25 Greatest Mustangs: 2012 Boss 302
Ford brought back the Boss 302 with a wide range of performance goodies to make sure it lived up to its legendary name.
The 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 (which the development team nicknamed “Road Runner”) received CNC-ported alloy heads and more aggressive cams with variable timing. A short-runner intake enabled 7500 rpm while providing more torque at low revs. Horsepower increased from 412 to 444.
Higher-rate coil springs, stiffer bushings, a larger rear antiroll bar, adjustable shocks and struts, and bigger tires combined to make the Boss 302 the first non-SVT Mustang to achieve a top speed of 155 mph and more than 1.0 g of lateral acceleration.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared as part of the 25 Greatest Mustangs cover story in the July/August issue of Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. You can find the other entries here.]