Specialty Ford models usually come out of the SVT camp. They are the Special Vehicle Team, after all. But one of the most beloved special Mustangs of the S197 era came from somewhere else entirely: the Boss 302. That Mustang with the special red key.
Except we already had a 2011 Mustang GT. Why would we need another Coyote?
Because Steve Turner said so.
Why a Boss When We Had a GT
Steve Turner, former editor of 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords and later editor at Racepages, is directly responsible for this car existing in our stable.
While chatting with Jared about the aforementioned cars, he asked what they should do next. Since we were in the midst of our expansive Boss coverage, I whimsically suggested that Lethal pick up a Boss and have a go at it. Steve Turner, 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords
He really twisted our arm.
It's all your fault, Steve! Seriously, when the Boss was first released, we never really paid too much attention to it. As time went on, it grew on us. The more and more we thought about it, the hype kept on growing. We finally said let's do it, and we went on our search. That poor thing had no idea what we had in store for it as I drove it off the lot. It was time again to completely beat the crap out of yet another new Mustang. Jared
Two things make this car unusual in our history. It is the only Lethal project car we did not get from Weikert Ford (sorry, Philip), and it is the only one never fitted with a Whipple supercharger. More on that second one shortly.
We found it at a dealership up north at the end of May 2011 and drove it home. Those few hundred miles were just about all the gentle treatment it ever got.
Breaking It In With Vaughn Gittin Jr.
Almost immediately we drove it over to Palm Beach International Raceway, which was hosting Formula Drift that weekend. One of the top drivers at that event happened to be Vaughn Gittin Jr.
So we handed him the keys to our brand new Boss 302 and let him take it out on the drift course.
Consider it thoroughly broken in.
Bolt-Ons: 381 to 411
Boost was always the plan, but first we wanted clean data on basic bolt-ons. On went our off-road H-pipe and a JLT Performance cold air intake, all tuned by Lund Racing.
Bone stock the car put down 381rwhp and 343rwtq. With the bolt-ons and tune it picked up 30rwhp and 18rwtq, for 411rwhp and 361rwtq.
The Sauce Bauce: 590rwhp on Spray
Next, the giggle gas. Also Steve Turner's fault. Someone really should do something about him.
The basics, such as an intake, tune, and exhaust, are the essentials for Mustang owners, so it's a great starting point. I didn't even think about the nitrous until this crazy editor from 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords magazine suggested it, but it turned out to be a great idea. Jared
So at Mr. Turner's insistence we installed a 175 shot from our friends at Zex and let it rip. On the spray the car made 590rwhp and 675rwtq, peak gains of 270rwhp and a genuinely silly amount of torque.
Bravo, Steve. Excellent idea.
At the time there was a YouTube channel called Epic Meal Time making genuinely unhinged food. One of the main guys went by the "Sauce Boss." So our Boss 302 became the 'Sauce Bauce', spelled deliberately strangely, because we did not want to infringe on any pesky copyrights.
First Boss 302 in the 10s
Dyno numbers are fine, but the track is where it counts. Jeremy Martorella took the Boss to a 10.64 at 124mph, shifting at 7,800rpm.
That made us the first Boss 302 to run 10s.
Vortech: 839rwhp
Now for boost. And here is why this is the only Lethal car without a Whipple.
One of the defining features of the Boss 302 is its intake manifold. It is the reason the car revs the way it does and a big part of what makes it a Boss rather than a GT. Throwing a positive displacement blower on top means throwing that manifold away, and we did not want to part with it.
So we went to Vortech instead. A centrifugal supercharger mounts up front and leaves the manifold where it is.
In went a JT-trim Vortech with a competition air inlet upgrade and one of their fuel pump boosters. We took the opportunity to fit a Driveshaft Shop one-piece driveshaft at the same time.
On the dyno the Vortech kit made 839rwhp and 631rwtq. An additional 429rwhp and 309rwtq over just the intake and H-pipe.
Then we took it to Mustang Week 2012 in Myrtle Beach. It was brutally hot and Jeremy still clicked off a new best of 10.31 at 132mph.
We sold it not long after to make room for our 2013 Shelby GT500. It is still one of our favourites.
Every Number
| Setup | Power | Torque | Best ET |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bone stock | 381rwhp | 343rwtq | n/a |
| Off-road H-pipe, JLT intake, Lund tune | 411rwhp | 361rwtq | n/a |
| Above plus a 175 shot of nitrous | 590rwhp | 675rwtq | 10.64 @ 124 |
| Vortech JT-trim supercharger | 839rwhp | 631rwtq | 10.31 @ 132 |
Build Your Own
Keeps the Boss intake manifold
Tuner kit and polished also available
Tune required
Part of our 30rwhp bolt-on gain
Catted and X-pipe versions available
Goes further than the H-pipe we ran
Bolt-ons through nitrous through boost
Confirm year fitment for your car
Shifting at 7,800rpm consistently is not a right foot skill
Frequently Asked Questions
Was this the first Boss 302 to run 10s?
Yes. Jeremy Martorella drove it to a 10.64 at 124mph on a 175 shot of nitrous, shifting at 7,800rpm.
Why a Vortech instead of a Whipple?
To keep the Boss 302 intake manifold. A positive displacement blower sits on top of the manifold and replaces it. A centrifugal supercharger mounts at the front of the engine and leaves it alone. On a Boss, that manifold is a big part of what makes the car what it is.
How much did the Vortech add?
839rwhp and 631rwtq, which was 429rwhp and 309rwtq more than the intake and H-pipe setup made.
What did basic bolt-ons make on a Boss 302?
30rwhp and 18rwtq. From 381rwhp and 343rwtq stock to 411rwhp and 361rwtq with an off-road H-pipe, a JLT cold air intake and a Lund Racing tune.
What did the nitrous make?
590rwhp and 675rwtq on a 175 shot, a peak gain of 270rwhp over the bolt-on setup.
Why is it called the Sauce Bauce?
After a character called the "Sauce Boss" from the YouTube channel Epic Meal Time. Spelled oddly on purpose, to avoid any pesky copyrights.
Vaughn Gittin Jr. really drifted it?
He did, on the drift course at Palm Beach International Raceway during a Formula Drift weekend, when the car was essentially brand new. Video is above.
What happened to the car?
We sold it to make room for our 2013 Shelby GT500. It remains one of our favourite project cars.
More From Our Builds
Want to build your own badass Boss 302? Call 877-2-LETHAL or email us.
Keep Reading
Boost It, Keep the Manifold
A centrifugal blower gets you to 839rwhp without throwing away what makes a Boss a Boss.
