y5e06

I'm sure this has been asked before. But I'm at my wits end with my current DD and now it is time for something new (it is an f-body...). As such the ONLY new car I am interested is the Boss. I've been drooling over these for the past year. I've especially got my eye on a Performance White '13 with the Recaro's and diff.

so, given this car has 440 hp, 19 wheels, summer tires, and a track oriented suspension:
How reasonable is this car as a daily driver? and by daily driver, I mean just that. Every single day (except for the once every two years we get snow, errr ice). years ago i had ago i had a modified corvette and with those wide tires that thing was down right spooky in the rain. It wasn't great in the [texas] cold either with the reduced adhesion on those specific tires. does the same scenario play out here too?

All the extra creature comforts some people want are no matter for me. I'm not interested in nav, blue tooth, leather, seat heaters, etc. so that side of the argument is a moot point. Heck my current car doesn't even have rear defrost and I haven't turned on the radio since last year....

thanks,
Morgan

11SHELBYGT500

It doesn't have a lot of power and it has a low torque curve, so I think it would be a nice DD. It gets decent mpg too. The Recaro's seem to get mixed reactions to comfort and I don't think the suspension will be too harsh for daily driving.

BigR

You won't have any issues then as a daily driver, unless you hate stick everyday.

I have used my 5.0 in the rain with the performance tires, and it's perfectly fine.

Good luck ,and btw, that is the best color for a stang

cf6mech

Yes thats right the Boss is way down on power and has very little torque,.... .......To the poster,..... its a great daily driver,..... ride comfort is subjective though. The power curve is such that you can usually pull a gear higher or two for reduced shifting.....stop and go traffic though is a pain for any stick shift.

y5e06

thanks for the replys.
My current non-ford has a set of performance springs (not lame lowering springs), koni adjustable shocks, addco sway bars, poly bushings, T56, torsen, and a few other odds and ends with no electronic aids or add-ons. So, it is in the same vein as the boss, sorta. At least I'm not coming out of some powder puff import automatic, so I have some idea of what to expect but not certain. I just don't know how gnarly to expect the Boss to be, especially since I don't plan on having it as a garage queen. It is $45K, I'd be driving my moneys worth of miles out of it.
I do drive through some decent amount of traffic but I've been rowing a 6spd through it for years. I did sit in the Recarros and seemed quite comfortable enough for me and was pleased to discover that.

CaptDistraction

troll hard

11SHELBYGT500

Why are you guys upset? Did I say something wrong? It has very manageable power 360/370rwhp a comfortable 380 torque band peaked at what 4500 or so. I don't know what I said to set you guys off.

Flagstang

hes just mad because the gt500 area is boring.

Rather B.Blown

Joe: Master of the backhanded compliment.

RTD

I've had mine a little over 3 weeks (2012) and I drive it almost every day.

Don't drive it in snow/ice, if the temp is below 40 degrees (unless you get different tires), or in a really heavy downpour with a fair amount of standing water and wind. I've driven it in light to moderate rain with no problem at all, just be sure to leave traction control on.

fking1

My Boss is a year round driver in Michigan weather.
Last winter in my 12 Boss you must be careful with temps below freezing as the tires have little grip. Ford recommends not driving in temps below 40F. It wasn't too bad in snow, but again,you must be careful. Since I am retired if it snows and I don't have to go out, I don't.In warm weather states should be no issues with a Boss as DD.

dean_acheson

Mine is my DD, and it's great. Have had no issues, on the road it's really not very different than a GT. It has wonderful power all through the powerband.

Shelby's just a troll, don't mind him. He likes to come over here and say jackassy things and then pretend shocked when people disagree with him and then type about how sensative we are. I guess haters gonna hate.

One of the best things about the Boss purchase is the track attack program. Ford throws that in with your purchase and it's a helluva experience.

truegeek

Had mine since last Aug. 15000 miles, of course that means its a 12 and not a 13. As far as I can tell the ride will be the same unless they throw a different set of of tires on the 13's.

Mine is a DD, if I go, it goes. I live in Tn so we don't tend to have harsh winters and I don 't think I'd try if there were ANYTHING frozen on the ground. Other than that it's a blast. Anyone who complains about the ride has never ridden in one. The ride is just what you would want for this kind of car. Not in anyway harsh, great for long dives in and out of city traffic. I've never owned anything but a manual, so I can't relate to the people that wine about shifting gears. It's not an issue for me, the clutch is easy and smooth. The stick is short and precise.

The P-Zeros are way to noisy, will be glad when I wear them out.
Be prepared to spend more time in parking lots and gas stations. You will be asked a lot of questions by strangers that want to know about it.

Buy and Enjoy!

dean_acheson

Agree on the P-Zeros, they do seem loud. I just took the trip out the TA and had the shocks set at 5. Good ride.

Tony Alonso

It's still a street car, however, when I hear the words "daily driver" and think about the those tires, I also think "big maintenance expense". Fortunately, there are more options out there now as shown by a search on the Tire Rack website.

When the temperature dips below 40 degrees, that is where caution and slower driving would be the reco. Driving on a snow surface would be a no-no in my opinion.

The people who are into track driving can give you their wisdom for sure on the stock tire performance at the limit, but for daily driving, I'd suggest considering a separate set of wheels and tires for driving in wet conditions and to give you a higher mileage before replacing the tires.

Good luck!

PS - I don't own a Boss but am extrapolating my experience with daily driving on Mustangs with stock all-season tires vs. ones that have staggered size, ultra high performance summer ratings. And yes, I have driven the latter tires on snow, and it was an adventure when I got caught in a snow storm!

zwede

The Boss is my DD. With the shocks set on 1 it rides a bit better than the '05 BMW M3 it replaced. Haven't had any issues, works fine. I do find it annoying that the recaro seat backs can't be flipped forward and back without losing the adjustment, but that's a minor gripe.

redneb

I'd say you should get a set of all weather tires if you get cold temps in the 30s. Those summer compounds can be bad news in cold conditions. My 12 GT 6mt vert is my daily driver. Perf white. Love it.

DFV

I have had manual cars for all the years I have been driving. Every one of my DDs and automotive toys have a clutch, the one on the Boss 302 is very smooth and easy to modulate. Short of living in San Francisco or maybe Chicago at rush hour, the manual shift shouldn't be an issue on a DD for an enthusiast.

Where I live we do experience winter, so my Boss 302 has been more of an 8 month per year DD. It exceeds at being a pussycat when you want it to be and a tiger when needed. I've found the Boss to be capable in just about any DD situation, although when it rains really, really hard (say an inch an hour for three or four hours) and the streets flood, well that is one of the few times that I miss hot having an all-wheel-drive DD. That said, and realizing that you are in drought stricken Tejas, the Boss 302 should serve your needs for a DD with *****-to-the-walls power when you have to have it, but a nice street disposition when you don't. I also opted for the standard seats as my car will rarely be tracked, and I just found it more comfortable getting in and out of the non-Recaros.

Resolution78

i drive my 2012 as a DD, its the best car i have ever driven. comfort is awesome i have the recaros as well, the only time i dont like them is when i push it alittle to hard and need to pull over for a short NAP, i make road trips all the time 200-400 miles and as long as i had enough sleep and dont need a pit stop for personal drainage, i'd never need to get out of this car lol.

in the rain i have found it to be pretty awesome as well, in the winter it takes alittle longer for the tires to warm up, but i still manage to get them warm enough for some traction in CT when it was about 20 out side.

in the snow i'd say dont even think about it. buy a set of rims and tires for the winter with true SNOW tires, the make the world of a difference on a RR drive car, my dodge ram is 2 wheel drive and i dont bother putting wheight in the back of the truck at all i just need the snow tires, the all seasons couldn't cut it.

bob

Ha ha GT500 laughs at puny Boss pow... oh wait thats from another thread.

I suppose 11's comment is a relative one, occassionally I grab the parental units 07 GT and I realize just how spoiled I have become.

You can get by on summer tires in low temps provided you have a light touch on the throttle and dont plan on any heroic driving manuevers. I suppose we have slightly worse winters here in south east Virginia compared to Texas and I generally dont have problems even in what passes for snow here (admission; that would really be rain that stays liquid in sub-freezing temps but I digress). I find my biggest problem with summer tires and inclement weather is tread depth and the lack there of.

Anyways, my GT500 is pretty docile as a DD with my only complaint having been the stock clutch which according to the guy who installed my new one had gotten stellar life at around 18k or so (did start slipping at 16k IIRC), the McLeod RXT I have now is still going strong with 36k on the ODO - To bad you Boss guys missed out on that - the stock07-09 clutch was a great piece with the exception of living in day to day stop and go driving which played hell on it.