Boss Mustang To Be Resurrected

Source: American Auto Press

Historic Name Could Be Faster Than Mustang GT, Cheaper Than Shelby

Ford has had some good luck as of late. Beginning with the rebirth of the Ford GT; the pace car for an entire company, and continuing with the 2005 Ford Mustang, the companys retro-themed performance models have regained the Blue Oval some of its former luster. Carrying on the blue-collar performance attitude that won Ford so many customers during the muscle and pony car wars of the late 60s, both the Mustang and the GT offer performance well above what their price tags would indicate, with the latter gaining renown for dethroning some supercar heavyweights for a fraction of the price.

And the latest creation to roll out of Dearborns gates; the Shelby GT500, continues that tradition. With starting prices that undercut even a base model Corvette, the Shelby capitalizes on one of the most storied pairings in motorsports history: Carroll Shelby and Ford. But as good as the Shelby is, theres another name lurking in the shadows of the Mustangs past that is just begging to be let out: Boss.

The creation of an ex-GM employee Larry Shinoda, Boss 302 and 429 models were specifically built to dominate road and drag racing, and while the Boss 429 has become a legend in its own right, the Boss 302 remains the real star. Developed to burnish the "Total Performance" moniker Ford had adopted at the time, the 302-powered Boss Mustang was uncompromising in its design, with every feature extant for one purpose: winning.

And now, it looks like Ford is going to do it again. With the impressive GT500 offering up a blindingly fast, yet still daily-driver-friendly version of the Mustang, Ford has left themselves plenty of room to produce a less friendly, more track-ready version of their immortal ponycar. Having reportedly commenced last year, the current Boss project is nearing completion and is rumored to be on schedule for an 07 launch. Based on the aforementioned Shelby, the Boss should inherit the GT500s almost flawless suspension setup, with the majority of the changes being to the powerplant and trim. The former could be either a naturally aspirated version of the GT500s 5.4L motor (itself lifted from the GT, which in turn borrowed it from the F-series pickup), or a currently unknown 5.0L, which would render a period-correct displacement of 302 cubic inches for this new Boss. Either way, Ford wont allow the Boss to impinge on the Shelbys 500 horsepower figure, therefore the Boss Mustangs power output is expected to be in the 390 horsepower range.

To make up for that shortcoming, the Boss interior would be stripped out, and any extraneous matter (ie: sound deadening) would be tossed. The end result could potentially be a car with the weight of a V6 Mustang, more power than a Mustang GT, and best of all, a lower price tag than the GT500.
he GT500s 5.4L motor (itself lifted from the GT, which in turn borrowed it from the F-series pickup), or a currently unknown 5.0L, which would render a period-correct displacement of 302 cubic inches for this new Boss. Either way, Ford wont allow the Boss to impinge on the Shelbys 500 horsepower figure, therefore the Boss Mustangs power output is expected to be in the 390 horsepower range.

To make up for that shortcoming, the Boss interior would be stripped out, and any extraneous matter (ie: sound deadening) would be tossed. The end result could potentially be a car with the weight of a V6 Mustang, more power than a Mustang GT, and best of all, a lower price tag than the GT500.