Boss 302
“What do all these changes mean? Well, Ford hosted us at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to find out. Since the Boss acts nothing like a Mustang GT, it takes a little time to get used to its newfound performance. Mustangs have always been front-heavy and like to push during hard cornering. Ford has significantly reduced this sensation and made the car much more balanced, which increases confidence exponentially.”
Motortrend numbers:
2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front engine, RWD
ENGINE TYPE 90-deg V-8, alum block/heads
VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
DISPLACEMENT 302.1 cu in/4951 cc
COMPRESSION RATIO 11.0:1
POWER (SAE NET) 444 hp @ 7500 rpm
TORQUE (SAE NET) 380 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
REDLINE 7500 rpm
WEIGHT TO POWER 8.2 lb/hp
TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual
AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 3.73:1/2.42:1
SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; live axle, coil springs, anti-roll bar
STEERING RATIO 15.9:1
TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.5
BRAKES, F;R 14.0-in vented disc; 11.8-in vented disc, ABS
WHEELS, F;R 9.0 x 19-in; 10.0 x 19-in cast aluminum
TIRES, F;R 255/40ZR19; 285/35ZR19 103Y Pirelli PZero
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE 107.1 in
TRACK, F/R 61.9/62.5 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 188.1 x 73.9 x 55.1 in
TURNING CIRCLE 39.4 ft
CURB WEIGHT 3621 lb
WEIGHT DIST., F/R 55/45 %
SEATING CAPACITY 4
HEADROOM, F/R 38.5/34.7 in
LEGROOM, F/R 42.4/29.8 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 55.3/51.6 in
CARGO VOLUME 13.4 cu ft
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30 1.6 sec
0-40 2.3
0-50 3.1
0-60 4.0
0-70 5.0
0-80 6.2
0-90 7.6
0-100 9.2
PASSING, 45-65 MPH 1.6
QUARTER MILE 12.3 sec @ 115.8 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 108 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.98 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT 24.7 sec @ 0.78 g (avg)
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 2000 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
BASE PRICE $40,995
PRICE AS TESTED $43,485
STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes
AIRBAGS Dual front, front side
BASIC WARRANTY 3 yrs/36,000 miles
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 5 yrs/60,000 miles
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 yrs/60,000 miles
FUEL CAPACITY 16.0 gal
EPA CITY/HWY ECON 17/26 mpg
ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY 198/130 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS 0.96 lb/mile
RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium
First Test: 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302
The Bossest Boss: Saving The Best for Last
March 07, 2011
California Special. GT. Mach. These are not just names of Mustangs. These are the names of Mustangs that got two chances at life. There was only one Mustang that Ford had yet to recreate -- the baddest of all, the Boss. That is, until now. Meet the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302, the best, most well-rounded Mustang ever.
What exactly did Ford do to get such great performance? Lots. Engineers started with a standard 5.0-liter engine, but instead of just throwing a supercharger on it, Ford kept this engine au natural and made it a free-flowing, high-revving screamer with a new "runners-in-the-box" plenum/velocity stack combination. Ford used revised camshafts with a more aggressive grind, and CNC machined the intake, exhaust ports, and combustion chambers of the aluminum heads.
All internal components are lightweight. A high-rpm valvetrain was designed, while a race-spec crankshaft and stronger main and rod bearings accommodate the increased load and high engine speeds. An oil cooler helps prevent the engine's blood from boiling, and revised oil-pan baffling keeps things pumping properly during hard cornering. The Laguna Seca edition gets a transmission scoop under the car to cool those fast-spinning gears.
An all-new quad exhaust system makes the Boss sound as good as it performs. Two pipes exit in the rear, and two new pipes were added almost purely for sound. The two new outlets exit to either side of the crossover pipe, funneling exhaust through a set of metal discs that act as tuning elements. The pipes end just ahead of the rear wheel opening and flow very little exhaust, but create a sound unlike any other Mustang.
All this work resulted in 444 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque. That's more power than in a standard GT and a little less torque -- not that you'll notice, because Ford widened the powerband, creating a linear torque curve all the way to redline.
Next came the addition of fully adjustable shocks, as in the original Boss 302, as well as higher-rate coil springs, stiffer suspension bushings, and a larger rear stabilizer bar. By twisting adjustment screws on the top of each shock, drivers can select from five progressively firmer settings. One is the softest, two the factory setting, and five the firmest. All these new suspension bits lowered the Boss by 0.4 inch in the front and 0.04 inch in the rear, giving it a slight rake.
The retuned speed-sensitive electric steering system has three different settings -- comfort, normal, and sport -- selected through an instrument cluster menu. There are also three different settings for the traction and stability system: on, off, and intermediate sport.
The Boss' wheels are lightweight 19-inch racing alloys wrapped in Pirelli PZero summer rubber, while the Laguna gets wider 9.0-inch fronts and 10-inch rears wrapped in Pirelli Corsa R-compound tires.
Boss brakes are the same as the GT with the Track Package: 14-inch Brembo four-piston front calipers, stock 11.8-inch rear, but with high-performance pads and vented brake shields as well as reinforced lines that expand 30-40 percent less than the GT's.
What do all these changes mean? Well, Ford hosted us at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to find out. Since the Boss acts nothing like a Mustang GT, it takes a little time to get used to its newfound performance. Mustangs have always been front-heavy and like to push during hard cornering. Ford has significantly reduced this sensation and made the car much more balanced, which increases confidence exponentially.
You can go into corners much harder now, as the front end bites and turns in crisply. The Boss rotates like the GT does, but without the GT's tendency to wiggle the rear end on corner exit, unless you want it to. It has so much low-end torque, we were in third gear most of the time, up to fourth on the front straight, and down to second around turn 11.
As its hot shoe, Ford brought 2010 Rolex 24hrs Daytona GT class winner Jonathan Bomarito, so we took the opportunity to gather some hard data on what the Boss could really do. Bomarito and the Boss knocked out two hot laps at 1:40.4 and 1:40.2.
How fast is that? Well, we compared those times against a few vehicles from our MRLS lap-time database and were astonished. With a professional racing driver behind the wheel, the 2009 BMW M3 that competed in our 2008 Best Handling competition clocked a 1:42.9. In our 2009 Best Driver's Car competition the 2010 Shelby GT500 lapped in 1:44.3 while a 2010 Audi R8 did it in 1:40.8. This puts the Boss 302 in a very elite field, and it's not the fastest Boss. According to Ford, Bomarito lapped the Boss Laguna Seca under 1 minute and 40 seconds.
Testing the Boss is an absolute delight, particularly the launch control system, which feeds in power. With it on, the car launches with about 2700 rpm. Right around 3500 rpm, the torque kicks in and pulls all the way to redline with no flat spots. We nearly broke 4.0 seconds to 60 (3.97 actually). Given a grippier launch surface, there is a 3.9 in this car.
The Boss really comes alive on the figure eight. We set the suspension at 5 in the front, 3.5 in the rear, giving the rear end a little room to move without upsetting the car mid-corner. Turn-in is crisp and precise, and it's incredibly easy to modulate rear-end wiggle with the throttle. The Boss doesn't roll over like the GT, either. The only issue was the brakes, which faded a bit after only a handful of laps. On the road, the Boss rides slightly better than a GT because of the adjustable suspension. Use the lowest setting for a nice Sunday cruise, and within minutes you can firm it back up if you happen upon some twisties.
The optional Recaro seats cost $1995 but are a must-have, especially at the track. They come standard in the Laguna Seca edition, along with an X-brace in place of the rear seat. All Bosses receive a black shift knob, dark aluminum instrument panel, and door scuff plates.
The new Boss comes with two keys, one with a silver Boss logo and the other with a red Boss logo. The red logo'ed Trackey adds TracMode powertrain control software to the car, providing full race calibration and two-stage launch control without compromising the factory warranty.
Ford's goal for the Boss was to beat a certain Bavarian around Laguna, but that was easy. We proved the regular GT was just a tick off the pace of the M3 in our October 2010 cover story. What Ford has done is much more; this is hands-down the best Mustang it has ever produced, and we tip our hats for not wimping out with merely a sticker-and-wing package. So who's next on the challenge list? Good question. While the new Camaro ZL1 has improved suspension and a lot more power, we don't think it stands a chance against this Boss on a racetrack. But we look forward to finding out.
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