FORD MUSTANG
What the Boss 302 did for the Mustang GT is not too dissimilar from what
the Stradivari family did for the violin. The basic instrument (the
violin, the Mustang GT) was already pretty great. Near perfection. Then
someone (a Stradivari,
Ford Mustang engineers) managed to create a new
standard for all other luthiers and/or muscle-car makers. Which are kind
of the same people. Okay, they're not, but the point is that nothing
can touch the Boss at $41,105. With its screaming 7500-rpm, 444-hp,
5.0-liter V-8, it'll rip off 60 mph in four seconds flat, break the
quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds at 117 mph, stop from 70 in 155 feet, and
hold the road at 0.95 g.
If you are wondering, those numbers are on par
with the $20,970-pricier BMW M3 coupe. And don't forget the Boss 302
Laguna Seca edition, good for one second around its namesake track. Our
biggest complaints are that the steering wheel lacks a telescoping
feature and that steering feedback is, at best, vague. We got over it,
and so can you. Also, as one of us found out, your significant other may
have a problem riding around in a car that has "Boss" emblazoned on its
side. Then again, if 40 large is too rich, the Stang GT doesn't
disappoint. It's short 32 horses and lacks the track-ready suspension of
the Boss, but it's an astounding instrument in its own right.