We talked last March about how the BOSS 302R race car engine made a strong case for a future production car when one of our readers snapped photos in the paddock. The production grade intake manifold, intake tubes, plumbing and other details were far more developed that what you would find in a handful of cars made up just for the race track.
Of couse our friends at Ford offered no comment to our questions back then. But it has been one of the worst best kept secrets that Ford would soon be offering a BOSS 302 Mustang based on the newly unveiled 2011 5.0 DOHC V8.
This last week Ford President of the Americas, Mark Fields let the cat out of the bag at an annual dealer presentation that they indeed planned to build the long anticipated BOSS 302. Well, sort of. He announced that they were ready to build another special edition Mustang but told the audience that he could not say what it was.
He then told the dealers that he could drop a hint. And then a 1970 BOSS 302 came rap-crackling across the stage behind him as he smiled ear to ear. “How is that for a hint?”, he asked as the room erupted in applause.
Well? Wouldn’t you applaud? The BOSS 302 is likely to be unveiled late this year. Whether it will be a 2011 model or a 2012 model is not yet known, but our bet is it will be a 2012 model which would put it on sale early next year. Horsepower is expected to get a bump by virtue of a special intake manifold and other modifications. Our friends in the GrandAm circles have told us the BOSS 302R engines are putting down 450hp on the track. When will it debut? It would seem that the SEMA show at Las Vegas in November would be a natural, but who knows.
One thing we will predict right here and now is that the BOSS 302 will be the most anticipated and fought over special edition Mustang since the 2007 Shelby GT-500. This means that dealers will be stacking on huge mark-ups and even auctioning them on Ebay to the highest bidder. Get ready. Expect it and don’t be blind sided. It’s going to happen. If you want one, get with your local dealership and start shovelling money at them to be first on the list.
