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Boss owners buying 2015's? The silence is deafening.

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four-walling

Kerry, San Diego
Any posts from Boss owners considering buying a 2015 Mustang are conspicuously absent.

There is probably intense interest in the 2015 GT350 based on NFSBOSS's (Rick's) info.

Based on Rick's postings, the price would look to be in current the GT500 area-$20K more then a 2012-13 Boss??

Based on anticipated selling price, the 2015 GT350 is the anti-Boss.

...just sayin...
 
Yeah so far I haven't seen anyone post on the three forums that's buying one. As for the price they will move up the scale quite a bit. My guess is $60-65K for the GT350 and $70-75K for the GT350R.

You can follow my predictions at the link below and Motor Trend came out with an article yesterday confirming a 5.2L FPC engine for the GT350.

http://gt350mustangs.com/index.php?topic=87.0;topicseen

http://gt350mustangs.com/index.php?topic=76.msg340#msg340
 
I love the uniqueness of the Boss. Pretty soon we will be inundated with 2015s and the luster will wear off. The GT350 is tempting but not at $70k. Looks like my Boss won't be going anywhere anytime soon.
 
NFSBOSS said:
Yeah so far I haven't seen anyone post on the three forums that's buying one. As for the price they will move up the scale quite a bit. My guess is $60-65K for the GT350 and $70-75K for the GT350R.

You can follow my predictions at the link below and Motor Trend came out with an article yesterday confirming a 5.2L FPC engine for the GT350.

http://gt350mustangs.com/index.php?topic=87.0;topicseen

http://gt350mustangs.com/index.php?topic=76.msg340#msg340

I'm in for a GT350R just waiting on official info! Just hope it's not priced out of this world, a bigger garage is in my future.
 
Polaristxguy said:
I'm in for a GT350R just waiting on official info! Just hope it's not priced out of this world, a bigger garage is in my future.

Same here. I posted over on the GT 350 site I've got a plan. A fox body and additional garage and them the GT 350.

EC-04B4814B8E69-12894-000017658DA5BC4F_zpse4e6ee95.jpg

03-9D2452ACCF49-12894-0000176593EB14BD_zps77655813.jpg
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
Isn't that partly because the GT350 will be a 2016 model? Well, at least that's the only one that I'd consider trading the Boss for.

Otherwise, I'm waiting for some of the test numbers and actual weights before considering replacing the GT with a '15 GT Track Pack or adding an ecoboost Track Pack.
 
Grant 302 said:
Isn't that partly because the GT350 will be a 2016 model? Well, at least that's the only one that I'd consider trading the Boss for.

Otherwise, I'm waiting for some of the test numbers and actual weights before considering replacing the GT with a '15 GT Track Pack or adding an ecoboost Track Pack.

If I had a Boss, I wouldn't consider trading it for anything. It's a unique machine, even more so than the GT500, and it's well-engineered on top of that. If the GT350 winds up being more exclusive, it'll probably only be as a result of its price.

If I were in competition or something, then I'd be looking for the fastest platform in class I could get my hands on. That may or may not be the GT350, as it happens. But then, regardless, it would be a race-prepped vehicle, not a street-driving compromise.


I have a 2014 GT Track Package (I could have a Boss if I wanted one, but I'd be much more reluctant to modify it to suit my desires because of its exclusivity). Even with the stock suspension, it's fantastic fun. Since I'm not competing, what need have I of more? And it's a daily driver as well, so it's of necessity going to be somewhat limited compared with race-prepped vehicles. In fact, the fun factor is part of the reason it's a daily driver: it means I get to enjoy driving it all the time, not just at the track.

If I were in the market for a new car, the GT350 would certainly be on my radar as long as the price isn't too high. But the 2015 GT with the track package would also be on that same radar, and the GT350 could easily lose out precisely because I could have immense amounts of fun with either, but the GT would be a lot less expensive.

But since I already have an incredibly capable machine, I'm not inclined to trade up at all. Why would I have more fun with a 2015 or 2016 compared with my 2014? I already have a huge grin on my face every time I walk away from my car, especially after a track session. At the end of the day, isn't that what this is all about?


I have a suspicion that if you put the same size, make, and model tires on a Boss 302 as what the GT350 will have, and give it similar dampers, that the end result would differ almost entirely because of the difference in power output. That would leave me with a simple question: is the power of the Boss 302 enough to have the kind of fun with it that I want? I know it is for me (the power of my GT is, after all). But if it were not, it's probably much less expensive to raise the power output of the Boss (and to put GT350-sized wheels/tires and equivalent dampers on it) than to trade one in for a GT350. Then again, the Boss is a pretty exclusive vehicle. I'd much rather make such changes to a GT.


If I could only have one fun vehicle and already had a Boss, I'd keep the Boss, keep it stock (except perhaps for wheels, tires, and camber plates) and drive it as it was meant to be driven. That way, I'd get maximum value out of it while having minimal impact on its later value. I wouldn't trade it for anything.


I dunno. Maybe I'm easily amused or something, but I have so much fun with my car that I simply don't understand what the urge would be to trade it in for something else. Are those of you who would consider trading their Boss for a later car somehow not happy with how your Boss performs?
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
kcbrown said:
If I had a Boss, I wouldn't consider trading it for anything.
Before the GT350 rumours surfaced...that's exactly how I felt. Availability of Comp Orange didn't help. :-\

I dunno. Maybe I'm easily amused or something, but I have so much fun with my car that I simply don't understand what the urge would be to trade it in for something else. Are those of you who would consider trading their Boss for a later car somehow not happy with how your Boss performs?

Not happy? No. Yet I am interested in the front suspension updates...and the IRS if it performs well and handles tire upgrades without hop or major upgrades like the older bolt-it units needed. And to top that off, if half of Rick's predictions are correct, it would be worth the upgrade for me.

You bring up a lot of good reasons why any of the Mustangs I have now should be good enough to keep...but essentially, the same could have been said of my Terminator when I traded it for the Boss. And I've been very happy about that upgrade.
 
Grant 302 said:
Before the GT350 rumours surfaced...that's exactly how I felt. Availability of Comp Orange didn't help. :-\

Not happy? No. Yet I am interested in the front suspension updates...and the IRS if it performs well and handles tire upgrades without hop or major upgrades like the older bolt-it units needed. And to top that off, if half of Rick's predictions are correct, it would be worth the upgrade for me.

I've found that it helps enormously to know what you're really after. When I advise people about computer purchases or camera purchases, the first question I ask is what their purpose for the item is, and what their expectations of it are.

Some people are after the best performance they can get their hands on, bar none. The biggest problem with that is that it's a moving target. The performance envelope is always being pushed forward. What is the best performing thing you can get today will be less than that tomorrow, just due to technological improvements if nothing else. If that's true of you, then you'll always be chasing after something new. That's cool as long as you realize that and are comfortable with it.

If your true goals are more fixed, however, then moving to the GT350 might not get you as much as you're hoping for. Unfortunately, there's no way to know until you've got it in your hands.

Problems like that are why I've set my goals the way I have. I realized at some point that the joy of the driving experience is what I was really after, so I just needed a machine that gave me that. My GT does precisely that, does it really well, and does it inexpensively.

I had a 1992 GT before I got this car. I could have kept that, updated its suspension (the rear felt like it was falling all over itself in corners, so fixing the quadrabind suspension would have been a necessity), and probably saved a significant amount of money in the process. But I knew that I wanted a really good looking daily driver, and that the new cars were just a whole lot better in that respect (the Fox body cars aren't bad looking, but the 2013/2014 cars are just killer looking IMO). The 1992 GT is now in the hands of my brother in law, someone who wanted a Mustang since he was a kid but could never really afford one. Needless to say, he's immensely happy. And so am I.

So I certainly understand the desire to get something better. But for me, it has to be a lot better, not just a marginal improvement. Will the GT350 really be that much of an improvement over the Boss 302, particularly once you put the same size tires on the Boss, when the Boss's performance is already so incredibly good? Maybe. But I'm skeptical.


You bring up a lot of good reasons why any of the Mustangs I have now should be good enough to keep...but essentially, the same could have been said of my Terminator when I traded it for the Boss. And I've been very happy about that upgrade.

The Terminator had an independent rear suspension, right? What aspects of the Boss are a significant improvement over it (aside from, say, the awesome Recaro seats)?
 

four-walling

Kerry, San Diego
Excellent points by Grant 302 and kcbrown.

The wild card in the GT350 debate is the price.

Based on anticipated specs, $60K plus options seems reasonable. (Let's not worry about any additional dealer mark ups). So, if a nicely equipped GT350 ends up being $65K, what else is out there? Anybody who can afford a $65K car can probably afford a $75K car. My first thoughts are towards adding a Porsche Boxster S or Cayman S into the mix of vehicles to consider. Some folks may think about a high performance BMW.

But more importantly, it brings the Porsche dealership experience to the fore. Everybody might have their "terrible Porsche dealer experience" stories, but that is the exception and not the norm

The Porsche after sales service is experience is typically superior to the Ford service experience and probably warrants spending an extra $10K and buying a Boxster S or Cayman S. Just my opinion.
 
I was on the fence as to the 13' Boss or 15' GT. To be honest I'm still on the fence. I've had my Boss for about a month now. Drive it every Sat and Sun but it's not my DD. I most likely will never get back to the track as I like canyon carving and lazy Sunday Drives out to the coast and back better. If I do get back into tracking it will be in the Novice Class all over again. I used to get enjoyment out of shaving 10ths, now I just like to cruise.

Once the 15's hit the dealer I will go test drive one to compare. I do want to take a 15' GT with an Auto/Paddle shifter car out for drive just to compare. I know, I know "auto" but to be honest after 3 knee surgeries on the 52yr old clutch leg it does get tiring. Don't get me wrong the Boss is an amazing car, but maybe to much car for how I use it. We shall see.

With age comes the realization that when I make a purchase and I'm not completely satisfied, I need to not waste time agonizing over the decision and just make a new one.
 

TymeSlayer

Tramps like us, Baby we were born to run...
3,787
2,740
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Brighton, Colorado
Thinking of buying a '15 plain Jane maybe something with EcoBoost premium. Now before ya'll start scratching your heads, I'd buy it for my 9 year old. I would certainly keep the Boss, the Edge and the Mountaineer so I would just use this car to tool around in and save it for my daughter who is a few years away from driving. She would get a practically new car that gets good mileage and has a bit of zip to it but nothing crazy (310 HP). Plus I'd know the maintenance record for the car too. Problem is, she's set on the Triple Yellow which I'm sure is nice but...
 
Calif boss302 said:
I was on the fence as to the 13' Boss or 15' GT. To be honest I'm still on the fence. I've had my Boss for about a month now. Drive it every Sat and Sun but it's not my DD. I most likely will never get back to the track as I like canyon carving and lazy Sunday Drives out to the coast and back better. If I do get back into tracking it will be in the Novice Class all over again. I used to get enjoyment out of shaving 10ths, now I just like to cruise.

I love to go to track events, not because I'm chasing tenths (indeed, I don't bother to record my lap times at all precisely because I don't want to chase lap times, as that might cause me to drive too aggressively for my own good), but because I really enjoy the experience of driving the car in that manner, and it's simply not safe to drive it that way on the streets or even down canyon roads. If you're willing to shift your focus from chasing the clock to simply immersing yourself in the driving experience, you may find track events to be worthwhile again.


Once the 15's hit the dealer I will go test drive one to compare. I do want to take a 15' GT with an Auto/Paddle shifter car out for drive just to compare. I know, I know "auto" but to be honest after 3 knee surgeries on the 52yr old clutch leg it does get tiring. Don't get me wrong the Boss is an amazing car, but maybe to much car for how I use it. We shall see.

I don't think there's any such thing as "too much car" as long as the compromises inherent in it are not objectionable to you. :D

I can see how the clutch could become an issue, and that would detract from the driving experience, so in that light, you may be better off with a 2015 GT with paddle shifters. Then the Boss can go to someone who is in a better position to enjoy it more.


With age comes the realization that when I make a purchase and I'm not completely satisfied, I need to not waste time agonizing over the decision and just make a new one.

Exactly. But it doesn't sound like you're dissatisfied with your Boss in the least, save perhaps for the clutch.
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
kcbrown said:
I've found that it helps enormously to know what you're really after. When I advise people about computer purchases or camera purchases, the first question I ask is what their purpose for the item is, and what their expectations of it are.
My problem is that I have a lot of driving and car related 'needs'...and I don't mind if those needs overlap between multiple cars.

kcbrown said:
Some people are after the best performance they can get their hands on, bar none. The biggest problem with that is that it's a moving target. The performance envelope is always being pushed forward. What is the best performing thing you can get today will be less than that tomorrow, just due to technological improvements if nothing else. If that's true of you, then you'll always be chasing after something new. That's cool as long as you realize that and are comfortable with it.
That's absolutely *not* me. I was very well aware to stay away from the rabbit hole of having the fastest car...from my drag racing days. There's always somebody faster, or with more money...I live with what I can easily afford, and that's why I have Mustangs.

kcbrown said:
If your true goals are more fixed, however, then moving to the GT350 might not get you as much as you're hoping for. Unfortunately, there's no way to know until you've got it in your hands.
There isn't any goal that the GT350 would need to meet...except being awesome. ;) The Boss would be good enough for me to keep until I die. The only modifications to it are for cooling at the track. It's otherwise *gasp* stock.

kcbrown said:
Problems like that are why I've set my goals the way I have. I realized at some point that the joy of the driving experience is what I was really after, so I just needed a machine that gave me that. My GT does precisely that, does it really well, and does it inexpensively.
This is why my GT is the DD and track car. I don't need to be the fastest on track, and I have fun every single time I drive it...without worrying where I park it.

kcbrown said:
I had a 1992 GT before I got this car. I could have kept that, updated its suspension (the rear felt like it was falling all over itself in corners, so fixing the quadrabind suspension would have been a necessity), and probably saved a significant amount of money in the process. But I knew that I wanted a really good looking daily driver, and that the new cars were just a whole lot better in that respect (the Fox body cars aren't bad looking, but the 2013/2014 cars are just killer looking IMO). The 1992 GT is now in the hands of my brother in law, someone who wanted a Mustang since he was a kid but could never really afford one. Needless to say, he's immensely happy. And so am I.
I had a similar reaction when the '10 and '11 came out. At the time, I had 3 SN95s. Didn't love the rear in '10. But had to pull the trigger on the '11 when the 5.0 came out. I ordered a brembo GT 1 week before the formal announcement of the Boss...

kcbrown said:
So I certainly understand the desire to get something better. But for me, it has to be a lot better, not just a marginal improvement. Will the GT350 really be that much of an improvement over the Boss 302, particularly once you put the same size tires on the Boss, when the Boss's performance is already so incredibly good? Maybe. But I'm skeptical.
Ironically, it wasn't until after I started driving the GT at the track that I realized how much better these cars were compared to my SN95s. Though the course of modifying the GT to be a very street friendly but reliable track car, I've dug into the geometry limitations of our mac strut front. And found that I'd like to have a setup with better camber gain. The geometry changes to the front and the rumoured chassis lightening for '15 got me interested...in adding an Ecoboost or replacing the GT with a new one. Then the GT350 info started coming out...

kcbrown said:
The Terminator had an independent rear suspension, right? What aspects of the Boss are a significant improvement over it (aside from, say, the awesome Recaro seats)?
Actually, one of the things I did like better about the Cobra was the seats! That, plus the size and sound of the car. Otherwise I felt the Boss was better in every other way. Despite the IRS, it didn't handle very well stock compared to the 5.0. I kept telling myself for almost a year that I didn't need a Boss...but it turns out I was wrong!
 
I think I will keep my BOSS. I still get lots of looks and comments 3 years later. The wife has just now accepted it as part of the family and actually asks to ride in it. Looking at current dealer pricing in L.A. for a premiumIUM GT(not sure what IUM is but it is7k more than a standard GT) starting at 42k and up to 45k I don't see the advantage. I take mine for a joy ride everyday to work and back and it makes life so much more enjoyable. Although I will go to the L.A. auto show and probably change my mind. I still crack up when people ask me what size engine is in a Boss 302.
 
I bought my Boss knowing there would be faster, better handling and braking Mustangs in the future but this is the one I want in my garage for the next 25 years; not as an investment but just because I absolutely love it. Looks, size, color, drivability, in your face sound and on and on.

Perusing some of the reviews released on the 15 yesterday, I did notice this from Motor Trend. The new Mustang GT rips 'round the figure eight in 24.7 seconds, pulling 0.84 g average in the process. That's not only quicker than the last Mustang GT, but it's also a better performance than the last Mustang Boss 302 (24.7 seconds at 0.78 g average) we tested. Though it managed a higher average g on the figure eight than the Boss 302 -- which we'd still feel confident calling the best Mustang ever -- the 2015 Mustang didn't feel as nimble or competent as the Boss; it didn't feel like the front and rear ends were talking to each other.


By the way, I've ridden in the 2015 and although impressed, it still wasn't my orange baby in the garage along with my 86 GT.
 

VWGTI123

2012 PW #2558
124
0
:'( You have a BOSS and an 86 GT Oh man How I MISS my Black 86 GT w/paxton Supercharger. If you could post or PM me a Picture of your 86 GT would be appreciated. That car was such a blast!!!
 
Grant 302 said:
My problem is that I have a lot of driving and car related 'needs'...and I don't mind if those needs overlap between multiple cars.
That's absolutely *not* me. I was very well aware to stay away from the rabbit hole of having the fastest car...from my drag racing days. There's always somebody faster, or with more money...I live with what I can easily afford, and that's why I have Mustangs.

And that means you have gained the necessary wisdom for tackling this problem. :)


There isn't any goal that the GT350 would need to meet...except being awesome. ;)

That it will be for sure!


The Boss would be good enough for me to keep until I die. The only modifications to it are for cooling at the track. It's otherwise *gasp* stock.

Nice. Excellent, in fact. It's a bit of a shame that you had to modify the cooling any. I'm hoping I don't have to. I was at Thunderhill recently and didn't have a problem with engine cooling, but it wasn't as hot as I thought it was going to be (it was mid-90s) and because the track was new (5 mile course, no less!), I wasn't really pushing it as hard as I would at a track I'm intimately familiar with.


This is why my GT is the DD and track car. I don't need to be the fastest on track, and I have fun every single time I drive it...without worrying where I park it.

Same here, although I love my car enough that I do try to park it someplace where someone isn't going to bash their door into it...


Though the course of modifying the GT to be a very street friendly but reliable track car, I've dug into the geometry limitations of our mac strut front. And found that I'd like to have a setup with better camber gain. The geometry changes to the front and the rumoured chassis lightening for '15 got me interested...in adding an Ecoboost or replacing the GT with a new one. Then the GT350 info started coming out...

Well, here's the thing: there's a difference between how a car responds and how it performs. The McStrut front suspension limits how the car will perform, but doesn't necessarily limit how the car responds. That's likely to be much more related to things like the choice of bushings than the specific geometry.

But it depends. The quadribind suspension of my 92 GT, and the geometry of its suspension in general, made the rear end feel horrible. The difference between that and my 2014 GT is night and day.


So it's really going to come down to a question of how much of a difference in response there is between the Boss and the GT350. I expect the GT350 to perform better, but I don't know that it's going to respond significantly better. And the latter is what influences the driving experience. The former is what gets you lap times. If you're not chasing lap times, you're probably after responsiveness and feel more than anything else.


Actually, one of the things I did like better about the Cobra was the seats!

That's a bit surprising, actually, but I don't think I've ever sat in the 2003 Cobra, so I don't know how I would like them. In looking at photos of them, they certainly look nice and supportive, but no more than the Recaros (the Recaros look like they have a little more support, actually).

Seats are such an individual thing, though, that I certainly can't fault you for your preference...


That, plus the size and sound of the car. Otherwise I felt the Boss was better in every other way. Despite the IRS, it didn't handle very well stock compared to the 5.0. I kept telling myself for almost a year that I didn't need a Boss...but it turns out I was wrong!

Were you still using stock dampers on the Cobra? I have to wonder if coilovers plus an appropriate sway bar package would have closed the gap between your Cobra and your Boss.

In any case, technological improvements make a huge difference here. The Boss suspension is simply better engineered than that of any previous Mustang. But I'm quite skeptical that the engineering of the GT350's suspension will be so much better that it'll be a major difference.


It'll be most interesting to see what your impressions are of it once you get a chance to drive it. :)
 

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