Don't shoot me....
05-13-2013, 01:10 AM
#4
Safety Car
They're capable machines for sure. Locally, there's one running with the C5Zs. C6Zs can walk them all day though. Again, this is a LOCAL observation, your results may vary.
05-13-2013, 06:46 AM
#5
Burning Brakes
I have a S197 chassised Mustang ('07 GT) that I have tracked quite a bit. Same basic car as the Boss minus the more potent engine and stiffer, adjustable suspension. They are a great car, its really hard for me to say anything bad about them. Even the panhard bar rear end that everyone loves to bash is IMO a non-issue on smooth racetracks. With 440 HP they are certainly capable of matching a C5 or non-Zed C6.
Having said that, there are some differences from a Vette which I don't care for in a track car - all are small but they add up:
- The sight lines out of the car are not as good - the car has a very high waistline and you sit low relative to the dash and hood. Big A pillars and fenders make placing it on track or in a parking lot a bit harder.
- I always feel that I sit 'in' the Vette but 'on top of' the Stang. Its a different seating position, a little higher up and IMO makes it a little harder to feel what the car is doing. Not a big deal and you certainly get use to it...just doesn't feel as much like a 'race car'.
- The Stang weighs a couple hundred pounds more - thats always a liability. When pushed it is very hard on brakes.
- Its front heavy and tends to work the front tires really hard.
The boss would be a good buy and a good track car but for me..I prefer the C5 on track.
Having said that, there are some differences from a Vette which I don't care for in a track car - all are small but they add up:
- The sight lines out of the car are not as good - the car has a very high waistline and you sit low relative to the dash and hood. Big A pillars and fenders make placing it on track or in a parking lot a bit harder.
- I always feel that I sit 'in' the Vette but 'on top of' the Stang. Its a different seating position, a little higher up and IMO makes it a little harder to feel what the car is doing. Not a big deal and you certainly get use to it...just doesn't feel as much like a 'race car'.
- The Stang weighs a couple hundred pounds more - thats always a liability. When pushed it is very hard on brakes.
- Its front heavy and tends to work the front tires really hard.
The boss would be a good buy and a good track car but for me..I prefer the C5 on track.
05-13-2013, 09:10 AM
#7
Race Director
Member Since: Oct 2000
Location: Deal's Gap 2004 NCM Motorsports track supporter
Posts: 13,912
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I have a S197 chassised Mustang ('07 GT) that I have tracked quite a bit. Same basic car as the Boss minus the more potent engine and stiffer, adjustable suspension. They are a great car, its really hard for me to say anything bad about them. Even the panhard bar rear end that everyone loves to bash is IMO a non-issue on smooth racetracks. With 440 HP they are certainly capable of matching a C5 or non-Zed C6.
Having said that, there are some differences from a Vette which I don't care for in a track car - all are small but they add up:
- The sight lines out of the car are not as good - the car has a very high waistline and you sit low relative to the dash and hood. Big A pillars and fenders make placing it on track or in a parking lot a bit harder.
- I always feel that I sit 'in' the Vette but 'on top of' the Stang. Its a different seating position, a little higher up and IMO makes it a little harder to feel what the car is doing. Not a big deal and you certainly get use to it...just doesn't feel as much like a 'race car'.
- The Stang weighs a couple hundred pounds more - thats always a liability. When pushed it is very hard on brakes.
- Its front heavy and tends to work the front tires really hard.
The boss would be a good buy and a good track car but for me..I prefer the C5 on track.
Having said that, there are some differences from a Vette which I don't care for in a track car - all are small but they add up:
- The sight lines out of the car are not as good - the car has a very high waistline and you sit low relative to the dash and hood. Big A pillars and fenders make placing it on track or in a parking lot a bit harder.
- I always feel that I sit 'in' the Vette but 'on top of' the Stang. Its a different seating position, a little higher up and IMO makes it a little harder to feel what the car is doing. Not a big deal and you certainly get use to it...just doesn't feel as much like a 'race car'.
- The Stang weighs a couple hundred pounds more - thats always a liability. When pushed it is very hard on brakes.
- Its front heavy and tends to work the front tires really hard.
The boss would be a good buy and a good track car but for me..I prefer the C5 on track.
And like the man said - HP is good on the straights but lighter weight is an advantage on every foot of the track.
05-13-2013, 03:15 PM
#8
Burning Brakes
I did a few autocross runs in one a while back and wasn't all that impressed. I went slower than I was in my stock engine, modified suspension 99GT. I was turning off the traction control and eventually spun it. It felt mushy and tail happy to me. This was a stock off the lot Boss 302 with autox alignment and 295 A6 Hoosiers. I only did 3 runs in it so I didn't really have tome to get used to it.
The first month they brought it out I beat them by 2 seconds. Last week they had changed springs and shocks and they beat me by 2 tenths of a second. They were running the A6 Hoosiers they bought new in January and I am running V710 Kumhos with 15 events on them.
The first month they brought it out I beat them by 2 seconds. Last week they had changed springs and shocks and they beat me by 2 tenths of a second. They were running the A6 Hoosiers they bought new in January and I am running V710 Kumhos with 15 events on them.
05-13-2013, 05:22 PM
#9
Race Director
my friend has had 2 bad engine harness now go bad in his car due to the tracking. he said that he talked to an engineer and it is a known problem and ford sends out some harness to aftermarket company to have the soldering beefed up for the race cars. this is just a regular boss but i am sure uses same engineharness
05-13-2013, 05:27 PM
#10
"AlohaC5" Senior Member
The Boss 302S makes a great road course car. Economical compared to the Corvette and lots of fun.
If you want to see several of them first hand later this month - go to VIR for the 2013 SVT Superfest.
You're looking at the right Mustang: 302S Boss vs. a GT500. Avoid the GT500 for the road course.
Here's a video of my '09 Mustang GT daily driver with the smaller 4.6L and some bolt-ons...lots of fun.
If you want to see several of them first hand later this month - go to VIR for the 2013 SVT Superfest.
You're looking at the right Mustang: 302S Boss vs. a GT500. Avoid the GT500 for the road course.
Here's a video of my '09 Mustang GT daily driver with the smaller 4.6L and some bolt-ons...lots of fun.
Last edited by Gray Ghost GS; 05-14-2013 at 08:01 AM.
05-13-2013, 09:40 PM
#11
Drifting
I have instructed and driven on track in a Boss 302. It is a very capable track car, a ton better than the GT500.
I also own both an '09 C6 Z06 and an '07 GT500, both of which are almost completely driven on track. Out of the box, there is no comparison, the Z06 is a track car that can be driven on the street, and the GT500 is a street car that can be driven on a track (preferably a drag strip).
The primary advantages of the Z06 is the weight, aero, suspension, and almost 50/50 weight distribution.
The GT500 is a nose heavy pig. I have spent almost three years (and a ton of money!) to try to get the GT500 to keep up with the Z06, including removing almost 400 lbs. of weight, a complete upgrade of the suspension (coilovers, etc.), and adding over 300 RWHP in performance mods, but the GT500 still can not keep up, not even close.
The GT500 is nowhere near the car that the Z06 is. The aluminum block, non-supercharged Boss 302, however, especially the Laguna Seca model, is a very capable and enjoyable car on the track.
I also own both an '09 C6 Z06 and an '07 GT500, both of which are almost completely driven on track. Out of the box, there is no comparison, the Z06 is a track car that can be driven on the street, and the GT500 is a street car that can be driven on a track (preferably a drag strip).
The primary advantages of the Z06 is the weight, aero, suspension, and almost 50/50 weight distribution.
The GT500 is a nose heavy pig. I have spent almost three years (and a ton of money!) to try to get the GT500 to keep up with the Z06, including removing almost 400 lbs. of weight, a complete upgrade of the suspension (coilovers, etc.), and adding over 300 RWHP in performance mods, but the GT500 still can not keep up, not even close.
The GT500 is nowhere near the car that the Z06 is. The aluminum block, non-supercharged Boss 302, however, especially the Laguna Seca model, is a very capable and enjoyable car on the track.
Last edited by NVR2L8; 05-14-2013 at 02:30 AM.
