Saleen announces plans to stop building vehicles by end of 2011

Revstone Industries, the parent company of Saleen Performance Vehicles, announced today that it will no longer produce vehicles under the Saleen name, although it will continue to produce aftermarket parts through the Saleen Speedlab brand and honor warranties for all existing vehicles. The company cited the confusion and controversy with Steve Saleen’s company, SMS Supercars, as the main reason for stopping production of Saleen-branded vehicles.

In a letter to their customers and dealers, SPV said the following:

Over the past several years, we have witnessed a lot of confusion around the Saleen brand, due to a number of financial ups and downs and accompanying changes in ownership. The name itself has become the center of countless conversations and debates, detracting from the cars themselves, and from the culture of performance that they both embody and serve.

The statement continues…

Through our conversations with Ford Motor Company and one another, we have come to feel that those things have become overshadowed by questions surrounding the name. So we want to wipe the slate clean, and usher in a new era of American Muscle. We are confident that, in time, you will agree this was the right decision.

A representative for Saleen said that Revstone will continue to build performance Mustangs in the future, but the brand under which those vehicles will be produced is yet to be determined and will be announced at a later date.

[Source: Saleen Performance Vehicles]

SMS 570X debut

Under the bright sunlight of the Javits Center's Crystal Palace atrium, Steve Saleen took the covers off of his latest creation, the SMS 570X. The Dodge Challenger-based muscle car registers a few rungs above the 570 that we first viewed at its Orange County unveiling in January. Where that car was fitted with a 5.7-liter V8, the 570X utilizes a 6.0-liter engine, reportedly good for 700 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque - plenty of gumption to roast those wide and flat 20-inch meats.

The engine includes lots of forged bits (pistons, crankshaft, con-rods, etc.) lurking beneath new CNC-ported aluminum heads. In addition, the 570X receives a SMST six-speed manual transmission and a high-performance cooling package. The heart of the car is a production version of the SMS 296 supercharger, the firm's new blower co-developed with Lysholm. Like Mopar muscle of yore, this system features a Six-Pack too – only in the SMS' case, it refers to a brace of cylindrical intercoolers.

While the supercharger comes as part of the 570X package, it will also work on other Chrysler LX products including the Charger, Magnum, and Chrysler 300C. SMS also promises that "aftermarket fitments" are in the works for both Ford and General Motors products.

Aesthetically, the X is nearly identical to the original 570, which is a good thing, because it looks sensational. From its "Red Butterfly" side-induction hood to its flared, vented fenders and new front fascia, the basic form looks spot-on. With its lowered stance, details like its GTX-style grille, fender vents, carbon-fiber splitter and side skirts, and rear spoiler, the 570X is at once classic Motown muscle and a thoroughly modern tuner car.

As this car was just a prototype, there were some unfinished bits (off-kilter badges, hood fitment, etc.), but officials promise to get the production car right. No word yet on official pricing and availability, but well-heeled Mopar fans would do well to reach out to SMS straight away.