Pure enthusiasts usually have a hard time wrapping their gearheads around an electric vehicle; they just don’t care for the lack of the mighty rumble. So it wasn’t so surprising that when Steve Saleen ventured into electric waters with the Tesla Model S enthusiasts began to think he jumped ship and started hugging a tree.

But Saleen has long since had a stable of vehicles from various genres and manufacturers, and it’s actually quite genius when you think about it. Saleen has dabbled in Chevrolet, Dodge, and Ford; he has his own supercar, the S7, and now he’s putting his performance touches on one of the most talked about cars on the opposite side of a fuel pump.

We spoke to Steve Saleen at the LA Auto Show and asked him the simple question: What made you get into quiet vehicles? His response was iconic. There we stood with a man who, if you recall, teamed up with actor Tim Allen and team RRR, is a well-known name within Mustang circles, and created a supercar that still fetches half a million bucks – and we dare question his motives?

“No. You don’t understand,” an enthusiastic Saleen told us.  “Have you seen what we did with this car?” he asked as he opened up a YouTube video of the FOURSIXTEEN on his smartphone. The car almost sounded like an F1 at speed when it went past the camera, and Saleen grinned, “See that?”

But more than just enhance the drivetrain on this already amazing electric car, the whole suspension was revised to make the car handle better than most cars out on the road today. It was lowered, widened a little, and had optional ceramic brakes that allow the car to stop on a dime. The whole package is what makes the FOURSIXTEEN, not just that you plug it into a wall at night.

Saleen is proud of what he was able to accomplish with this car, and aerodynamics play a big role on getting this car to slice through the wind. It runs to 60 mph in the low 4-second range with it’s rated 416 bhp output, but where did that sound come from? Think Saleen heritage, think racing, think straight-cut gears and that might sound a little more familiar.

We asked what was in store for us, and Saleen pointed to a sign and said, “Oh, we’ll be back at the Mustang again with an all new version next year.” We can’t wait to see it, meanwhile, if you want to see some Saleen eye candy, check out what was on display at the Saleen booth in the gallery below.