ON THE TABLE
Monday, August 16, 2010 at 10:52AM August 18, 2010
Editor-in-Chief's Note: This week marks the annual celebration of the automobile like no other in the world. The Woodward Dream Cruise has grown into a cultural phenomenon that refuses to be battered by a dismal recession-depression that has crippled this state while remaining defiant in the face of the near total collapse of one of this country's showcase industries, or cowed by a bi-coastal movement that would sentence us to glorified clown cars guided by unseen forces with our "best interests" in mind. The fuel-injected dreams on display and the passion that exudes from the people driving or watching is a sight to behold, and frankly, after all of these years - and in spite of the looming Green stranglehold that is hell-bent on turning us into Rickshaw Nation - it never gets old. Raucous, delightfully unruly at times, gut-wrenchingly loud and wildly satisfying, the Woodward Dream Cruise remains - refreshingly so, I might add - unspoiled, unfettered and free. Free of the hand-wringing, free of the political posturing, and free of the tight-assed stuffiness that makes other so-called must see "celebrations" of the automobile so damn boring and predictable, the Woodward Dream Cruise is a grand celebration of creativity and enthusiasm for of one of our - as human beings - most basic, yet seductively passionate pursuits - the freedom of mobility. Long may it be vital, and fun. - PMD
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Memo to the swells in charge: Is it our imagination or did the 1933 Delage D8S Roadster that took home the top prize at the annual auto extravaganza look like a frickin' kit car? That's it? It just didn't seem all that special to us, certainly not worthy of the high-falutin' OMG "Best of Show" award. Oh the horror, the horror.
(Photos Courtesy of Ford)
Just when you think Ford has done everything they can possibly do to the Mustang, along comes something new and even more bad ass than before, in this case the limited production 2012 Boss 302 Mustang due next Spring, as Ford says: "the quickest, best-handling straight-production Mustang ever offered by Ford, based on the world-class foundation provided by the 2011 Mustang GT." “The team at Ford wanted to offer their fellow Mustang enthusiasts something really special – a beautifully balanced factory-built race car that they could drive on the street,” explains Dave Pericak, Mustang chief engineer. “The Boss 302 isn’t something a Mustang GT owner can buy all the parts for out of a catalog or that a tuner can get by adding a chip. This is a front-to-back re-engineered Mustang with every system designed to make a good driver great and a great driver even better.” (Editor-in-Chief's Note: We've included a lot of copy from Ford here, only because the myriad changes to make the new Boss 302 are extensive - and impressive. - PMD)
Led by Mike Harrison, the Ford V8 engine team tweaked the 412 horsepower, 5.0 liter, 2011 Mustang GT engine with a new runners-in-the-box plenum/velocity stack intake system. That's combined with revised camshafts using a more aggressive grind and the same twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) used on the Mustang GT. More aggressive control calibration yields 440 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft. of torque (actually 10 less than the current 5.0), while still offering a smooth idle and low-end torque for comfortable urban driving. The clutch has upgraded friction materials while a short-throw, close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox comes standard. A 3.73 ratio rear axle using carbon fiber plates in the limited-slip differential to improve torque handling and longevity is used. And a torque-sensing (Torsen) limited-slip differential is an available option (coupled with Recaro front seats).
The Trick Stuff: Every Boss features a unique quad exhaust system. Two outlets exit in the rear similar to a standard Mustang GT - but the other two outlets exit to either side of the exhaust crossover - sending exhaust through a set of metal discs that act as tuning elements before the pipes terminate just ahead of the rear wheel opening. Visually subtle, the side pipes flow very little exhaust but a lot of exhaust sound, providing a sonic experience unlike any other Mustang, and giving home tuners an additional avenue for modification. “We added the attenuation discs to meet legal regulations, but we knew buyers might operate these cars in situations where noise regulations weren’t an issue,” Shawn Carney, Mustang NVH engineer, said. “The disc is removable and includes a spacer plate sized to match aftermarket exhaust dump valves. If an owner wants to add a set of electric valves, they just undo two bolts on either side; the disc and spacer slide out and the valve will slide right in. And the side pipes are tuned so that drivers can run wide-open and the sound levels are comfortable – very aggressive but livable for an all-day track outing.” “We’re Ford engineers, but we’re also enthusiasts,” Carney added. “We understand owner mods are part of the Mustang experience, so we try to help where we can.” We say, oh hell yes!
Other Good Stuff: Higher-rate coil springs on all four corners, stiffer suspension bushings, a larger-diameter rear stabilizer bar, and lowered by 11 millimeters at the front and 1 millimeter at the rear versus the Mustang GT. And adjustable shocks and struts are standard on all Boss Mustang models. “We’ve given drivers five settings for their shocks,” says Brent Clark, supervisor of the Mustang vehicle dynamics team. “One is the softest, two is the factory setting and five is the firmest, and we’ve provided a wide range of adjustment. A customer can drive to the track on setting two, crank it up to five for improved response on the track, then dial down to one for a more relaxed ride home. What’s unique is that drivers will find – thanks to the way the suspension works as a complete system – the softest setting isn’t too loose and the firmest setting isn’t too controlled; each step just provides additional levels of control.” The Mustang team opted for traditional hands-on adjustability similar to the Gabriel shocks available on the original Boss 302. “The shock adjustment is right at the top of the shock tower, built into the rod and easily accessible from under the hood or inside the trunk,” says Clark. “You just take a small flat-head screwdriver, turn the adjustment screw between one and five, and head back out onto the track.” To complement the suspension, the speed-sensitive electronic steering system has been retuned to maximize feedback and road feel to the driver. The driver is also given the option of fine-tuning the steering feel to his liking by selecting one of three settings through the instrument cluster menu: Comfort, normal and sport modes help offer track-tuned steering when desired without sacrificing low-speed maneuverability in parking situations and everyday commuting. The Boss also gets unique traction control system (TCS) and electronic stability control (ESC) settings to help drivers achieve maximum performance whether on the street or at the track. Both systems can be completely disabled in controlled track situations where maximum driver skill is utilized, or fully engaged for maximum safety during normal driving or in less-than-ideal traction conditions. Intermediate sport mode allows drivers to push their cars hard at the track without completely disabling the safety systems, permitting more aggressive driving before the TCS and ESC systems intervene. The Boss 302 also gets unique, lightweight 19-inch black alloy racing wheels in staggered widths: 9 inches in front, 9.5 inches in the rear. The Pirelli PZero summer tires are sized specifically for each end of the vehicle, 255/40ZR-19 front, 285/35ZR-19 rear. The result? The Boss is the first non-SVT Mustang in history to achieve more than 1.0 g of lateral acceleration.
Chief designer Darrell Behmer refined the styling to evoke the 1969 Boss in a contemporary way. "We approached this as curators of a legend,” explains Behmer. “We’ve taken design cues from the ’69 Boss street car and the menacing '69 Bud Moore/Parnelli Jones race cars and carefully updated them to give the 2012 the proper bad-boy attitude that is unmistakably a Boss Mustang.” Each Boss Mustang will have either a black or white roof panel, coordinated to the color of the side C-stripe. Available exterior colors are Competition Orange, Performance White, Kona Blue Metallic, Yellow Blaze Tri-Coat Metallic and Race Red. A unique fascia and grille has blocked-off fog lamp openings and aggressive lower splitter, a version of the design used – and proven – on the Boss 302R race car. (The Boss 302 Laguna Seca package is shown above at left, more on that package below.)
"What we were after on Boss was reduced overall lift with improved balance,” says Pericak. “We needed to keep the car glued to the street or the track at high speeds without increasing drag or affecting top speed and fuel usage. The end result is an aero package that uses front, rear and underbody treatments not for show, but for effect – the balance and stability of this car all the way to its 155-mph top speed is just outstanding.” Inside, a unique Boss steering wheel covered completely in Alcantara suede complements the standard seats, which are trimmed in cloth with a suede-like center insert. Boss customers can select a package that includes Recaro buckets, designed by Ford SVT in cooperation with Recaro for high performance Mustang models, and shared between the Boss and GT500. A dark metallic instrument panel finish, gauge cluster and door panel trim also differentiate Boss from the standard Mustang, while a black "cue ball" shifter and “Powered by Ford” door sill plates complete the package. The Boss also loses eleven pounds of sound-deadening material to let occupants further enjoy the intake, engine and exhaust note.
“When we built the Boss, we had to step back and ask ourselves ‘How do we improve on this?’” said David Pericak, Ford Mustang chief engineer. “That car is so strong we realized the Laguna Seca package was going to have to be just a fraction of a step back from the Ford Racing 302R to top it. So we went back and threw daily-driver practicality out the window, cut some things we couldn’t cut on the volume model, like the back seat, and built it the way we would set up a production Boss for pure competition.” The Boss 302 with the Laguna Seca package deletes the rear seats, instead adding a cross-car X-brace that couples the structure between the rear wheels. The brace offers chassis stiffness improvements of as much as 10 percent and allows the suspension tuning – precisely calibrated by the Mustang team – to do a more focused job.
Standard Recaro front seats - which were designed by Ford SVT in cooperation with Recaro for high performance Mustang models - are shared between the Boss and GT500. An Alcantara-covered race steering wheel and gauge pack is also included on the Laguna Seca version. Note the black "cue ball" shifter. Cool.
The Laguna Seca package has higher spring rates and a larger rear stabilizer bar – all upgraded over Boss specifications – and drivers can dial in exactly the level of shock stiffness a particular track requires using the four standard, independently adjustable dampers with Laguna Seca-specific valving. Laguna Seca models use lightweight 19-inch alloy racing wheels in staggered widths: 9 inches in front, 10 inches in the rear. R-compound ultra-high-performance tires, 255/40ZR-19 in the front, 285/35ZR-19 in the rear. “The R-compound tires on the Laguna Seca are so sticky we had to really work on the rear suspension tuning to make sure drivers can get the most out of them,” explains Pericak. “The rear stabilizer bar is the largest we’ve ever installed on a production Mustang – including any SVT product. The rear spring rate was also maximized to work with the massive rear tires and balance the car for minimal lap times.” Standard Boss 302s already get vented brake dust shields to help cool the rotors, but Laguna Seca models receive Ford Racing front brake ducts that force outside air directly onto the 14-inch vented front rotors. The Boss Laguna Seca is the best-handling Mustang ever, with more than 1.03 g of lateral acceleration, stopping distances shortened by three feet from 60 mph over Boss, 0-60 acceleration improvements of one tenth of a second, and an overall expected lap time improvement of one to two seconds over the standard Boss on a typical road course.
The Boss Laguna Seca employs an aggressive front splitter for track use which adds downforce at the front of the car, while helping channel air under and around the car. At the same time, air impacting the front end is funneled into the radiator and brake ducts, supporting cooling even under grueling race conditions. "The Laguna Seca front splitter is really a Ford Racing piece we’ve lightly adapted for our purposes,” explains Pericak. “It’s been tested and refined for the last six months on the Boss 302R to perform exactly as required on the track; we just made a few changes so it could be adapted to the production Boss – though owners will still want to avoid speed bumps and parking blocks.” A large rear spoiler is sized to exactly complement the effect provided by the front splitter and underbody aero treatments, with the combination adding as much as 90 pounds of downforce at 140 mph. “Balance is the key on Boss, and even more so on Laguna Seca,” said Pericak. “A winning race car has to do everything well, and we’ve had the ability to test all the engineering that went into the Boss Laguna Seca on the Ford Racing 302R. It’s not for everyone: It’s stiffer, there’s no back seat, and the aero package is designed for downforce, not speed bumps in the mall parking lot. But for hard-core Mustang racers who want something they can occasionally drive on the street, to shows or whatever, Laguna Seca is the car they’ve been waiting for, and they’re not going to be disappointed.”
"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,” explains Pericak. “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, brother.
(Ford)
Mustang chief engineer Dave Pericak with the 2012 Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out the Porsche 918 Spyder as it visits U.S. soil for the first time here. - PMD
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AE Sweatshirt - Crewneck, sturdy 80/20 cotton/poly, in black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. Size XL only. 40 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.
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Publisher's Note: Check-out John McElroy's daily news show covering everything about the auto biz by clicking on the graphic below. Good stuff guaranteed. - PMD
See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" hosted by Autoline Detroit's John McElroy, with Peter De Lorenzo and friends this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv. By the way, if you'd like to subscribe to the Autoline After Hours podcasts, click on the following links: Subscribe via iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=311421319 http://www.autolinedetroit.tv/podcasts/feeds/afterhours-audio.xml
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