As a driver, team owner, and even as a manufacturer, Dan Gurney has
racing credentials like no one else. He is one of four American drivers
to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix, and the only to win in a car of his own
manufacture. Dan was the first driver to win races in Formula 1, NASCAR,
and Indy Car (only two have done so since – Mario Andretti and Juan
Pablo Montoya), and he’s also captured victories in Can-Am and Trans-Am.
As a team owner he won the Indy 500 three times and captured three Indy
Car championships. His All American Racers won a total of 78 races
including the Indy 500 three times, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24
Hours of Daytona. Dan is even the one who started the tradition of
spraying the champagne on top of the podium after his victory at the 24
Hours of Le Mans. Starting to get the point?
With Gurney having such an incredible impact on motorsports, both in
American and on the international stage, it’s no surprise that Saleen
chose him as a subject for their Signature Series vehicle lineup.
Introduced at the 2008 New York International Auto Show, the Gurney
Mustang is the second signature Mustang to come from Saleen, the first
being the Parnelli Jones Limited Mustang introduced two years prior at
the same show that commemorated his championship winning 1970 Trans-Am
race car.
Like Parnelli’s, Dan’s Mustang is styled after his Trans-Am Mustang,
although from the 1969 season rather than from 1970. Interestingly,
Gurney didn’t have too much success in Trans-Am with the Mustang. He was
brought in late in the 1969 season with only four races left as part of
the Shelby team to take on the dominant Camaros. Gurney brought home a
third place finish at Laguna Seca and a tenth place in Kent, WA, but
factory support from Ford was transferred to the Bud Moore team for 1970
and Dan switched to a Plymouth Barracuda for the 1970 season. With
Gurney’s uncharacteristic lack of racing success with the Mustang in
Trans-Am, would the two make a suitable pair for a modern rendition of
the American muscle car? We aimed to find out, and convinced Saleen to
let us behind the wheel of a Gurney Edition Mustang.
Classic Good Looks
The S197 Mustang’s retro look lends itself to a variety of classic
interpretations, and Saleen came up with a styling package for the
Gurney Edition Mustang that Dan would be proud of. To create the look
they wanted, Saleen started off with their Heritage body kit including
the front and rear fascias, side skirts, chrome trim, and classic hood
pins. Everything else is unique to the Saleen lineup from the Stinger
style hood to the ducktail rear spoiler. A special graphics package
including side stripes and #2 roundels mimics Dan’s original race car,
and the Gurney Eagle, the symbol of Dan’s race teams, can be found
throughout the car. The result is a Mustang that deservedly received
Gurney’s stamp of approval. “I am pleased that they could make a car
that is so beautiful but still so true to my old race car,” he told the
crowd at the unveiling in New York.
Purposeful Interior
Saleen continues the combination of form and function with the
interior, installing leather sport seats with Alcantera inserts with the
Gurney Eagle embroidered in the headrests. The bucket seats are
comfortable and supportive, and we love the look of the off-center
triple racing stripes. A unique 6-gauge instrument cluster with a 180
mph speedometer replaces the stock piece, and a dash-mounted gauge pod
showing boost pressure and intake air temperature makes sure the car is
running smoothly. Other details provide a more upscale look, from the
leather-trimmed billet shift knob to the performance driving pedals.
Saleen also adds chrome dash vent bezels, unique floor mats, and Gurney
Edition badging on the steering wheel and door sill plates. To top it
off, Dan has signed the dash of each car, signifying his stamp of
approval.
Plentiful Power
There’s no way Dan Gurney would let Saleen build a Mustang with his
name on it without adding more power, but he wanted to make sure the car
remained relatively affordable as well. To do this, Saleen fitted their
tried and true Series VI supercharger system complete with a dual-stage
water-to-air intercooler, high-flow intake, and 39 lb/hour fuel
injectors. The 4.6-liter V8 produces 465 bhp @ 5800 rpm and 425 lb-ft
torque @ 4000 rpm. “This is likely the best all around 281 supercharged
car that Saleen has ever built,” Saleen General Manager Marques McCammon
told us. Having driven a few other supercharged Saleens, we wouldn’t
argue with him. Combined with a set of 3.73 gears, the Gurney Mustang
launches with brutal force and can pull hard at any speed.
Fine tuned by the man himself
Gurney is a road racer at heart, so it’s no surprise that he wanted
to personally make sure that the Mustang bearing his name could hold its
own around a race track. He worked closely with Saleen’s chassis
engineers, fine tuning the suspension settings to get them just the way
he wanted. New shocks and springs offer a sportier ride, and thicker
anti roll bars with heavy duty bushings help prevent body roll. Saleen’s
second generation watts linkage system also comes standard, helping to
keep the car planted during hard cornering. Lightweight 19-inch alloy
wheels are wrapped with super sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires,
285/30ZR19 both front and rear, and Saleen’s 14-inch front braking
system provides plenty of stopping power. We were expecting a fairly
stiff ride, but were pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and
compliant the Gurney Mustang was on the road. Still, we wouldn’t
consider the car soft by any means, and had tons of fun attacking some
twisty canyon roads. The Pirellis have tons of grip and the watts
linkage keeps the rear end buttoned down even over the bumpiest curves.
Power In the Hands of a Few
After spending time behind the wheel of the Gurney Mustang we can truly say that Saleen has built a fitting tribute to one of America’s greatest racing legends. It’s got the classic good looks of a Trans-Am racer and the power and handling befitting a car bearing the Gurney name. Unfortunately, with a hefty price tag of $58,849 (includes gas guzzler tax and freight) and a production run of only 300 there will only be a limited number of enthusiasts who will be able to put one in the garage, but as Saleen’s motto goes, “Power in the Hands of a Few.” For more information on the Saleen Gurney Signature Edition Mustang, visit www.saleen.com.
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