Ford's TracKey transforms the Mustang Boss 302 into a serious race-capable pony car.
Looking for a little more excitement out of your new Ford Mustang Boss 302? It’s as simple as switching keys, the automaker has revealed.
Owners of the 440-horsepower pony car will get two sets of keys, it turns out, the second being a special TracKey that does a few things you normally wouldn’t expect – resetting about 200 different parameters by activating a second engine control module.
It’s a quick way to turn the Boss into a track-ready bruiser, says Jeff Seaman, Mustang’s powertrain engineer. “From an engine management standpoint, we’ve done just about everything possible to give TracKey users a full race car experience.”
That includes a launch control, similar to what you’ll find on some high-performance offerings from BMW and Porsche, which carefully controls launch torque to minimize wheel spin.
(For more on the 2012 Mustang Boss 302, Click Here.)
But don’t try it at home, Seaman warns, noting that the TracKey is really designed for Mustang Boss owners who have the opportunity to access a closed course, rather than those who want an extra leg up when the light turns green.
In fact, Ford says, it will toss in a day of track training at Miller Motorsports Park, in Tooele, Utah, courtesy of Team Mustang and Ford Racing. The track time is free but Boss buyers will have to make their own arrangements to get there.
Of course, buyers can always turn to the aftermarket for modified engine control chips, but Ford suggests that it has an advantage, engineers like Seaman intimately aware of the fundamentals of the 5.0-liter V8 powering the Mustang Boss 302.
Among other things, the TracKey adjusts variable cam timing, spark maps, engine braking and engine fuel control.
Ironically, the underlying technology of the programmable key was borrowed from Ford’s MyKey system. But that version was designed to let parents rein in their teenaged drivers by setting limits on how they drive – and even limiting the volume on the car radio.