The return of the Ford Boss 302
Both images are available in hi res, by clicking.
For the past few years, one engine has garnered more attention than any other: Chrysler's Hemi. Between garish badging and a sublimely ridiculous TV advertising campaign, 'Hemi' has become synonymous with large displacement, American power. Ford wants a piece of that branding action too and has re-introduced the Boss 302 V8.
Originally called the Hurricane, the newly developed V8 underwent a name change to distance itself from a certain disaster off the Gulf Coast. The project was originally shelved in 2005, but Mark Fields decided that the development costs were necessary to compete in a market rife with clever branding strategies.
The 5-liter V8 will make anywhere between 340 and 500 HP, with the base block costing about $1,800 and a fully built unit running between $5k and $10k.
Although the engine is only available in crate form now, the new Boss will find a home under the hood of the 2008 F150, the Shelby GT, a 40th anniversary version of the pony car in 2009, the Boss Mustang, due the same year, and a few other special edition vehicles over the next three years.
More information and live pics are on their way. As always, stay tuned.
[Source: Ford, BlueOvalNews and the Detroit News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jason 8:07AM (10/31/2006)
New 5 liter would be cool. Is is going to be OHC or pushrod? the return of a pushrod 5.0 to a mustang (if it was closer to 400hp than the 340 quoted) would be quite tempting. i really doubt the production cars would be anywhere near 500hp in an n/a 5liter
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porker 8:51AM (10/31/2006)
I agree with Jason. Ford needs this to compete with the upcoming Camaro's performance. If it is a pushrod V-8, that's a plus in this market. Ford also needs to remember to use good heads on this engine.
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Ed 8:52AM (10/31/2006)
The photo looks like the original pushrod smallblock, however that could just be a stock image. The minute dealers take a deposit on this, I will be there with cash in hand.
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lavardera 9:08AM (10/31/2006)
Is it just me or is Ford grasping at every iteration of the "performance" mustang that there ever was? It seems that in the past year they have attempted to revive every single special model there ever was. Does it make any sense to shoot your entire wad at once like this? Grasping at straws? Desperate? Lame?
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herbyccna 9:06AM (10/31/2006)
It's not pushrod. This is the 5.0 cammer engine that was showcased in a Mustang concept back when the S197 was coming out. The motor is also available in crate form through Ford Racing.
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Gooch 9:30AM (10/31/2006)
Yeah, next thing you know there will be a Mustang Boss Cobra II based on the bodywork of the Mustang II. It'll come with a 2.3 liter four and dual fire extinguishers flanking the Pinto-vintage gas tank.
Seriously, I like the Mustang and love the sound of the V8s, but dang, stop diluting the brand!
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Brian 10:22AM (10/31/2006)
I love that Ford and GM still sell crate engines.
The 500HP naturally aspirated model is obviously going to be a carbed motor tuned for a race car. At least at first. Perhaps Ford really built a fantastic engine!
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Richard Warren 10:31AM (10/31/2006)
Sweet!
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JB 10:28AM (10/31/2006)
Well, Ford is torn trying to keep the model fresh. If they do nothing, after a couple of years, sales will drop off - always happens with coupes after the inital buzz wears off.
Look at other coupes - Eclipse, Celica, Monte Carlo, Cutlass Supreme, Seville, Mark VIII, Cougar, T-Bird. Now, that is a wide variety of coupes, but the market for coupes is small - impactical cars where styling is a premium draw.
By offering new versions, Ford is trying to keep up the traffic and sell the cars at a premium or at least sticker price.
So offering 5000 Bullitt 'Stangs, or Mach I, or whatever, keeps the interest up, and allows for the sale of "accessory items", which is a multi-billion dollar business. If Ford can capture some of that $$$, it helps the bottom line.
These special editions will continue spaced out over the few years left before a refresh is due.
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JCWhitless 10:40AM (10/31/2006)
Wait, do I see carbs on that?
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herbyccna 10:49AM (10/31/2006)
"Yeah, next thing you know there will be a Mustang Boss Cobra II based on the bodywork of the Mustang II. It'll come with a 2.3 liter four and dual fire extinguishers flanking the Pinto-vintage gas tank."
You know, not to sound like a heratic, but shoving a 2.3 Mazda DISI massaged out to 300 hp into a base Mustang 5 spd would be one sweet ride. Not to mention the better weight balance and that awesome turbo sound. This would be a fitting tribute to the SVO fox stang. But thats just my opinion.
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Igor 10:55AM (10/31/2006)
For all posters:
please read the article CAREFULLY.
it talks about 2 DIFFERENT ENGINES - that are related in NOTHING (but name).
The CRATE BOSS engine - is an older engine design with new name - it is a cheaper version of the Cammer crate engine. it is a pushrod, and that is the engine that is quoted at 340hp - 500hp.
The PRODUCTION BOOS engine - has NOTHING in common with the crate engine. The production BOSS is a DOHC V8 loosely based on the current MOD/Triton engine - it will allow Ford to go to displacement at or north of 6.0l - and be more balanced in the ratio of bore and stroke - the MOD/Triton was too narrow - with small bore, and huge stroke, and maxed out at 5.4l. There have been no specs released of the production BOSS engine.
Finally - those that think that Camaro or Challenger will debut with 400hp standard engine - can dream on - it will not happen - bot of the cars will have SS/SRT versions that will go to high power well north of 400hp - but the regular V8 will be in the 350hp range.
Igor
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James 3:13PM (10/31/2006)
i thought the Hurricane was going to be a 6.2l version of the triton V8?
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Howard Kerr 12:17PM (10/31/2006)
I'm not the "motorhead" or "gearhead" that others posting here are, but I'm not too crazy to read that the reason this engine is back on the front burner, so to speak, is so it can be used as part of a bigger marketing tool...ala DC and it's HEMI. I may be wrong, but does any other manufacturer have a powerplant with a name? (Is there some "special" nickname for the Chevy small block V8 I haven't heard of?)
It's too bad that a company like Ford can't produce a product, for it's own sake. This is somewhat like Speilberg producing a fourth Indiana Jones movie...just because it can be tied into merchandising toys through McDonald's at a hefty profit for all involved.
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Igor 12:50PM (10/31/2006)
Howard Kerr
plenty of engines have names ..
Honda has the vTech engines.
Mitsubishi has the Mivec engines
Nissan is well known for the VQ V6 engines
GM has Ecotec 4 cylinder engines, HF V6 engines, their pushrod V8 engines are LS engines, and their DOHC V8 engines are NorthStar engines. Their Truck engines are Vortec, and Diesels are Duramax.
Ford has Duratec 4 and 6 cylinder engines, Triton V8 engines, and is developing this BOSS series of V8 engines. Their diesels are Powerstrokes.
So yes - engines names are common - and they DO help in marketing - Ford is actually quite late to the game with the V8 engines - the Triton name has ZERO ring to it. Northstar and LS and HEMI are MUCH better known and remembered engines, and the name recognition is one of the things that makes them desirable.
Igor
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Charlie 12:55PM (10/31/2006)
It mentions Special Edition vehicles at the end of the article...V8 Focus? V8 Fusion? I can dream can't I?
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Brian 1:04PM (10/31/2006)
#15 - Ford Racing sells a kit to turn a Focus into a V8, RWD machine. Or at least they used to.
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naggs 1:56PM (10/31/2006)
great news, gj ford
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lawl 2:10PM (10/31/2006)
302 (cubic inches) = 4.94889333 liters
fail.
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Ken 3:17PM (10/31/2006)
James, so did I!
I that the 6.2L was going to be in the '08 F-150?
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