Boss Mustang

[Ron Earp]

Any of you fellows have a Boss Mustang? I'm interested in getting one for daily driving, AutoX, and an occasional track day. I know a guy locally who has one and loves it, but, I also know another fellow who has a Shelby and really enjoys his.

I'm a bit torn between the two. The weight between them isn't vastly different, 175 lbs or thereabouts depending on which rag you believe, and thus I just don't see the handling as being night and day different. However, the power output between the two cars is worlds apart when talking about area under the hp curve or peak power, either one.

Pricing is also vastly different. The Boss is around $43k new, the Shelby around $65k new (racer Ford dealer friend found both new, despite the Boss not being made since Jan 13). But you can't build the motor in the Shelby for that money, it's a hell of a piece of work.

Anyhow, interested in opinions from those that own one or the other, or both.

Ron

 

[Ron McCall]

Ron,
A guy that I know has both (Boss 302 and a 2013 GT500 Shelby) He told me that if he had it to do over again, he would buy two Boss 302s!

 

[Keith]

Sorry I don't own either Ron but Top Gear put a Shelby up against a Roush Mustang (with 50 less HP) and the Roush trounced the Shelby on the TG track. They were not too complimentary about the Shelby, calling it a "badge exercise".

Hope that helps..

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

Boss without a doubt! Better balance and less "gold chain bling" factor.

Plus the Boss is lower production qty. and will hold value better in long run.

 

[Ron Earp]

Good info to have.

I have never been a fan of Roush products, be it "cars", engines, parts, etc. In my opinion they tend to be overpriced for what they are, with better dollar/value ratios to be had elsewhere.

Be that as it may, the Roush Stage 3 Mustang that competes with the Boss and Shelby get good reviews. A bit too boy racer for me, but they must work well.

The Boss is quite a package, when compared to the Mustang GT. Specific differences between to two are:

Powertrain
Boss 302R Intake
Forged Pistons
Upgraded Con-Rods
Race-Spec Main and Rod Bearings
Larger Sodium Filled Exhaust Valves
Hi-Lift Exhaust Cams
7500 RPM Limit
CNC’d Heads
Oil Cooler
Larger Radiator
Revised Radiator Plumbing
Revised Oil Pan Baffling
Race Inspired Clutch
3.73 Axle Ratio
Finned Aluminum Diff Cover
Limited Slip Diff with carbon fiber plates (Torsen Limited Slip Available)
Quad Exhaust
Suspension
Higher Rate Springs (lowered 11MM front – 1MM rear)
Adjustable Struts/Shocks
25MM Rear Anti-roll bar (GT is 24MM)
Tuned Electronic Steering with 3 Settings
Unique traction control system settings
Unique electronic stability control settings
TracKey - Additional Key that enables the PCM setting of the 302R (dealer flash required)

Body
Black or White Roof Panel and Coordinated C-Stripe
Unique Front Facia with Blocked off Fog Lamps and Splitter
Small Rear Spoiler

Interior
Alcantara Steering Wheel
Unique Shift Knob
Unique Cloth Seats (Recaros available)
Cloth Door Panel Insert
Dark Metallic Instrument Panel Finish
Unique Guages
Unique Door Sill
11 Pounds of Sound Deadening Removed
Brakes, Wheels and Tires
Brembo 14 inch vented discs front
Boss specific rear compounds pads rear
Vented Brake Shields
Unique ABS tuning
Reinforced Brake Lines
Lightweight 19X9 and 19X9.5 Wheels
Pirelli P-Zero Tires 255/40/ZR19 Front 285/35/ZR19 Rear

Some of that stuff is fluff, but the power train and brake features are useful.

The Boss 302 was compared at VIR on the grand course with a bunch of other high performance cars. It performed pretty well, posted the fourth fastest time in the group with the Corvette ZR1, Nissan GTR, Porsche Panamera Turbo being ahead of it, with a bunch of decent cars behind it like the Lotus Evora, Poersche Caymen, M series, behind it.

Lightning Lap 2012 - - Car and Driver

Must be fairly decent at track work. They didn't include the Boss in the 13 comparison.

Lightning Lap 2013: Hot Cars, Hot Track, Hot Laps – Feature – Car and Driver

Different comparisons, but the car would do well in that competition as well.

Boos might be for me. Jeff Y enjoys his high winding V10 in the M6. I think I could get used to something similar in the Mustang.

Article on the Boss engine

http://www.mustang50magazine.com/techarticles/m5lp_1108_2011_ford_mustang_302/viewall.html

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

Ron,

The Boss is a rapier where the GT500 is a broadsword. It is the closest thing to a real race car Ford has ever sold to the great unwashed. If you can find one, buy it.

I would snap one up in an instant if I didn't have the bad habit of eating regular.

 

[Ron Earp]

I'm actively trying to purchase a NOS 2013 Boss with my Ford dealer. He found a red one up in NY but they won't trade it into his inventory as they are trying to get $5k above sticker for it.

He's found a School Bus Yellow one, my favorite, and we're awaiting to hear back on if it has the right options and if it can be traded down to NC.

And, he's found a Gotta Have it Green Boss, but I ain't gonna have that one so it's out.

My daughter prefers the green one though, so who knows, I could live with it.

Anyhow, new ones are about all gone so finding one at all is probably a long shot.

 

[Keith]

Those Korean cars are looking better & better these days..



PS I like the green too..almost Linden :laugh:

 

[Ron Earp]

Quiet there Colonel Grumpy, you guys don't even get Mustangs in England! Although I read that with the next generation, starting in 2015, you will have native versions of the Mustang with UK specific powertrains.

 

[Keith]

Oi! There are loads of Mustangs here mate, loads and loads and loads.

Mostly imports from US, "anglicized" this end.

Seriously.

Not many Camaros etc though...:thumbsup:

 

[Ron Earp]

Yes, I read that the import business to Europe for modern Muscle cars is fairly lucrative. Some get it wrong though, like the outfit that was importing F150 Lightnings into the UK and fitting them up for right hand drive using non-Ford replica parts, since Ford never made a right hand drive F150 Lightning. Fucked the truck all up.

 

[Keith]

How true that is! I had a Mustang II (I know, I know) and it was converted to RHD here by some strange mechanism which travelled across the car in the engine bay (may even have been a chain). If the passenger braced their feet against the firewall (you know, how they do when they're terrified and need to brake in sympathy), it would completely seize the steering.

Made for some brown trouser moments at roundabouts I can tell you.. especially at L'Arc de Triomphe...:stunned:

 

[Jeff Young]

I LIKE the yellow, although I like the wheels on the puke green one better.

Cool car. If you can swing it should be fun. We'll have to autox and track them and maybe do a week switcheroo with the M6.

7500 rpm with pushy rods (does it?) is pretty impressive. I thought the M6 was stratospheric for a 5.0 motor at 8250.

 

[Keith]

Issa Coyote. You wouldn't want to do a 'quick' valve job in this one....

 

[Ron Earp]

7500 rpm with pushy rods (does it?) is pretty impressive. I thought the M6 was stratospheric for a 5.0 motor at 8250.

No pushrods, DOHC 4V V8. Ford hasn't produced a pushrod V8 for passenger car use since 1995. Pretty interesting article on the engine development here. Technically Ford refers to the Boss variant as "RoadRunner".

2011 Ford Mustang 302 - Inside The Boss - 5.0 Mustang Magazine

Adam Christiansan is who did some of the intake/exhaust modeling for the head and is one of our own from the forum. He was posting information about his dissertation/project here back when he was in school, before he went to work for Uncle Ford.

 

[Steve]

Ron,

If you can find one, get the Laguna Seca edition. It comes standard with the torsen diff, slightly upgraded suspension. Rarer and likely a good investment. You give up the back seat to save weight and get a cross-member brace. I've seen some good deals on autotrader.

 

[Ron Earp]

No LS version for me. The Torsen is available with the Recaros on the Boss, but the kicker is I must have a back seat for carpool. I take three kids to school three times a week.

Specifically, I'm trying to get a new one via the help fo a friend of mine who is a Ford dealer. With his pricing a new one can beat even used prices out there in some cases. The trick is there are few used ones left with the Recaros and Torsen.

We struck out on the red one I was ready to pull the trigger on. Next up are the yellow and green ones, we're trying to find out today if those dealers will trade them out of inventory, and, if they have the right options.

Here are the 2013 Boss/LS production numbers.

The "rarest" car by volume is the grabber blue with no options, followed very closely by the green with no options. I'd prefer a yellow one with torsen, mats, and cover. I'd like to avoid a grabber blue as my Torino is that color.

 

[Keith]

What the heck do you want a Boss Mustang for Ron? You already HAVE a daily driver for the school run..

(Looks good by the way, last time I saw that was up on jack stands with Sidney working on it)

 

[Ron Earp]

Well, I started looking for these a bit late. Green really is about all there is left, new, unless you're willing to pay stupid money over list for one of these. And even then, it isn't guaranteed the dealer has what they claim. I've called more than a few who advertise a "2013 Boss" but when you get them on the phone "it just got sold, but we have these Mustang GTs".

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

Ron,

Tried to help and went to visit a friend who is a small, old tine Ford dealer. Last month he still had an orange B2 but it was sold a couple weeks ago while we were visiting Ferrariland.

Sorry.....tried but no go. I suggest if you do find something acceptable you don't hesitate.....they are going and there will be no more (until say 2016 or 17 according to scuttle with the "new" Mustang)