On August 13, the Boss was out the bag when Ford announced the new Boss 302 Mustang for 2012.
With the introduction of the '11 Mustang GT and its new 412hp 5.0-liter engine-conveniently displacing Boss 302 cubic inches-the time was right to bring back the Boss.
"We weren't going to let Boss become a sticker and wheel package," said Mustang chief engineer Dave Pericak. Like the original '69-'70 Boss 302s, the new version has unique engine components, for both 440 hp and high-rpm durability, and a suspension that transforms the car into the "best handling Mustang ever," a description that Car & Driver gave the '69 Boss 302. The '12 Boss 302's front splitter and rear spoiler are decidedly modern.
Reportedly, the '12 Boss 302 will be available in early 2011.
Just as the '11 GT's new 5.0-liter provided the 302 cubic inches for bringing back the Boss name, the new four-valve engine also gave engine engineers a great 412hp platform to build on. Although realizing that supercharging would be the easiest way to add more power for a Boss model, the 5.0-liter engineers assigned to the Boss project decided early on to stay true to the original Boss 302 by sticking with a naturally-aspirated engine. They even enlisted help from two members of the '69 Boss 302 design team.
The original Boss 302 engine built its reputation on its ability to breathe via large-port, large-valve Cleveland cylinder heads. For the '12 Boss 302, engineers also looked to improve breathing, this time with a new intake manifold and aluminum heads with CNC-machined ports and chambers.
The second, red “TracKey” however, takes the Mustang and turns it into a fully fledged, competition-ready track car.
The TracKey system is a joint project between Ford Racing and Mustang engineers and according to the public relations people is the result of a good old-fashioned, all-night garage brainstorming session.
Mustang powertrain engineer, Jeff Seaman, said the team had done “just about everything possible” to give TracKey customers the full race car experience.
The TracKey-equipped 2012 Mustang Boss 302 will be available through Ford Racing dealers in the US, with official pricing and launch details to be announced at a later date.
Ford says the idea behind the TracKey, an ignition key that alters the engine management system in the 2012 Mustang Boss 302 to turn it into a street-illegal racecar, came during an all-night brainstorming session between Mustang team members. The TracKey, introduced this week, looks like a normal ignition key for the coming "Mustang Boss 302", except there’s a bit of red in the middle. The Mustang Boss 302 is already a beast of a car, with 444 horsepower. In TracKey mode, it becomes a track-ready racecar, with higher low-end torque and two-stage launch control.
Throttle limiting and torque management — any daily driveability enhancements are removed and replaced with a pure Ford Racing competition calibration.”
Ford did not reveal pricing on the TracKey.