Autoblog

Watch Chevy's Camaro 1LE lap VIR in 2:58:34

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Chevrolet

There are two draws in the pony-car competition bracket: brawn-über-alles pits the 580-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 against the 650-hp Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, while the track-day killers set the 426-hp Camaro 1LE against the 444-hp Mustang Boss 302. And all of them are eventually tested in anger at Virginia International Raceway, which could one day become our own Nürburgring based on the cars that have set times there.

Answering that challenge, the Camaro 1LE has just come from posting a 2:58.34 around VIR. According to the list at FastestLaps.com, that puts the Camaro 1LE exactly midway between the 2005 lap time of a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 at 2:58.20 and the 550-horsepower 2011 GT500 which did 2:58.48. For better comparison, the 1LE is 6.1 seconds behind the Camaro ZL1, 4.46 seconds ahead of the Boss 302 Laguna Seca, and within two seconds of serious handlers like the Porsche 911 Turbo S, Ariel Atom 3 and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, all run in the last two years (although we don't know who the Porsche and Mercedes drivers were). FastestLaps lists a time of 2:58.00 for a "659-hp" GT500, but the year tested is "0" and we aren't sure what the story is there.

Not a bad day's work for the $37,035 Camaro, which starts at a price nearly $13,000 less than the Boss 302 Laguna Seca. Don't take our word for it, check out the whole lap below.

Continue reading Watch Chevy's Camaro 1LE lap VIR in 2:58:34

Watch Chevy's Camaro 1LE lap VIR in 2:58:34 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

Chris Paukert — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Ford, New Car Reviews

The Pony Car's Best Ambassador

Despite extolling their many carnal virtues for years, we know that there's still a sizable group of enthusiasts who have never managed to wrap their heads around the idea of owning a pony car. We've heard all the excuses before, from complaints about refinement, Jurassic underpinnings and muscle-straining inputs to shopworn stereotypes about the people who drive them. Thing is, if we're being honest, many of these same notions have troubled us as well - even those of us who have triumphed over our prejudices and actually bought one of the things.

Well, boys and girls, Ford finally has a four-wheeled answer for the naysayers and skeptics: The Mustang Boss 302. Just as bacon is the gateway meat for wayward vegetarians, the orange crush seen here is the four-wheeled, applewood-smoked come-on for pony car doubters. Better still, unlike that tasty bit of swine dining, it's nearly guilt-free.

The 2012 Boss 302 may carry the namesake of Ford's legendary 1969 competition car, and it might work a treat on racetracks, but Ford has made sure it's an honest-to-Detroit everyday proposition, not just a weekend warrior for waxing overconfident BMW M and Mercedes-Benz AMG preeners.

Continue reading 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hennessey supercharges Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Ford

Having a drag strip behind your office would be both a wonderful play thing and an unyielding distraction. Hennessey Performance Design has such a delightful strip of attention-destroying asphalt at its disposal, and it uses this quarter-mile test track to examine the straight-line acceleration of its latest products. The most recent vehicle to run down this stretch is the Hennessey-tuned Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca.

According to Hennessey, the supercharged engine of this Boss 302 pumps out 650 horsepower. That's enough scoot to push the car from 0-60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds, and on down the strip in 11.9 seconds with a trap speed of 124 miles per hour.

It's fast, it's loud and it's captured on video. Click past the jump for the clip.

Continue reading Hennessey supercharges Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca

Hennessey supercharges Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barrett-Jackson 2011: Grab your wallet for a Grabber Blue Boss 302 *Update

Jeff Glucker — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 21:50:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Ford

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca in Grabber Blue - Click above for high-res image gallery

We eagerly await the day someone hands us the keys to a 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca. When that day arrives, we know the color of the will unfortunately not be Grabber Blue.

Regular production versions of the car will only be offered in either black or silver with red accents... and that's a darn shame - we can say with certainty that the Boss 302 here at Barrett-Jackson looks damn good in Grabber Blue. All proceeds of the sale above the car's MSRP will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to help find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

Click here to read everything you need to know about the Boss 302 Laguna Seca, then check out our high-res image gallery below.

If you're not playing Speed's Online Fantasy Bid Game, now would be a good time to start - this Mustang is the current vehicle online users are bidding on, and you could end up winning a prize, like an Apple iPad.

*Update: The winning bid was a staggering $450,000.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca at Barrett-Jackson 2011

Barrett-Jackson 2011: Grab your wallet for a Grabber Blue Boss 302 *Update originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Jan 2011 21:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Mustang Boss 302 is back for 2012! [w/video]

Drew Phillips — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Ford

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 - Click above for high-res image gallery

UPDATE: Check out the first live photos of the 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302.

The car that Mustang fans have been hoping Ford would build for a very, very long time is finally here: the 2012 Boss 302. Dave Pericak, the Mustang chief engineer says it all.

"Boss is a hallowed word around here, and we couldn't put that name on a new Mustang until we were sure everything was in place to make this car a worthy successor. We were either going to do it right or not do it at all - no one on the team was going to let Boss become a sticker and wheel package."

Amen, Dave. A true Boss 302 is raw, hardcore and race-inspired, and Ford delivered the goods. The latest special edition Mustang comes with plenty of items that will excite road racing fans - an upgraded clutch, short-throw shifter, adjustable suspension, improved brakes and a more potent version of the 5.0-liter V8 that produces 440 horsepower and 380 lb-ft torque thanks to a new intake and more aggressive camshafts. Ford claims the Boss 302 will be able to break 1.0g and lap a typical road course two seconds faster than the standard Mustang GT. Ford engineers even reportedly benchmarked the BMW M3 when developing the Boss 302, aiming to beat the famous Bavarian coupe around Laguna Seca, which they claim to have achieved.

The exterior is inspired by the original 1969 model with either a black or white roof panel, C-stripe, closed fog lamp openings and a more aggressive front splitter and rear spoiler. Available colors are more eye-catching than the standard choices and include Competition Orange, Performance White, Kona Blue Metallic, Yellow Blaze Tri-Coat Metallic and Race Red.

2010 Boss 302 owners will enjoy a more aural experience from the cockpit thanks to eleven pounds of sound-deadening material removed from the car. The interior also gets a dark metallic finish for the instrument panel, gauge cluster and door panel trim, Alcantara-covered steering wheel and an optional package with Recaro high performance seats.

Finally, Ford is also planning to release a limited number of Boss 302 Laguna Seca models (right) that offer more body stiffness, a stronger chassis and an aero package lifted straight from the Ford Racing Boss 302R.

We're attending the 2010 Boss 302's live unveiling at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and will have the first live pictures of the car straight from the famous corkscrew for you soon.

UPDATE: Three videos added after the jump.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

Gallery: 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca

Continue reading Ford Mustang Boss 302 is back for 2012! [w/video]

Ford Mustang Boss 302 is back for 2012! [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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