In 1984, Steve Saleen put his first souped-up Ford Mustang on starting lines, a Fox Body coupe he called the S302 White Label. Race wins and a blue and white graphics package caught the attention of enough eyes and wallets to begin the tuner’s line. Forty years later, the evolution of the model in the 2024 Saleen 302 White Label Mustang sticks to the original principles. Steve Saleen quipped, “Much has been said about this model, and we addressed it. We are quite proud of the end result.”
Aero enhancements have been proven in the wind tunnel, we’re told, starting with revisions to the front fascia. Upper and lower grilles jettison the factory garnish pieces, replacing the upper grille’s patterned design with horizontal strakes and the lower pattern with a very fine mesh. Below that, a new air dam and splitter are highlighted by a thin yellow accent line, a motif running throughout the car.
On the hood, a reshaped vent extracts more air. A thick wing puts more downforce on the rear. Between those extremes, a Gen 5 Racecraft suspension hunkers the body down on 20-inch wheels wearing Continental ExtremeContact Sport tires, Saleen-badged brakes clamping slotted rotors.
Based on the 2024 Mustang GT, the 302’s 5.0-liter Coyote V8 enjoys a touch more power than the factory Mustang Dark Horse, 510 ponies compared to 500. Saleen didn’t detail how it achieved 30 more ponies than the GT and 10 more than the Dark Horse, but in the past, the White Label made much if not all of its gains with a performance exhaust.
The gee-whiz change inside is a stitched leather binnacle covering the new Mustang’s LED screens, a small revision that alters the entire vibe. Elsewhere, Saleen logos appear on the stitched steering wheel and the shifter, there’s carbon fiber trim for the instrument panel and console, the seats have been redone in leather with yellow cross-stitching, and the passenger gets a grab handle mounted down low.
The 2024 Saleen White Label starts at $61,990, a bargain compared to most Mustang Dark Horses on dealer lots that have been slapped with thousands in markups. Those who want more can wait for the 745-hp Saleen Yellow Label that will run $79,900, or the 800-hp Saleen Black Label that will ask $87,900.