Motor Trend Magazine's look at the Mustang Boss 302

To my friends at Motor Trend. I am so happy to post here an article appearing in your magazine concerning the new 2012 Mustang Boss 302. Readers, all credit is given to the writer, Frank Markus. He did a great job in this article. Read closely and understand that this is a race-ready Mustang. Take it from the box to the race track and it is ready to rock.

Written by Frank Markus, Aug. 13, 2010.

The name Boss 302 resonates with the ponycar faithful, as it was first applied to a Mustang that was engineered to turn and stop as well as it blasted out of the staging blocks. Built in response to the SCCA-bred Camaro Z/28, with help from a few ex-GM folks like Larry Shinoda, it conformed to the Trans Am series displacement limit of 5.0 liters or 302 cubic inches, and boasted heavy-duty front disc brakes and 15-inch rolling stock spinning on reinforced spindles, big anti-roll bars, beefier shock towers, and of course that solid-lifter small-block wearing 351 Cleveland big-valve heads. Penske's Camaros clung to the Trans Am trophy in the Boss's debut year (1969), but Ford won in 1970.

It resonates for me personally as well. I still vividly remember my one and only drive in a 1970 Boss 302 one January day in 1982. That drive ended with the engine seized on the shoulder of Interstate 40 between Little Rock and Memphis. It was on its last legs when we set off to bring the car home for a scheduled engine-swap. It made beautiful music on its way to oblivion, though. Its restoration is still in progress, and I hope to drive it again when it's finished.

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Front Three Quarters

This resurrection of the storied Boss nomenclature is no mere graphics package marketing ploy. The Mustang team channeled the spirit of that original project to create a true race car for the road, employing a holistic approach that enhanced, upgraded, lightened, and optimized the whole car for the purpose of vanquishing its archrival on race circuits like Laguna Seca. Oh, and the Mustang's rival? Ford is no longer sparring with the Camaro. It's gunning for BMW's M3.

On paper the cooking-grade Mustang GT with the Brembo Brake package looks M3-competitive in terms of raw numbers. But to improve the odds of its live-axle pony in a full-on track attack, Ford further enhanced the chassis by raking it, lowering the front by 0.4 inch and the rear by 0.04 inch, and fitting old-school five-position adjustable shocks and struts. Damping alterations are made using a screwdriver on the top of the rod from under the hood and in the trunk, just as one did on the Gabriel shocks back in '69/'70. Position 1 is about equal to the GT Brembo Brake setup, and the others get progressively sharper.

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Skid Marks

The electric power steering can be adjusted for three levels of assist from the instrument cluster menu. Traction, stability, and anti-lock control systems are also reprogrammed for the Boss' track-star mission. Special lightweight 19-inch wheels 9.0 x 19 front/9.5 x 19 rear, shod in Pirelli PZero summer rubber, frame the same 14.0-inch Brembo front/stock 11.8-inch rear brakes, though the rear calipers are fitted with Performance Friction pads, and the brake shields are vented. Even the flexible brake lines have been reinforced so they expand 30-40 percent less than the GT's, to preserve a reassuringly firm brake-pedal feel. While the principal improvement is meant to be in fade resistance and pedal feel, stopping distances from 60 mph are also said to shrink by 3 feet. On the skidpad, Ford claims the Boss is the first non-SVT Mustang to exceed 1.0g lateral grip.

End of article. Pretty neat, huh?

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed presenting it. The Boss 302 is not for everyone. The Lagugna Seca will be seen running on the courses in 2012. Bet on it.

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Mustang Mike