RideLust

For those of you that have been waiting for a real track oriented review of the 2012 Ford Boss 302, well… here it is. This is Leo Parente of Fast Lane Daily, and he not only knows his way around an automobile, but can drive the wheels off them as well. Recently Leo and the rest of the FLD crew headed out to Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway in sunny California to sample what is perhaps the most track focused Ford Mustang ever built. While track side, Leo was also able to speak with Mike Harrison, the V8 engineering program manager for the Boss 302 and Dave Pericak, chief engineer of the Ford Mustang. It’s apparent from the review that this is without a doubt, the best Ford Mustang ever built. It’s fast, exhibits great track manners and was built by men and women who have dumped their hearts and souls into this project. The only downside… production will most likely cease after two years so make sure to get your orders in now.
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Image: Ford Motor Company

Ford has announced a temporary production halt at their Flint Rock production facility, beginning today and running for approximately one week. The suspension has nothing to do with a shortage of parts from Japan (although that is impacting other Ford plants, such as their Louisville, KY truck plant), but rather excess supply of Mustangs. The automaker currently has a 116 inventory of Mustangs, which is roughly double the inventory Ford considers to be ideal. Chances are good that Ford will take steps to promote Mustang sales, so I’d expect to see cash rebates and low interest financing on Mustang V6 and GT models in the very near future. Read More…

Image: Edmunds / Inside Line

When you’re part of the Edmunds automobile empire, getting access to all of Ford’s latest Mustangs and a racetrack is as simple as making a few phone calls. Mike and I tried the same thing and got different results (even when I threatened to shoot the dog), so we’re going to have to rely on Inside Line to test the Mustang V6, Mustang GT, Mustang Boss 302 and Mustang Shelby GT500 back to back. I’ve driven the Mustang GT and the Shelby GT500, and actually prefer the cheaper GT over the Shelby. Sure, it’s slower in a straight line and around a racetrack, but the GT feels just a bit better balanced. The Shelby doesn’t like finesse, and instead wants to be thrown down, kicked and beaten to produce the fastest lap times. If that’s your thing, and you’ve got the money, the Shelby is the car to buy. Don’t expect too many surprises in the video below, but if you like Mustangs and track days, I think you’ll enjoy it. Read More…

From 1974 to 1985 the muscle car scene in the United States was dismal at best. Cars where shadows of their former selves and manufacturers were more interested in marketing then performance. The dark ages of emissions control were still intact but thankfully the engineers and mad scientists behind the curtains were finally figuring out ways to bring back some old school muscle. By this point the Ford Mustang had been around for 20 years, but it wasn’t until the mid-1980′s that Ford released the car the would bring muscle back into the mainstream. The Fox body Mustang had an amazing 14 year run and while overlooked for quite some time, collectors are finally giving these cars a serious look. During the mid-1980′s Ford had finally gotten the Mustang sorted out. Carburetors were replaced with fuel injection with the Mustangs interior treated to a new dash, door panels and seat coverings. Oh… and let us not forget that nifty little 5.0 badge on the side.
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Aside from the fact that both of these cars are coupes, I’m a little puzzled at what else they have in common. Sure, both put out tire-shredding amounts of horsepower and both will run the quarter mile in respectable times, but that’s about where the similarity ends. The Challenger 392 is a “factory custom” version of the newly updated Challenger, and it celebrates the legendary 392 cubic inch displacement of past Chrysler Hemi engines. The Shelby GT350 is a tuner version of the Mustang, built in limited quantities at “if you have to ask you can’t afford it” pricing. One works well on a racetrack, while the other is a bit portly for track day fun. There’s a reason why sumo wrestlers generally don’t compete in 1,000 meter Olympic track and field events, after all. Read More…

The Shelby GT500 you can buy today.

File this one in the “rumor” category, but Car and Driver says the next Shelby GT500 Mustang could have up to 620 horsepower. It’s no secret that Ford has to up the ante on the Shelby, or risk seeing taillights from owners of Camaro ZL1s; in the pony car wars, second place is the first loser. Car and Driver’s “inside sources” say the big jump in power comes from a larger bore on the Shelby’s V8 (up to 5.8 liters from the current 5.4) and a more efficient Eaton TVS supercharger (used, ironically, on Chevy’s Camaro ZL1). Read More…

The Saleen S302. Image: Saleen Performance Vehicles

The days of the Saleen S302 Mustang are coming to an end. Sort of. The brand, which hasn’t been owned by Steve Saleen since 2009, is being shelved by parent company Revstone Industries. Revstone will still produce Saleen parts (and will still honor Saleen warranties), but the company wants to branch out beyond just Mustangs and can’t do that if their focus remains exclusively on Saleen. Revstone has plans to launch other brands (all aimed at the performance car market), but is keeping those plans under wraps for now. The plan is to continue taking orders for Saleen S302 Mustangs through May, with production of the final cars ending in the fall. Read More…

A few years ago SpeedTV used to air a show called Dream Car Garage. It was sponsored by Legendary Motorcars of Ontario, Canada and catered to everything from high end exotics, to big block muscle cars. One of the best segments they ever put together was a match up of the baddest muscle cars from the 1960′s and 1970′s. What you have to remember before you press play on these videos though, is that the American muscle car was and is, a mythical beast. Names like Cuda, Chevelle SS, The Judge and Boss made European sport sedans of that era quake in their boots. Not because of how fast, or how well they did (or did not) handle, but because of their in-your-face, take no prisoners, power house attitudes. I own two muscle cars and while I love them with all my heart and soul, I’m always amazed at how fast people think they are. Like I said, these old sleds are mythical beasts, and while other cars out there may out perform them, there will never, ever be anything as cool as an old school American Muscle Car. Click through for a whole bunch of awesome!
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Image: Motor Trend

Ford’s goal in developing the new Boss 302 Mustang was to create a car equally at home on the track or on the street. Based on the already stellar Mustang GT, the Boss 302 receives a few engine tweaks to bump it up from 412 horsepower to 430 horsepower, but the real work was done on the car’s suspension (especially on the Laguna Seca edition Boss 302 Mustangs). I could run down a list of components, but I’ll keep it simple: practically every suspension component on the Boss 302 is thicker, stiffer or lower than on the Mustang GT. That translates into some pretty spectacular lap times, and Motor Trend shows just how easy the car is to drive at speed. How fast is it around Laguna Seca? Would you believe over 4 seconds faster than a Shelby GT500, over 2.7 seconds faster than a BMW M3 and over half a second quicker than the Audi R8? Read More…

The 2011 Mustang GT. Image: Ford Motor Company

If you think of Ford as just an American automaker, think again. The switchgear inside the new Explorer, for example, was designed in Germany and heavily influenced by Audi. The new Ford Ranger, which we won’t get in the United States, was designed in Australia with input from Ford’s European design studio. Even the iconic Mustang, which is closing in on its 50th anniversary, isn’t immune to styling input from Ford design teams across the globe. Before you take up pitchforks and torches and march on Dearborn, consider a few things: Ford is well aware of the Mustang brand’s value, so they will review any proposed design changes very carefully before green-lighting them. Also, take a look at the Mustang’s interior materials and controls compared to the Explorer; personally, I’d welcome a European-influenced change or two inside the ‘Stang. Read More…