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Driver's Notebook: Performance Pickup

Paul Meyers

October 1, 2007

On the open roads of Orange County, Calif., an armada of Saleen S331 sport trucks journeys southbound on Pacific Coast Highway—prompting several morning commuters to flank alongside to get a better look. With a menacing front fascia and black, Saleen-branded tailgate panels, they may be mistaken for Ford F-150s with body kits, but Saleen’s founder, Steve Saleen, cringes at the thought.

"This is not a tuner F-150," Saleen says. "I guarantee that you have never driven a truck like this before. It handles like a car, so don’t be afraid to drive it like one."

Built off the Ford F-150 chassis, the Saleen S331 was designed and engineered by the same technicians that hand-build the Saleen S7 supercar (Robb Report, August 2007), so its performance characteristics are more akin to a sports car than a pickup truck. The rear suspension is a simple live rear axle, but coil-over springs and an anti-roll stabilizing bar greatly improve handling. Of the S331’s two available engines, the supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 is the one to select, with its 450 hp and 500 ft-lbs of torque. The 3-valve engine is dropped from the 2008 production line, but the supercharged powertrain will be included in a new four-door, crew-cab design (currently, the 3-valve [$44,000] and supercharged S331 [$54,000] are available at Saleen-certified Ford dealers).

But performance upgrades do not compromise the truck’s towing capacity. The S331 is built to comfortably tow up to 7,000 pounds—a Class IV towing package rated at 9,500 pounds with a load-leveling weight sensor is optional—while already burdened with up to 1,350 pounds. Because stopping—especially while pulling over 9,000 pounds—is not an easy task, optional 15-inch slotted and vented disc brakes from the S7 supercar are highly recommended.

Achieving the best of both worlds, the S331 is truly a sporty utility vehicle, if not an SUV. A new hood with exhaust vents, and freshly molded side skirts visually set the truck apart, as does the S7-esque lower chin spoiler. The entire line of paints created for the S7 and S281 Mustang—from SpeedLab Yellow to Liquid Mercury—are also available. Now, if only it had scissor-style doors and a giant rear wing.

Saleen, Inc.
www.saleen.com

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