpart.”
Of course, the FourSixteen project wasn’t cheap, and its price reflects that—at $152,000, Saleen expects his latest project to compete with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG.
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