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Concours Supercars retail store - Click above for high-res gallery

AB regulars will note that we just reported on the re-opening of the car-lover's dream store at the Irvine Spectrum in Southern California. We told you how the former Saleen Store had re-opened under the banner of Concours Supercars, keeping much of the original shop's charms, but replacing all of the Saleen merchandise with multiple brands of auto-minded clothing, apparel and toys. One nod to the store's former owner was the Saleen Mustang parked inside. Well, cancel those plans to visit if you've already made them. The store is no more.

The Orange County Register is reporting that the parent operation, Concours Supercars, has already shut the store's doors. Spokeswoman Kelly Rose Pion says the Irvine Spectrum location closed on June 17, about two months after it had opened because of "issues" with the company's main facility in Anaheim. Concours Supercars has had to "alter its business operations," according to Pion, and that meant closing the Irvine Concours Supercars store.

Last we checked, the sign was still up and there was still merchandise on the shelves, so we'll have to see what comes next for this prime bit of retail space in the heart of car crazy SoCal. It's just a stone's throw from the weekly Cars & Coffee meet, and we even spotted a familiar face outside the store last time by: None other than Steve Saleen was there with two SMS Challengers and his daughter Molly in her Molly Pop pink Saleen Mustang. Might Steve be considering another go at it? We'll keep you posted.

Gallery: Concours Supercars Retail Store

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: The Orange County Register]

In addition to the sunshine, warm weather and availability of good driving roads, one of the biggest benefits of living in Southern California is the proximity of automotive related businesses. Dozens of tuners, manufacturers, hot rodders and racers all reside in SoCal, making it an ideal place for a car nut to call home. As one who would enthusiastically place myself in that category, one of my favorite places to visit in the last several years was the Saleen assembly plant in Irvine. From their annual car show to personal tours to press events, I always enjoyed stopping by to see what Steve Saleen had up his sleeve. There were always one-off projects like an SVT Contour Prototype or a Bonspeed Edition Thunderbird, and there seemed to be at least one or two racecars lying around.

Of course, during every visit I had to check out the S7 build area where there were always at least a few of the supercars in various states of completion. I loved seeing the bare carbon fiber bodies, and there is a stunning white S7 Twin-Turbo that still has a special place in my heart. Of course, the high point was during the production of the Parnelli Jones Mustang, with the facility running at full tilt and Parnelli Jones and George Follmer joining Steve Saleen for photos on the car's debut.

With the economic downturn and Steve leaving the company in the summer of 2007, it was only a matter of time before Saleen consolidated all of its operations and moved everything to its Detroit facility. Lamenting the fact that I would no longer be stop by the Saleen building, I was browsing through my photo archives and decided it was time to share the pictures. I've assembled a huge gallery of my favorite images from the past five and a half years for your viewing enjoyment, all of which include descriptions providing any relevant information and the date the photo was taken. Enjoy!

Click above for a larger image of the twin-turbo Saleen Parnelli Jones Mustang

There's a special place in our hearts for the Saleen Parnelli Jones Mustang. After a week in the Autoblog Garage we fell in love with the wonderful 302-ci V8, amazingly sharp handling, and Trans-Am inspired looks. If we were to pick any of the current Mustang variants, the PJ would probably be it. Because of the collectability of the car (a total of 500 were produced) we're guessing that most owners have left their cars stock, but one particular owner decided to make his Parnelli Jones Mustang truly unique. How? He added dual 57mm Precision turbos, upgraded forged pistons, aluminum heads, a full three-inch exhaust system, and much, much more. In total, the motor produces 768 horsepower and 769 lb-ft torque -- at the wheels! The look of the car remains completely unchanged, making it as much of a sleeper as a car painted in Grabber Orange can be. The modded Parnelli is now up for sale on eBay Motors, and we're wishing that we had significantly more funding in our bank accounts.

"A dark horse, which had never been thought of, and which the careless St. James had never even observed on the list, rushed past the grandstand in sweeping triumph." Beautiful words from the quotable Benjamin Disraeli, and inspiration for the name of the latest Mustang to come from Saleen's stable. Due to the car's name it may sound like our title is a clever play on words, but the truth is our seat time was limited to the passenger seat. We can't blame Saleen for being careful with the car - the 2009 Dark Horse Mustang you see here is the first one off the assembly line and is the only one built so far. To their credit, Saleen did take us out to Willow Springs Raceway outside of Los Angeles for some flying laps, so we were able to experience the full capabilities of the car's performance. Follow the jump to hear about our day at the track with perhaps the most fearsome production Mustang ever built.

With the 2010 Ford Mustang set to be unveiled in November, time is running out for tuners to put out special edition Mustangs. Saleen seems to have saved its best for last and will be unveiling a "Dark Horse" Mustang next week. The super-Stang will feature the 620 horsepower V8 from the S302 Extreme plus the SuperShaker system that combines a functional ram air system with Saleen's twin-screw supercharger system - a first for a Saleen production car. The "Dark Horse" will sport the Heritage body style and have additional features exclusive to the model. Production will begin in the Fall of 2008, and only 25 will be produced. Our best guess for the "Dark Horse" moniker is that the car will feature an all matte-black paint scheme. We'll bring you all the details of the car after its official debut next week.

While sales of the Dodge Viper may be down, Chrysler President Jim Press insists that buyers have been lining up to buy the entire operation. Among those potentially interested are American powerhouses Roush and Saleen. The latter, it's worth noting, is already involved in making the Viper, painting the cars off the assembly line. Whatever company ends up buying the Viper operation, Chrysler expects to make anywhere from $50 million to three times that before it vacates its Conner Avenue plant by the end of 2011, and has hired financial firm Lazard Limited to handle the sale.

Potentially of equal interest will be the opportunity, as Press sees it, to expand the Viper line-up. We're not sure what else you could make on the V10 sportscar platform, considering that convertible, coupe and hard-core track-day versions are already in line-up. But we'd sure be interested to find out.

We haven't received an official announcement from Saleen, but we're here to report that Chris Theodore has been named the new CEO of Saleen, Inc. His previous title at the company was Vice Chairman and Chief Technical Officer, and he has helped drive the development of Saleen's latest vehicles including the S5S Raptor Concept, S302 Extreme, and Dan Gurney Signature Series Mustang. Theodore is most famous for his time at Ford as the head of North American Car Product Development, where he initiated the development of the Ford GT and was also responsible for other vehicles like the 2002 Ford Thunderbird and the 2001 Bullitt Mustang. We have no information on why former Saleen CEO Paul Wilbur is no longer at the position, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we find out.

UPDATE - a letter from Saleen regarding the new appointment has been including after the jump.

When we think of shaker hood scoops, our minds conjure up images of classic muscle cars with rumbling V8s. The current Mustang's retro design looks pretty darn good with a shaker installed as well, as Saleen proved with the Parnelli Jones Mustang. The only problem is that a shaker hood doesn't combine well with one of Saleen's best selling aftermarket parts, their Series VI twin-screw supercharger. Since both take up the same space, Mustang owners have to either choose between classic good looks or a boost in horsepower. Until now. Speedlab, the aftermarket arm of Saleen, has developed a new product called the Super Shaker that is the best of both worlds. Not only does it combine a shaker hood and a supercharger, but the direct injection of cold air from outside the engine bay actually improves horsepower and keeps the motor running cooler. A variety of kits are available, including full systems as well as upgrade kits for both Saleen S281 Supercharged Mustangs and even the Parnelli Jones Mustang. Follow the jump for full details on the Super Shaker in the press release from Saleen or get ordering info on Saleen's web site.

We got wind of Saleen's new value-oriented brand last week, and they made it official with a press release introducing Racecraft and its first product, the 420S. The sub-$40,000 Mustang will have a focus on pure performance and offers up a supercharged V8 with 420 horsepower as well as an upgraded suspension, lightweight wheels, exterior graphics, and a few interior accents. If buyers want a little more, they can also shop the Saleen Speedlab catalog for items like the 475 horsepower upgrade kit that retails for just under a grand and doesn't void the 3-year/36,000 mile warranty. That's near GT500 territory, but for $5,000 less (not including markup on the Shelby), and about 300+ lbs lighter. The car will be officially unveiled at Mustang Week in Myrtle Beach, SC on July 26, and if you're in the area we hear they will be offering demo rides. The press release and a full list of 420S features can be found after the jump.

Saleen has launched a barrage of new products since company founder Steve Saleen left the company last summer including the S302 Extreme, H302SC, Dan Gurney Signature Series Mustang, Sterling Edition Mustang, and the S5S Raptor Concept. While these new Saleen vehicles are pushing the level of performance upwards, it seems that the price has ballooned, as well. We'd love to have a Sterling Edition Mustang in the garage, but realistically, how many people can afford a $90,000 Mustang? While Saleen may have increased desirability with its new models, the obtainability went down as a result.

Saleen may have the answer. In a recent letter to its dealers, Saleen announced that it would be introducing "a new brand of performance products...at a more competitive price point." Like Toyota/Lexus, Nissan/Infiniti, and Honda Acura, Saleen will be able to have both a value and a high-end brand. Using the RaceCraft name, which has previously been the name of suspension components, the first vehicle in the lineup will be the 420S Mustang featuring a supercharged V8 with 420 horsepower, an array of suspension upgrades, 18-inch wheels and tires, aluminum instrument panel, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 420S graphics and more. All for $38,995. Considering a fully loaded Mustang GT can easily exceed $30,000, the 420S actually seems like a pretty good deal. Also in the works is a RaceCraft Ford Focus with a target price of $20,000. Hopefully they'll keep the nitrous out of the car this time and won't get fined by the California Air Resources Board.

It's been just a few months since Saleen announced its Dan Gurney Signature Series Mustang at the New York Auto Show in April, but the limited edition Mustang has already hit showroom floors. Apparently the car at the show was fairly production ready, although we heard that Gurney spent the last few months helping fine tune the suspension just the way he wanted it. According to Saleen, he still would be if they had let him. In addition to the specially tailored suspension settings, the Gurney Edition also features unique bodywork, graphics and interior as well as lightweight 19-inch wheels and Saleen's supercharged V8 pushing out 465 horsepower. We attended a kick-off party at Galpin Ford in Van Nuys, CA where Dan Gurney was on hand to show off the car and sign autographs. We were also able to take a closer look at the car so we could choose which of the three color schemes we like best, but we're still undecided. A high resolution gallery is below that should help you decide for yourself.

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