The musclecar wars just got a little meaner, the Dark Horse. Only 25 copies of this supercharged stallion will be built, and several are already spoken for.

Besides the exclusivity of owning one of only 25 copies of the car in the world, you'll also get all of the best Saleen has to offer. That includes an all-aluminum 302-cu-in. crate engine that's force-fed 12 psi of boost from Saleen's Series VI screw-type supercharger. New for the Dark Horse is the first-ever supercharged car with a Shaker hood scoop. Saleen's new patent-pending design mounts a functional SuperShaker scoop on top of the engine that sticks up through the hood to feed the massive supercharger. Saleen claims the Shaker scoop not only keeps the intake air charge cooler, but adds 0.5 psi of boost at speed. The company says the extra boost will generate even more power on the road than can be measured on a dyno due to the lack of rushing air on such a machine, though we can't know for certain at this stage. Getting up to speed does help though, as an air intake temperature gauge mounted next to the boost gauge on the dash actually reads lower when the car is moving. Adding even more power at speed is impressive, especially when the engine already makes a ground-pounding 620 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. Saleen says that's good enough for 0-to-60-mph times under 4 sec and 12-sec quarter miles with 120-mph trap speeds.

All the zeroes on the check you'll be writing don't just buy you big power. They also buy you massive cross-drilled brake rotors clamped by big Saleen calipers, all riding behind 20-in. black-chrome wheels wrapped in Pirelli PZero tires. Hiding underneath the car is a topline Saleen suspension, including a Watts-Link 2 suspension in the rear, which one Saleen engineer characterized as the closest you'll come to independent suspension performance with a live axle.

To let everyone know you're not driving just another Mustang, the Dark Horse features a unique body kit that blends several of Saleen's previous body styles with some new styling cues. The black-on-black car features special Dark Horse badging and logos, as well as matte-black graphics and black-chrome wheels. Inside, you're treated to black Alcantara sport seats with red stitching and a navigation system to go along with your Shaker audio system. You'll also get a short-throw shifter with a billet shift knob and surround for extra flair.

Named after a passage from Benjamin Disraeli's 1831 book "The Young Duke," the Dark Horse is a serious machine on the track. While we weren't able to drive it, being as it was the only one in existence, we were able to ride along with Saleen's driver for a spirited demonstration. Off the line, the massive 305-width tires in the rear grab hard and launch the Dark Horse ahead. You can watch both the dash-mounted boost gauge and the SuperShaker scoop lurch to the right under acceleration, but don't look too long because you're going to run out of road quickly. Still, with the giant brakes Saleen supplies, this 'Stang had no problems slowing down in time for the next bend. Around the track, from our passenger seat evaluation the Dark Horse handles exceptionally well. According to Saleen, the nose-heavy Mustang still has some understeer, but it's very predictable and can be easily managed. Between the Watts-Link 2 suspension and the steamroller tires out back, it seems to take some work to get the car to oversteer. Inside and out, the exhaust note is deep and powerful, but muted so it's easy to live with. Supercharger whine is apparent while driving, but doesn't get loud until the pedal's to the floor. Even then, it's not excessive.

 

For now, one of the the baddest Mustangs on the block is the Saleen Dark Horse. Get yours quick, because these cars will likely be even harder to catch in a dealership than they will be on the street.