Shnack.com Mustang News

Jay Leno Takes a Tour of the 2012 Boss 302 Mustang

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:56:49 -0500

The Boss is back! Join Jay for an exclusive look at Mustang’s highest performing model yet, inspired by the car Larry Shinoda designed to beat Camaro in the 1969 Trans-Am series. Forty years in the making, this Laguna Seca edition may be street legal, it’s built for the track.

[Source: JayLenosGarage.com]

2011 Ford Mustang GT vs. 2011 BMW M3 Coupe

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:11:04 -0500

The folks over at Motor Trend have posted a comparison between the 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 and the 2011 BMW M Coupe. Both cars have aluminum block V8 engines - 414 horsepower for the M3 and 412 horsepower for the Mustang, so MotorTren thought it was a good idea to put the two head-to-head in a performance test. The Mustang performed quite well on the drag strip and held its own on the road course, putting up some impressive numbers.

Head over to Motor Trend to check out the rest of the Story.

Laguna Seca Package Takes 2012 Boss Mustang to Track-Ready Condition

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:42:22 -0500

How do you amp up a performance car package as complete as the new 2012 Mustang Boss 302 – already a street-legal race car in its own right? Pull out everything that doesn’t make it go faster and add in more of what does. The result is the limited-production Laguna Seca package – the ultimate 2012 Boss, named to commemorate the first-place Boss 302 finish at the 1970 Trans-Am series opener.

“The Laguna Seca package puts a race-ready version of the new Mustang Boss 302 directly into enthusiasts’ hands,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “Laguna Seca isn’t intended for Boss buyers who simply want an exhilarating daily driver. Think of it like a factory-built race car, which we hope avid racers and track-day fans are going to love.”

Boss Laguna Seca builds on the bumper-to-bumper improvements found on the standard Boss while further stiffening the chassis and installing an aerodynamics package carried over almost in its entirety from the Ford Racing Boss 302R.

“Drivers who know how to get the most from a tuned race car on a closed course are going to be amazed by what the Laguna Seca is capable of,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “The balance, agility and tuning of each vehicle system places the driver at the center of the machine, completely connected to everything the car is doing.”

The Boss is Back! Ford Officially Unveils 2012 Mustang Boss 302

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:23:16 -0500

Ford gave the green light only once before: In 1968, management approved a special Mustang – a car that sacrificed nothing in its quest to be the best all-around road-going performance machine ever created by Ford Motor Company. That car became the 1969 Mustang Boss 302, and it remains one of the world’s most sought-after examples of American performance.

Forty-two years later, Ford has given the green light again.

The team of Ford engineers, designers and stylists – all Mustang enthusiasts to the core – that created the groundbreaking 2011 Mustang GT has distilled a new model to its purest form, strengthening, lightening and refining each system to create a race car with a license plate. Its name: the 2012 Mustang Boss 302.

“The decision to build a modern Boss was not entered into lightly,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “The entire team at Ford felt the time was right and with the right ingredients, the world-class 2011 Mustang could support a successful, race-bred, worthy successor to the original Boss 302. For us that meant a production Mustang that could top one of the world’s best – the 2010 BMW M3 – in lap times at Laguna Seca. We met our expectations.”

To celebrate the racing heritage of the new Mustang Boss 302, Ford will also offer a limited number of Boss 302 Laguna Seca models, named for the track where Parnelli Jones won the 1970 Trans-Am season opener in a Boss 302. Aimed at racers more interested in on-track performance than creature comforts, the Boss 302 Laguna Seca has increased body stiffness, a firmer chassis set-up and an aerodynamics package carried over almost in its entirety from the Ford Racing Boss 302R.

Mustang GT-R Concept auctioned off for $100,000

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:08:33 -0500

The 2004 Ford Mustang GT-R Concept was sold to the highest bidder last night at the RM auction in Monterey, CA. The final selling price of $100,000 was well under the pre-auction estimates of $250,000 – $350,000.The car is in working order and features a 5.0-liter cammer V8 producing 440 horsepower, race-prepped chassis, Tremec T56 6-speed transmission, Brembo brakes, full roll cage, and Pirelli racing slicks. The GT-R Concept was just one of several prototypes sold by Ford at the auction, with all of the proceeds benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and The Children’s Center.

New Boss 302 Mustang to debut on August 13th?

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 12:42:07 -0500

[Source: MustangsDaily]

Rumors about a new Boss 302 Mustang have been swirling for the past few years, and it looks like the car will finally make its debut next week. The speculation about a new Boss Mustang was solidified when Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas, hinted at a new variant of the Mustang at the 2010 Ford dealer show. “We did the Bullitt, we did a Mach 1, we did the C/S. I can’t tell you what the next special edition Mustang will be, but I can give you a hint,” he told the crowd, at which point a 1970 Boss 302 Mustang drove across the stage.

In a recent broadcast of a Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, the SPEED announcers gave away more details about the upcoming Boss 302 Mustang. “These cars weren’t introduced earlier this season (referring to the Boss 302R race car), but they are not being launched to the public – the road going car – until a couple weeks into August.”

Mazda Raceway’s Laguna Seca further confirms the launch date on its schedule for the 2010 Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Their web site lists a “Ford world debut of an all-new performance car at the Ford exhibit” from 11:50 to 12:00. Expect plenty of photos and details when the car is officially unveiled next week.

SR-71 Mustang Sells for $375,000 at Auction

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:42:36 -0500

The SR-71 Mustang, the collaboration between automotive legends Jack Roush and Carroll Shelby, was auctioned off this evening during the AirVenture show in OshKosh, Wis. The gavel fell at $375,000 for this unique, one-of-a-kind Mustang that will surely increase in value. The auction was a benefit the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Young Eagles program. The Ford Motor Company has been a proud supporter of EAA and Young Eagles for the past 15 years by providing various vehicles and donations each year to be raffled and auctioned off.

The SR-71 Mustang (“S” for Shelby, “R” for Roush) was built at ROUSH® in Livonia, Mich. The Mustang is on display in the Ford tent through Sunday at the AirVenture show.

SR-71 Mustang Features:

All-new aluminum block 5.0-lite Ti-VCT V8 engine with a 2.3-liter Whipple Twin Screw Supercharger with Ford Racing calibration and Roush intake
Ford Racing Handling Pack
Ford Racing tuned exhaust and tips
SVT Track Pack wheels in custom paint (19-inch in front, 20-inch in rear)
Glass roof with unique graphic treatment
Unique non-production matte and silver exterior paint treatment with SR-71 cues
Custom Recaro race seats featuring embroidered signatures of Jack Roush and Carroll Shelby
Custom racing steering wheel
Rear seat removed to accentuate cockpit environment
Ford Racing performance gauge cluster
Modified navigation screen and instrument cluster
Roll cage
Custom IP badging, sill plates and floor mats

[Source: Roush]

2011 Shelby GT350 auction raises $200,000 for charity

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:20:56 -0500

A 2011 Shelby GT350 built by Shelby American fetched $200,000 at a live auction to benefit the Carroll Shelby Foundation and Garth Brooks’ Teammates For Kids Foundation at the Wynn Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Friday, July 16. Bill Austin, founder of the Starkey Hearing Foundation, won the bidding for the 45^th Anniversary Shelby GT350 Mustang prior to Brooks’ special musical performance put on for Foundation guests that evening.

Proceeds from the sale of the high profile muscle car benefitted deserving children through Brooks’ Teammates For Kids Foundation in association with The Carroll Shelby Foundation. Shelby and Brooks were on-hand to congratulate the fellow charity founder and award him with a new set of keys.

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase the new Shelby GT350 and we were able help a great organization like Teammates For Kids. It’s amazing to have two legends like Carroll Shelby and Garth Brooks teaming up and putting their heart-power into helping so many kids,” said Jenni Shreeves, executive director of The Carroll Shelby Foundation. “The funds we raised will be put to work helping our youth in the race for life.”

2011 Shelby GT500 in High Demand, Approaching Production Limit

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 13:11:43 -0500

Customer demand for Ford’s new 2011 Shelby GT500 is growing nearly as fast as the world’s fastest production pony car. More than 3,300 orders have been placed for the new Shelby GT500. To ensure exclusivity, U.S. sales of the 2011 Shelby GT500 will be limited to 5,500 units.

“We are pleased with the pace of retail orders for the 2011 Shelby GT500,” said Fritz Wilke, Mustang brand manager. “The car continues to be popular with sports car enthusiasts and collectors who are blown away by the increase in horsepower and performance. The limited production of the 2011 should make this year even more desirable.”

The 2011 Shelby GT500 is powered by a new aluminum-block 5.4-liter supercharged V8 engine, which produces 550 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque, a 10 horsepower increase over the 2010 model. The engine is 102 pounds lighter than its predecessor, delivering a better power-to-weight ratio, improved fuel economy, acceleration, handling and steering precision.

Mustang V6 Averages 48.5MPG, Runs 1457 Laps On A Single Tank of Gas

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:20:02 -0500

BRISTOL, Tenn., June 24, 2010 – The 2011 Ford Mustang, which made history when it became the first car ever to deliver more than 30 mpg and 305 horsepower, has set a new record by running 1,457 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway while averaging 48.5 mpg.

The Mustang 1,000 Lap Challenge was designed to demonstrate that a stock production Mustang V-6 could run 1,000 laps and 533 miles on a single of tank of fuel. With the aid of fuel efficient driving techniques by Ford engineers, the Mustang far surpassed its goal of 1,000 laps.

“To see a Mustang post average fuel economy of 48.5 mpg while running at Bristol is impressive,” said Dave Pericak, Mustang chief engineer. “The new V-6 engine along with the advanced six-speed transmission in the car is a key element in delivering both fuel economy and performance for Mustang.”