Which is the BOSS 302 Replacement?

[VoodooBoss]

The GT350 or Mach 1? Originally the GT350 was the road course special and the Mach 1 the drag strip special. With that in mind wouldn't the GT350 be the BOSS replacement and the Mach 1 the GT500 replacement? I think general wisdom would have the GT350 replacing the GT500 but I don't think the GT350 will be a Shelby GT350. Thoughts?

This article and a few others I've read have the Mach 1 with twin turbo being the BOSS replacement and I just don't see that.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/rumor-roundup-2015-mustang-mach-1-will-live-legacy-original/#/1

Mach 1


GT350

 

[Domestic Product]

Rick,
I see Ford having so many great options with the new S550 platform it is really exciting. What ever they name it, it is going to be awesome. I see the Mach 1 as the new track star and the GT 350 taking over for the GT 500. Just makes sense from a marketing stand point as Ford has made a big investment in the Shelby name and what it stands for.
I lean towards this line up my self. Mustang base V-6, GT 5.0 (with lots of Boss dna), Mach 1, Shelby-GT350.
So with the base Mustang starting with the V-6 and the GT 5.0 getting a boss parts up grade the real question is what is going to power the Mach 1 and the Shelby. The 2015 GT 5.0 is going to be quite the car, so anything above that is going to be special. But who knows Ford has so many options
I already have that same feeling that I had when I first read about the Boss. I need one.

 

[dmichaels]

Can't wait to test drive the 2015's. Likely will be better than my car, but that's progression. I'm glad Ford did such a great job with the 2014's and the incentives kept my ideal car (barely) within budget. I'm expecting the 2015's to go up in price, but I bet there will be some awesome performance packages.

 

[jneary]

There is no Boss replacement, PERIOD!

If you look back in the history of the Mustang, the GT350 was the stripped down track car (until 1968 really) and the Mach I was the powerful street racer with all of the torque and amenities to race around main street. Let's review the numbers from 1969:

1969 Boss 302	HP=290	TQ=290
1969 Mach I	HP=300	TQ=385
1969 GT350	HP=290	TQ=385

I am discounting the 428/429 beasts in the table above because most Mach I cars went out with 351W/351C mills. The large mills were not as plentiful as the 351 models were and the 302 cars aren't really anything more than a standard model with amenities.

Since 1969 had Ford taking over the GT350/500 production and options and there really were never any 1970 cars made, it isn't really fair to say that 69/70 was a year that could be used to compare the best of each of the marques but since it is the only year that they were all available together, I'll use them to compare the older cars.

If you use the first models available of the three (65 for the GT350 and 69 for Boss and Mach), the GT350 is by far the most stripped down model of them all followed by the 1969 Boss 302. Even the base Mach I in 1969 had more amenities than either of the others. If you look at the three cars above in 1969, the Mach I and Shelby were more luxury cars than the Boss ever was (air conditioning).

In 2004, the lineup went something like this:

2004 GT	HP= 260	TQ= 302
2004 Mach I	HP= 305	TQ= 320
2004 SVT	HP= 390	TQ= 390

So, to make a long story short, I do not believe that either the new GT350 or the new Mach I will be a replacement for the Boss. The next Boss will be that replacement. The Mach I is a powerful Mustang that has lots of cool features for street racing and cruising. I think the Mach I will be like the current Focus ST as far as the marque us concerned with power and lots of features. The GT350 will be a plush racecar like it has been since 1969.

No, I think we have seen the Boss for only a short while once again. The next Boss will be a very new Boss, possibly with an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine out another 40 years, right in time for the 2049/2050 model years. My guess is that there will also be a Challenger and Camaro out there too.

John

 

[VoodooBoss]

Another data point that leads me to the GT350 as the Boss replacement. The current race car is a Boss 302R/S. There's no way the replacement race car will be the Mach 1R/S so maybe it will be the GT350R/S.

 

[Boss949]

The internet is full of posts and rumors and "I have a friend, who has a friend…."

Hears something that I "heard" a couple of days ago.

No more Shelby.

2016/17 Track monster, SVT Cobra; 5.8 N/A with 640+ HP. Still testing and having trouble getting to the 640 range at the moment.

 

[Domestic Product]

OK, here is my take. Having lived through the original Mustang . I guess I look at this through a historical perspective. I think Ford will as well.
First I think Rick when he says a replacement for the Boss. Means what ever model they come out with to be the track master within the S-550 platform. The Boss is the Boss and it will be retired along with the S-197. No new Boss.
After some thought, I think we have one to many cars in our line up for the S-550.
Base.
Turbo.
GT.(Mach 1 option)
GT350.
I think any Mach 1 will be a variation of the GT. Same as 69. They discontinued the GT and went with the Mach one at that time. No GT in 1970.
To add to this quandary is the fact that the new GT and the new Turbo will both better the stock Boss with track time.(per Ford press release latest 5.0 magazine) So any Mach 1 or GT-350 is going to be special.

Also the latest 5.0 magazine has some really good info on the S-550. Most of the magazine is on the new platform.
Also check out this link for a historical reference on how Ford has placed the Mustang models.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang_(first_generation) Ok so this link will not work, just follow it and click on the first option search for Ford Mustang first gen, and then the first option again Ford Mustang first gen 64 to 73. Lots of great info.
What a great time to be a car enthusiast. It just keeps getting better and better.

 

[PP0001]

The GT350 or Mach 1? Originally the GT350 was the road course special and the Mach 1 the drag strip special. With that in mind wouldn't the GT350 be the BOSS replacement and the Mach 1 the GT500 replacement? I think general wisdom would have the GT350 replacing the GT500 but I don't think the GT350 will be a Shelby GT350. Thoughts?

This article and a few others I've read have the Mach 1 with twin turbo being the BOSS replacement and I just don't see that.

With this years introduction of the 2015 Mustang and being the 50th anniversary model I would like to think that Ford would do something really special from a performance standpoint and I also lean towards a 2015 Shelby GT350.

In honor of the 6 year production run of the Shelby cars back in the 60's and also the most valuable of the production Shelby's namely the '65 Shelby GT350 I am hoping that Ford can and will use once again the Shelby name more last time?

As we all know the 1965 GT350 was the only real Shelby set up for SCCA production style racing.

Standard features for the '65 model such as side exhaust, 15" X 5 1/2" station wagon wheels, battery in the trunk, Detroit locker rear ends, Koni shocks, rear seat delete, Goodyear 130 MPH Blue Dot tires, fiberglass hoods and trunk lids, aluminum case tranny, prop rods for the hood, and the list goes on were a one year feature only. Once the 1966 Shelby GT350 cars came on board most of this went away.

I cannot comprehend a 2015 Mach I being the special car that Ford will introduce after 50 years of the Mustang but I could understand a Boss 351 and possibly a Boss 429 but only if Ford has developed a high performance big block which I am not aware of?

Whatever they come out with I suggest it will be a high performance limited production run automobile and if history repeats itself Ford again will knock it out of the park with a fantastic car as they did many years ago.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Wow, my brain is going on overload thinking what might happen, and then I heard they might be calling the new track model the GT/IRS . See even the name is taxing ...........................................Okay it could stand for Independent Rear Suspension , but with a new Stang working towards World appeal one never knows? They may come up with an entirely new name like the Mustang RR ( road race ) or TD ( Track Dominator ) or LM ( Lap Monster ) . Well if they went with LD ( Lap Dancer ) it might have the wrong connotations, so I stayed with LM. For the drag racers I thought of SM ( Strip Monster ), but some of you might just take that wrong too -- shame , shame!

I think BMO needs to come up with a new name for the track version ( TT - Track Terror) since we have the beast that impregnated alot of the ideas for the 2015!!

Let the games begin.................

 

[cbj5259]

I'm wondering if the GT/IRS Mustang may be the wave of the future? At some point I think Ford needs to create new "legends". They have certainly gotten a lot of mileage out of bringing back legendary nameplates like the Shelby's, Bosses and Mach's but it seems like they are more forward thinking with this platform. Maybe they introduce a Mustang with a whole new "badge" that in 40 years people will look back on as a legend in its own right? Who knows?

 

[Fat Boss]

I'm excited to see what'll be unveiled. Remember NOBODY was thinking 662 HP out of the last GT500 or the Boss 302 program as it finally was executed. They'll have something completely awesome, and we're going to love it.

 

[Grant 302]

Special models often take a couple of years to start showing up after a new body style is introduced. I really don't want to wait for a 2017 special edition.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

CBJ,

Though my comment was tongue in cheek, you hit on exactly what I was referring to --new name for a new track car , that 20-40 years from now would be a new moniker!! With the new United Sportscar Championship running Boss 302s, and a bunch of Stangs running in the World Challenge Series , it would not be difficult to set up a 2015 with a " Performance Package" incorporating a wing, splitter, maybe deletion of the back seat, special rims, tires, recaros, etc. and call it ;

1. USC - United Sportscar Championship
2. WCS - World Challenge Series
3. IMSA

Pay them a small licensing fee like Pontiac did with the Trans Am and tie it with a current high profile series. A USC model would be desirable now that Nascar is tied with the Sportscar Challenge Series, though likely a WCS tie would be cheaper. Could not call it a WC , as everyone in Europe would die laughing as that is the abbreviation for " Water Closet " - i.e. restroom/bathroom.

Other names could come up like TT ( for Time Trials ) TR ( Track Rat -- one of my favorites as those of us that play on road courses identify with that name ).

A good case in point would be the new Viper TA, which has caused confusion with many older buyers as they immediately think of Trans Am, yet the younger buyers recognize the " Time Attack" name quickly. This is a new Stang and a new name is
probably the best avenue to take --let's start another "Legendary Mustang" and this is coming from a 62 year old Petrolhead!!

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

it would not be difficult to set up a 2015 with a " Performance Package" incorporating a wing, splitter, maybe deletion of the back seat, special rims, tires, recaros, etc. and call it ;

1. USC - United Sportscar Championship
2. WCS - World Challenge Series
3. IMSA

Could be done; Multimatic is already working on what I have called the "S550R" (for lack of an official name; this was announced during one of the last CTSCC races this year, much as the release of the streetgoing B302s were announced inadvertently during a CTSCC race in 2010) and it's set to debut late this year in the CTSCC series. Considering the success of the 302R and 302S as far as both sales and competition are concerned, I'm sure FRPP will continue to offer a turnkey race car version of the Mustang to the public.

 

[TymeSlayer]

How about TS

Like TymeSlayer. I will gladly License the name to Ford.

 

[VoodooBoss]

I like the idea of IMSA or WCS. With Paul Brown winning the WCS championship in 2011 driving a Boss 302S I vote for WCS. 8)

 

[cbj5259]

I like the idea of IMSA or WCS. With Paul Brown winning the WCS championship in 2011 driving a Boss 302S I vote for WCS. 8)

+1

 

[Rich_S]

2016/17 Track monster, SVT Cobra; 5.8 N/A with 640+ HP. Still testing and having trouble getting to the 640 range at the moment.

Doubtful. 2014 was the end of the line for the 5.4/5.8 Condor/Trinity. The 2015 Expedition is dropping the 5.4 in favor of the 5.0 from the F150 and an optional Ecoboost 3.5, the 2015 Navigator is dropping the 5.4 and will come with the 3.5 Ecoboost standard. Ford isn't going to keep that engine family going after a 2-3 year hiatus just for a special edition of one car. Plus they'd have to make significant changes to make an NA version work well.

 

[BOSS343]

I think I will go with Rick on this one as well. However either way I am interested to see what comes outta Ford in the next few years.