Renowned Mustang tuner Saleen hasn't been doing particularly well in recent years due to financial problems, but it somehow managed to keep most of its nameplates alive and introduce new ones, including a beefed-up Tesla Model S. Now, Saleen is returning to the spotlight with a series of Championship Edition Mustangs that celebrate the Driver, Manufacturer, Team, and Tire SCCA ESCORT Endurance Championships won by the brand's racing team back in 1987.

Launched in cooperation with General Tire, which was essential to Saleen's success on the race track in the 1980s, the Championship Edition will break cover by the end of June and will enter production in September 2017. Both road-legal and track-only versions will be built, with the sixth-generation Mustang GT used as a base. Pricing and availability information is still limited, but we'll be back as soon as we know more.

Continue reading to learn more about the Saleen Championship Edition Mustangs.

What makes the Saleen Championship Edition Mustang special

Saleen didn't have a whole lot to say about the Championship Edition and released just one photo as of June 2017, but it's enough to notice that this tribute coupe is heavily based on Saleen's most recent take on the sixth-generation Mustang. We're looking at the same revamped front fascia with the wider grille and horizontal-bar mesh with black inserts, and a redesigned bumper. The latter features a unique five-piece grille and a large splitter with white accents. The engine hood is also unique to this model, featuring a scoop through which the supercharged engine draws air.

Onto the sides, we can see a pair of vents on the front fenders, as well as redesigned side skirts. The coupe rides on Saleen's signature white wheels in a five-spoke design and wrapped in General Tire's ultra-high performance G-MAX-RS summer tires. The rear end is still a mystery, but the fixed wing should be complemented by a new bumper with a race-inspired diffuser. The Championship Edition comes wrapped in a custom livery with yellow, black, and white graphics. The package is rounded off by special badging.

There's no photo of the interior, but it's safe to assume that Saleen prepared a unique design for this special edition. Goodies should include sports seats, a new steering wheel, a custom instrument cluster, and specific badging. The only information we have so far is that the track-only version gets rear-seat delete, a four-point roll cage, and four-point harness for the racing seats.

Under the hood, the 5.0-liter V-8 engine was strapped to a 3.2-liter, liquid-cooled supercharger. Output sits at a whopping 730 horsepower in the street version and 750 horses in the track-ready variant. Saleen also developed a brand-new exhaust system and a motorsport-inspired gear shifter. An upgraded radiator was added to the race-spec model. The Championship Edition also marks the return of Saleen's Racecraft Suspension system with special camber caster plates.

Pricing information is not yet available, but expect their cars to cost significantly more than a standard Mustang GT. Most likely, the sticker will be north of $70,000, while the track-only version could cost more than $80,000.

Read our full review on the 2018 Ford Mustang here.