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Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca - First Drive Reviews

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Thought we should have a thread for all of the stories coming out of Monterrey. Post them up as you find them. Here are the first two:


2012-ford-mustang-boss-302-at-leguna-seca.jpg

http://blogs.hotrod.com/2012-ford-boss-302-mustang-test-drive-laguna-seca-1683.html



6a00d8341bf8f353ef0147e2c0a796970b-pi.jpg
http://thestar.blogs.com/kenzie/2011/02/whos-the-boss.html
 
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Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

Here is the insideline video and photos:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu30QpO76gY&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

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Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

http://www.auto123.com/en/ford/mustang/2012/review?carid=1121803601&artid=128247

I think this quote will be disappointing to LS owners. Only one second a lap faster than a Boss on R compound tires.

"Lofty goal? During testing, with 2010 Daytona winning hotshoe driver Jonathan Bomarito behind the wheel, the Boss bested the M3 coupe’s best time by more than a second. The Special Edition Laguna Seca Boss 302 beat that time by another second."
 
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Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

5 DOT 0 said:
http://www.auto123.com/en/ford/mustang/2012/review?carid=1121803601&artid=128247

I think this quote will be disappointing to LS owners.

I don't think so...at least not for me. There are certainly faster ways around a race track than in a mustang. This stuck out to me:

"The handling is rock-solid, yet not jarring. Although it too could be described as a beast, the Boss 302 is a completely different animal from its GT500 sibling. Where the Shelby is a crude, blunt-force straight-line bludgeon, the Boss 302, particularly the Laguna Seca, displays agile, sophisticated handling that rivals that of the autobahn-bred Germans."


I like this picture next to the '05:

photos

good find by the way!
 

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Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

My comment is in reference to mwilson7's comment about the LS being 3 seconds a lap faster. LS is in between Willow Springs an VIR as far as top speed and tight corners. A professional driver is one thing but what will really matter is what they can do in the hands of Joe average. Will the difference between the two be greater or not? Hopefully mwilson7 can stop by and add his perspective.
 
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Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

Here's a nice quote for you:

"And, on the cover of that issue, we asked: "Will the new Boss 302 be number 11?"

Now that we've driven it, the answer is a resounding yes.

Simply put, the Boss 302 is the best of all of the current Mustangs. It's the best expression of a modern muscle car and, frankly, it's the best all-around sports car to wear a Mustang badge."

Here is another:

"With two additional exhaust outlets (one per side, just in front of the rear wheels), the brutal Mustang music takes on an even more staccato wail, and the additional revs help produce a primal scream unlike anything else on the road. "

One more:

"At $40,995 (including destination), the Boss 302 isn't exactly cheap in absolute terms, and it's nearly twice as expensive as a base Mustang. It's four times the car, though. And it's not only $8500 less dear than the Shelby GT500, it's a better all-around car, too. In those terms, the Boss looks like quite the value. There's all the financial justification you'll need to buy one. The emotional reasoning starts and ends with savoring the sound of that unbelievable idle."


http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/driven/1102_2012_ford_mustang_boss_302/index.html
 
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Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

Here they come!

"This car is too fast for all but the most gnarled back roads, reaching effortlessly into the triple digits between corners and pulling relentlessly from three grand all the way to the 7,500 rpm soft rev limiter. No factory ponycar has ever offered this kind of pace in these conditions — only Ford’s own 2011 aluminum-block GT500 can even mount a challenge. "

and another:

"Ford promised us a “neutral” car, meaning that it would not understeer to any measurable extent, but manufacturers are always claiming that. Surprise! The Boss delivers, easily negotiating Seca’s Turn Two without washing out the front end. If you’ve driven this track in Gran Turismo (or real life) you know how rare that is."

one more:

"Turn Six is known for breaking wheels, shock absorbers, and hearts in equal measure, but the Boss just bounces through in total control. Same goes for the Corkscrew. We have all the rebound damping we could wish for as we sail off the edge of the world and fall all the way down to Turn Nine. It’s sooooo easy to drive this fast. Compared to the ’95 Cobra this author raced in NASA’s Camaro-Mustang-Challenge a few years ago, this isn’t even recognizable as a Mustang. It’s more like a… BMW M3, honestly. It’s just faster."

http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-mustang-boss-302-first-drive-review.html
 
Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

5 DOT 0 said:
http://www.auto123.com/en/ford/mustang/2012/review?carid=1121803601&artid=128247

I think this quote will be disappointing to LS owners. Only one second a lap faster than a Boss on R compound tires.

"Lofty goal? During testing, with 2010 Daytona winning hotshoe driver Jonathan Bomarito behind the wheel, the Boss bested the M3 coupe’s best time by more than a second. The Special Edition Laguna Seca Boss 302 beat that time by another second."
That's good news for me. With my lightweight rotors, wheels, DTC pads, c/c plates, Watts link and some R-comp tires I think I can make up that second ;D
 
Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

Mark said:
Here they come!

"This car is too fast for all but the most gnarled back roads, reaching effortlessly into the triple digits between corners and pulling relentlessly from three grand all the way to the 7,500 rpm soft rev limiter. No factory ponycar has ever offered this kind of pace in these conditions — only Ford’s own 2011 aluminum-block GT500 can even mount a challenge. "

and another:

"Ford promised us a “neutral” car, meaning that it would not understeer to any measurable extent, but manufacturers are always claiming that. Surprise! The Boss delivers, easily negotiating Seca’s Turn Two without washing out the front end. If you’ve driven this track in Gran Turismo (or real life) you know how rare that is."

one more:

"Turn Six is known for breaking wheels, shock absorbers, and hearts in equal measure, but the Boss just bounces through in total control. Same goes for the Corkscrew. We have all the rebound damping we could wish for as we sail off the edge of the world and fall all the way down to Turn Nine. It’s sooooo easy to drive this fast. Compared to the ’95 Cobra this author raced in NASA’s Camaro-Mustang-Challenge a few years ago, this isn’t even recognizable as a Mustang. It’s more like a… BMW M3, honestly. It’s just faster."

http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-mustang-boss-302-first-drive-review.html
I just wet myself ;D
 
Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

The leftlane article comments about the better diff in the LS relating to traction. From many of the photos I've seen the Boss cars have the Recaro/Torsen options so that shouldn't be an issue. I wish these articles would explicitly state if the cars they are driving have those options.

Hopefully The Straightline guys should have their article up quickly.
 
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Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

Another:

lol at this:

"Love at first sight, maybe, but the Mustang will never “fit” like the BMW. Where the Bimmer inspires confidence in its driver positioning, the Mustang makes me feel like there’s no perfect way to adjust the seat. The dashboard is tall and the cockpit is dark. The controls are bulky and awkward. Oh well. Time to head out. I notice that the stability control system on this car is off by default. Just four turns later, I’ve decided to buy My First Mustang. This is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the most neutral-handling street car I’ve ever driven on a track."

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/02/review-2012-ford-mustang-boss-302-and-boss-302-laguna-seca/
 
Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

not worried about a second here, I agree with Rick on one thing though. All this news and pics are making the wait harder.
 
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Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

12Boss302-MediaDrive_06_HR_jpg_677x1000_q100.jpg

I bet you thought you'd NEVER read this:

"So far the picture of the Boss 302 that we’re forming is of a comfortable daily driver that responds well to picking up the pace. It loves to dive into corners, arc through them with minimal roll, and they lay down the power. We’ve written similar words about the BMW M3, a car that does a masterful job of balancing comfort, power and handling, and which seems especially appropriate on long drives under varied road conditions. The only thing is, the Mustang really outdoes the BMW in steering feel, torque delivery, shifter ergonomics and symphonic range. The M3 might have a slight edge in chassis refinement and is probably a little more comfortable as the road tightens up. But hands down on the street the Boss is more involving and characterful"

or this:

"but it is a measure of the accomplishment of the Boss 302 to say it broadly feels like an M3, improved. "

http://www.windingroad.com/articles/reviews/driven-2012-ford-mustang-boss-302/
 
Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

A couple of more comments, note the 4,000 cars built comes up again:

"You’ll need to do some work of your own to find a Boss 302. Fewer than four thousand will be available. Do the math and it’s easy to see that some dealers won’t get one to sell. The Laguna Seca edition will represent a small percentage of those. Instant factory collectible. Boo hiss! Talk to your dealer now, rather than later.

At dinner later that evening, a fellow journalist whom I deeply respect expresses his complete lack of enthusiasm for the car. “It’s fast on the track, but it’s a 3600-pound Mustang that costs a lot of money.” I understand his concern. There’s nothing socially relevant about this car. There’s nothing particularly shocking about the idea of another fast ponycar. It doesn’t do anything for the economy, the industry, or the climate. That doesn’t mean I don’t want one, and if you have the chance to drive the Boss, you are likely to want one, too — even if your current car is an M3."
 
Re: Boss 302 Debut at Laguna Seca

I thought this was interesting

With the Boss, it comes courtesy of something called “Track Key.” The Boss has a second key, and once you’ve purchased the accompanying firmware ($302, only available after delivery), the Track Key causes the car to load software that changes 300 parameters in the car’s electronics. Lumpy idle, quicker throttle response, different TC settings, and more are the result. The Boss 302 version of this caged animal vibe is plenty tame for the street, though for your daily commute you might prefer the regular key. Or not.
 

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