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      08-15-2011, 03:19 PM   #1
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Boss 302

I figured since I bought a Boss 302 three weeks ago and used to own an E90 M3 DCT I would post up a small comparison. I had four other cars between the M3 and Boss so take what say with a grain of salt.

First, I'll address how I ended up buying a Boss 302. I had a 2012 Nissan GT-R for about two months that I decided to sell due to a slow down in my business. I had a hard time owning such an expensive toy while I was asking my employees to make concessions due to slow sales. I sold the Nissan with the plan to go without a weekend car until things turned around. After about two weeks I realized that I missed having a car more than I thought I would, so I liquidated some other toys I rarely used and started the search for something that was fun and relatively affordable. Since I don't like to buy used performance cars the Boss quickly shot to the top of my list. It took a little work, but i found one without any dealer markup and bought it exactly three weeks ago.

Lets first look at the M3 vs the Boss as a daily driver. In my opinion there is no comparison as the M3 is such a complete package compared to the Mustang. The back seats in the Boss are tight for everyone except small kids while the BMW will seat four adults pretty comfortably. Also, you can't get a lot of creature comforts in the Boss that are pretty common on most M3s like: auto climate control, nav, heated seats, push button start, power seats with memory, HIDs, leather, Bluetooth, sat radio, Ipod connectivity, Homelink or an automatic transmission. I realize that none of these things are necessary, but they sure do make a car easier to live with during your daily commute. The M3 also has better sound insulation which makes it a more relaxing place to spend time.

Next up is the performance. The test number show these cars to be very similar in terms of acceleration, but the low end torque of the Boss makes it feel faster. The Ford will leap off the line with very little revs and pull strong all the way up to the 7500 rpm red line. I remember my M3 feeling a bit pedestrian until the tach got north of 5k rpms. The Boss also has a better sound track when comparing stock exhausts, but I'm not sure it is better than my M3 was after I added the Eisemann sport exhaust. For the record, I removed the side exhaust disks in my Boss so it probably isn't fair to call the exhaust stock.

I'm not a track rat so I'm not the best person to discuss handling, but I will give my observations. Both cars ride very well with the suspension set to normal levels. They also both hold the road very well, but the Boss feels a little lighter and more immediate when you start working the wheel. The solid rear axle of the Ford will make itself known on rough roads, but overall the ride is very controlled. The M3 feels smaller and offers better visibility which makes it easier to place the car exactly where you want it. Both cars do an admirable job of going fast without a lot of fuss.

I really like my new Ford and it is a good car for what I wanted, a weekend toy that doesn't cost too much. With that said I really loved my M3 and would definitely own one over the Boss if cost wasn't a factor. If track days were a big part of my life then I might feel differently, but the M3 is just an amazing all around performance car.

Here are a few poor pics I snapped of the Boss last week.






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      08-15-2011, 03:23 PM   #2
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like the white on the boss some of the other colors dont look very good in comparison.
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      08-15-2011, 03:29 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chriszeh View Post
like the white on the boss some of the other colors dont look very good in comparison.
Thanks. White is my favorite as well because the black stripes/roof tie in better with the black wheels. I looked at a kona blue Boss before buying this one and just couldn't warm up to the white accents. The orange looks good as well, but I'm just not an orange car kind of guy.
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      08-15-2011, 03:30 PM   #4
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That's nice! I bet it's a lot of fun, enjoy. White does look great.
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      08-15-2011, 03:47 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cabinetman View Post
Thanks. White is my favorite as well because the black stripes/roof tie in better with the black wheels. I looked at a kona blue Boss before buying this one and just couldn't warm up to the white accents. The orange looks good as well, but I'm just not an orange car kind of guy.
The white would definitely be my choice as well. I was hoping the Kona Blue had the choice of black accents but unfortunately not.
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      08-15-2011, 03:53 PM   #6
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Good review that is unbiased.

Numbers wise the Boss is a better performer on pretty much all accounts however the two cars are extremely close performance wise. I like the fact that you pointed out that the M3 performs like it does while still retaining it's usability and creature comforts whereas the Boss is not as good as a DD yet definitely better as a track car.

I do like the boss and if I weren't in the process of looking for an E30 and E46 M3 I would definitely consider a boss for a toy car (my wife would love it if we had a Mustang since she loves them).

P.S.: I love the white...... looks great!!!
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      08-15-2011, 03:56 PM   #7
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Did you lose a lot on the GTR trade? As for the Boss, good looking car and could be a nice collectible in the future.
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      08-15-2011, 04:20 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuned1 View Post
Did you lose a lot on the GTR trade? As for the Boss, good looking car and could be a nice collectible in the future.
I did pretty good on the GT-R when I sold it. I had bought it from the same dealer I got my 2011 GT-R from so I got a good deal originally. It was a great car that I miss, but I'm having just as much fun in the Boss for half the price.
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      08-15-2011, 05:54 PM   #9
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Nice.... I was thinking about the GT500 before I got the M3, but for me, I really loved the M3....
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      08-15-2011, 06:24 PM   #10
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I see you got the Torsen/Recaro option, great. Good review...I really looked at the 2011 5.0L before buying the M3, your review of the Boss is right on. At least with the non Boss 5.0L you can get all the electronic goodies, however the car really needs a make over as far as the interior goes. At least upgrade the door panels.

I think a set of Forgestar wheels would be perfect for this car in 19x9 and 19X10 as the OEM Boss wheels are extremely heavy.

Have fun...

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      08-15-2011, 06:27 PM   #11
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Gotta respect the boss and Ford for making such a awesome car. Those recaros are awesome! take note note BMW. We want recaros as an option please!

And you can mod it as you please as it is a weekend car.

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      08-15-2011, 08:05 PM   #12
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What's your take going from rear wheel to awd, back to rear drive?
And from an NA motor to turbo, back to NA? And congrats- luckily you were able to keep an awesome weekend car.
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      08-15-2011, 08:23 PM   #13
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Did you sell off your GT-R because you couldn't afford it or because of its image to your employees?

If you liked the GT-R or preferred getting an M3, you should have stuck with one of them. A new Boss 302 with racing stripes and seats isn't exactly a statement of modesty.

I encourage you to just get what you want. Your employees don't really care what you drive.
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      08-15-2011, 09:09 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Halen View Post
What's your take going from rear wheel to awd, back to rear drive?
And from an NA motor to turbo, back to NA? And congrats- luckily you were able to keep an awesome weekend car.
I have pay more attention to throttle control again now that I'm back in a rear wheel drive car. In the GT-R I could be more abrupt in my driving style and get away with it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by James T. Kirk View Post
Did you sell off your GT-R because you couldn't afford it or because of its image to your employees?

If you liked the GT-R or preferred getting an M3, you should have stuck with one of them. A new Boss 302 with racing stripes and seats isn't exactly a statement of modesty.

I encourage you to just get what you want. Your employees don't really care what you drive.
My employees do not see my weekend toys normally. I sold the GT-R to save money because I took a pay cut before I started asking my employees to work less hours and give up some paid vacation time.

I completely agree that I should have stuck with the M3, but I got caught up in the chase for the perfect car. I'm not proud of that, but it happened. It cost me a lot of money that I would like to have back. The upside is I got to drive some pretty cool cars.
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      08-15-2011, 09:54 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cabinetman View Post
My employees do not see my weekend toys normally. I sold the GT-R to save money because I took a pay cut before I started asking my employees to work less hours and give up some paid vacation time.

I completely agree that I should have stuck with the M3, but I got caught up in the chase for the perfect car. I'm not proud of that, but it happened. It cost me a lot of money that I would like to have back. The upside is I got to drive some pretty cool cars.
You don't have to explain. Everyone whose a business owner understands. My employees only see my daily driver (GTI).
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      08-16-2011, 12:04 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by S.hasan546 View Post
You don't have to explain. Everyone whose a business owner understands. My employees only see my daily driver (GTI).
This.

Congrats on the new car Cabinetman....again...lol.

Hope things turn around shortly so you can get back into what you really want to drive.
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      08-16-2011, 12:11 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cabinetman View Post
I figured since I bought a Boss 302 three weeks ago and used to own an E90 M3 DCT I would post up a small comparison. I had four other cars between the M3 and Boss so take what say with a grain of salt.

First, I'll address how I ended up buying a Boss 302. I had a 2012 Nissan GT-R for about two months that I decided to sell due to a slow down in my business. I had a hard time owning such an expensive toy while I was asking my employees to make concessions due to slow sales. I sold the Nissan with the plan to go without a weekend car until things turned around. After about two weeks I realized that I missed having a car more than I thought I would, so I liquidated some other toys I rarely used and started the search for something that was fun and relatively affordable. Since I don't like to buy used performance cars the Boss quickly shot to the top of my list. It took a little work, but i found one without any dealer markup and bought it exactly three weeks ago.

Lets first look at the M3 vs the Boss as a daily driver. In my opinion there is no comparison as the M3 is such a complete package compared to the Mustang. The back seats in the Boss are tight for everyone except small kids while the BMW will seat four adults pretty comfortably. Also, you can't get a lot of creature comforts in the Boss that are pretty common on most M3s like: auto climate control, nav, heated seats, push button start, power seats with memory, HIDs, leather, Bluetooth, sat radio, Ipod connectivity, Homelink or an automatic transmission. I realize that none of these things are necessary, but they sure do make a car easier to live with during your daily commute. The M3 also has better sound insulation which makes it a more relaxing place to spend time.

Next up is the performance. The test number show these cars to be very similar in terms of acceleration, but the low end torque of the Boss makes it feel faster. The Ford will leap off the line with very little revs and pull strong all the way up to the 7500 rpm red line. I remember my M3 feeling a bit pedestrian until the tach got north of 5k rpms. The Boss also has a better sound track when comparing stock exhausts, but I'm not sure it is better than my M3 was after I added the Eisemann sport exhaust. For the record, I removed the side exhaust disks in my Boss so it probably isn't fair to call the exhaust stock.

I'm not a track rat so I'm not the best person to discuss handling, but I will give my observations. Both cars ride very well with the suspension set to normal levels. They also both hold the road very well, but the Boss feels a little lighter and more immediate when you start working the wheel. The solid rear axle of the Ford will make itself known on rough roads, but overall the ride is very controlled. The M3 feels smaller and offers better visibility which makes it easier to place the car exactly where you want it. Both cars do an admirable job of going fast without a lot of fuss.

I really like my new Ford and it is a good car for what I wanted, a weekend toy that doesn't cost too much. With that said I really loved my M3 and would definitely own one over the Boss if cost wasn't a factor. If track days were a big part of my life then I might feel differently, but the M3 is just an amazing all around performance car.

Here are a few poor pics I snapped of the Boss last week.






How hard was it to let the GT-R go???
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      08-16-2011, 12:23 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cabinetman View Post
I have pay more attention to throttle control again now that I'm back in a rear wheel drive car. In the GT-R I could be more abrupt in my driving style and get away with it.



My employees do not see my weekend toys normally. I sold the GT-R to save money because I took a pay cut before I started asking my employees to work less hours and give up some paid vacation time.

I completely agree that I should have stuck with the M3, but I got caught up in the chase for the perfect car. I'm not proud of that, but it happened. It cost me a lot of money that I would like to have back. The upside is I got to drive some pretty cool cars.
I've seen a few of your threads; I think I even had my M3 delivered around the same time as you. Can't believe how many cars you've been through, man! I feel I'm still learning new things about the M3 after close to 2 years.

Either way, thanks for the honest review. It must have been a tough decision, but sounds like you made the prudent (and more altruistic) choice. Cheers and enjoy the new ride
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      08-16-2011, 04:52 AM   #19
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Congrats! Enjoy in good health!
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      08-16-2011, 04:56 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by James T. Kirk View Post
Did you sell off your GT-R because you couldn't afford it or because of its image to your employees?

If you liked the GT-R or preferred getting an M3, you should have stuck with one of them. A new Boss 302 with racing stripes and seats isn't exactly a statement of modesty.

I encourage you to just get what you want. Your employees don't really care what you drive.
Not true. As someone who runs a family business, if you're laying off employees and roll up in an high end car, you can be sure that they'll be thinking things like "He fired so and so so he could afford that car. That's not right". "He's such a jack**s." That's why it's important you don't show your weekend toys to your employees.
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      08-16-2011, 07:10 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CCL16M3 View Post
How hard was it to let the GT-R go???
It wasn't that hard because I knew that is what needed to be done. Don't get me wrong, the Nissan is an amazing car and is the highest performing car I've ever owned. It would just have been hard to enjoy because of other things going on in my life.
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      08-16-2011, 07:57 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cabinetman View Post
My employees do not see my weekend toys normally. I sold the GT-R to save money because I took a pay cut before I started asking my employees to work less hours and give up some paid vacation time.

I completely agree that I should have stuck with the M3, but I got caught up in the chase for the perfect car. I'm not proud of that, but it happened. It cost me a lot of money that I would like to have back. The upside is I got to drive some pretty cool cars.

Wow. Thank you for such an honest answer. I totally respect your reasoning and in many ways I can identify with your dilemma.

Take solace in that there are few enthusiasts who have been able to avoid an upside down deal here and there. It's one of the distinctions between a car consumer and a car enthusiast. We have the desire and the luxury to follow our passions every now and then.
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