Boss 302 Test Drive and Launch Control

Autoblog has done a great write-up on a first drive of the 2012 Boss 302, after having a full day with the 302 in Monterey, including some time at Laguna Seca.  The conclusion they drew was that Ford has created much more than just a nostalgic rendition of the 70’s 302.  In fact, Jim Farley, head of Ford marketing, stated flat out that, “We were not going to do this project unless we could beat an M3 at this track.”

So you knew Ford had their sights set on much more than an eye-candy rendition of a nostalgic race car.  A quick glance at the list of upgraded engine and suspension parts (connecting rods, crankshaft, valve springs and camshafts, to name a few), tells you that Ford was also not interested in creating a re-badged GT with some minor tweaks.  After their day with the car the folks at Autoblog were unanimous in their praise of this 302, from its calm demeanor on the regular road, to its aggressive performance when the TracKey was inserted.    In fact, they proclaimed this Ford “is easily the coolest, most technologically advanced, highest performing Mustang ever produced by Ford. It’s more than a fitting tribute to the original Boss 302…”

Ford did provide an M3 for comparison purposes, but it had some technical difficulties, so the direct comparison was never done.

Discuss the 2012 Boss 302 here!