AUTO RED BOOK REVIEW: 2012 FORD MUSTANG BOSS 302

On The Cover Review: 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302

Over the years, few cars have been treated to as many special editions as the Ford Mustang. Dozens of iterations from the Bullet edition to the California Special, the Hurst to the Dan Gurney edition, can make it hard to figure out what’s what. Some are just emblems and stickers. Some are truly performance upgrades. Thankfully, the 2012 Boss 302 is one of the latter (and a little of the former). Inspired by the Boss 302 Mustangs that raced in SCCA competition in 1969, the latest Boss is also designed to handle in the twisties, with stiffer springs and suspension bushings, fatter stabilizer bars, and adjustable shocks and struts. Under the hood, the standard Mustang GT 5.0-liter V8 is upgraded with a new intake and camshafts, boosting the numbers from 412-hp up to a healthy 440. And if you really want to go all out, you can order a Boss 302 Laguna Seca edition, which deletes the back seat and gives you a few more aerodynamic tweaks.