Here's another one of those eBay finds that makes us reach for our wallets. It's a rare 1998 Saleen Explorer XP8, the famous Ford tuner's first foray into the world of SUVs. While some might argue that performance tuning should never be applied to these beasts of burden, Saleen went the extra mile to tap every ounce of the Explorer's potential. Saleen's tuned Explorer could be had with a 4.0L V6, the famous 5.0L V8 once used in the Mustang, or a supercharged version of the 5.0 making 268-horsepower. It appears our eBay find carries the naturally aspirated 5.0, which is just fine. It's backed up by a Racecraft suspension that lowers the SUV a full two inches, which tucks the sharp 18-inch Saleen wheels made out of magnesium tightly into the fenders. Like any Saleen, the XP8 sports a full signature Saleen body kit with a rear spoiler balanced at the top of the rear hatch. The Explorer wears its new suit well, and proudly proclaims its origin with a pair of Saleen graphics above the rocker panels. eBay item #290115445535 ends in just 6 hours or so, and the price for this prime example with only 45,567 miles is $11,600. The reserve has not been met, which doesn't surprise us. While not a top of the line supercharged Saleen XP8, this example nonetheless appears to be in pristine condition (as much as one can tell from pictures).

[Source: eBay] / autoblog

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That explorer looks so old skool to me. But its just a 98. I wouldn't mind having one but I gotta admit. I'm not feeling the look.

I like it. Didn't realize Saleen had their hands on the explorers. Wonder how many were made?

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~Shannon~


MySpace

"Well behaved women seldom make history."

I doubt very many at all. Pretty cool to own. You are not going to run into many of those on the road.

Like all Saleens, they were limited production.

Performance for '98 was decent but nothing to write home about. These do not compare to any of the sport model SUV's of today, like the Cherokee SRT8.

Has nice style and would be a decent collectors item, but nothing truly special about them.

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2006 Ford F150 Screw XLT 4X4
5.4L / 330CID, 4-spd Auto Trans
Chrome & Trailer Tow Pkg

i did not like Saleen Explorer XP8 very much.All other saleens are pretty cool and the best one is sallen s7.Its one of my favourites.