Sunday, March 13, 2011

2012 Ford Mustang BOSS 302 Laguna Seca

ford mustang boss 302 laguna seca

Ford keeps on winning with its Mustang and will be introducing several new models into the lineup. In a way, Ford has been very careful with its brand and taken every precaution before introducing a classic name such as the BOSS 302.

The original Mustangs were available in several different styles throughout their run and some of the most famous are the Shelby, BOSS, and Bullit versions. When Ford introduced this newest Mustang architecture, it too was available in Shelby GT500 spec and commanded quite a bit of respect around a race track. For 2012, Ford has given official details about the BOSS 302 version that will be bringing an even more track-oriented experience to the table.

The original BOSS 302 was built for the Trans-am race series and featured a more stripped down version of the body and a 4.9-liter V8 complete with shaker hood. The new model will use the basic 5.0-liter V8 from the GT model, but has been upgraded significantly to deliver high levels of performance.

Hit the jump for more details on the 2012 Ford Mustang BOSS 302.


Exterior

3.

Starting with the 2012 Ford Mustang body, Ford has decided to include a Laguna-Seca package that makes the exterior much more aggressive and aerodynamic. This car is so focused on track racing that some of the accessories included are not even street legal. For instance the large front air splitter that sits just barely off of the ground has to be installed by the customer after they purchase the car so that Ford does not have the liability if the customer takes it on the streets.

Several unique paint schemes will be available to distinguish your hard-core Mustang from all the posers. The body is mainly one-color, but the wheels, rear wing, side-mirrors, grill surround, and roof can all be painted to match a separate color. The striking photos of the silver Mustang with red accents shows how Ford has kept the BOSS 302 unique. The rear Mustang badge has also been replaced with one that says “Laguna Seca” and has an image of the track layout.

Interior

The interior of the new Mustang is a boy racer’s dream with it’s stripped down race-car look. The dash hasn’t been changed much, but sitting above it is a three-gauge cluster monitoring engine temperature, oil pressure, and a digital lap timer. The Laguna Seca version is lacking in one aspect – rear seats. In the interest of weight savings and increased performance, Ford has removed them and included a stabilizer brace. This increased torsional stability should help the car feel more composed through the twisties. The designers have finished off the new car with a set of racing bucket seats that have large “BOSS 302” logos stitched on them.

Performance

The BOSS 302 package will include the potent 444hp 302 cubic-inch 5.0-liter V8. This engine features all new internal components and can rev freely all the way to 7,500rpm. The engines furious nature should be magnified by the quad exhaust system that exits through the rear and the sides of the car. Ford says this system may vary on the production model, but let’s hope they keep it.

Helping the Mustang to handle better than usual is a set of fully adjustable front struts and rear shocks. Being able to adjust the shocks on your car allows for greater variability at different race tracks. You can set up differently for a road course and an oval which can help give the car a bigger advantage. Ford has also contracted the biggest name in the business to handle stopping duty for the Boss 302. Brembo will supply new discs and calipers to the Mustang giving a shortened stopping distance and less fade during extended days of racing.

Pricing

These new 2012 Mustang Boss 302 and 302 Laguna Seca versions should hit dealerships sometime in 2011 priced at $40,995 for the Boss 302 version and at $47,990 for the Laguna Seca version. The options list is not very long as it only includes Recaro Seats with Torsen Differential priced at $1,995, a Boss 302 Accessory Package priced at $475, and a Yellow Blaze TriCoat Paint priced at $495.

Competition

The muscle car wars have become extremely heated once again with every company upping the performance in their respective vehicles. The boys at Mopar have come up with a more powerful Challenger that uses a 392-cubic inch HEMI V8 powertrain to produce 470 HP and 470 lb.-ft. of torque. Chevrolet has also given sneak peeks of its new ZL1 model of the Camaro which features an LSA 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine that produces an estimated 550 HP and 550 lb.-ft. of torque. Until all models are available to the public we will have to wait and anticipate a battle of the big three like never before.

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