Earlier this year, we told you Ford had plans about resurrecting the Boss 302 nameplate and release yet another fantastic Ford Mustang.  Well, Saleen has beat the makers to the punch with the astounding Mustang created by a joint venture between Saleen and Parnelli Jones.  This steed for speed can be purchased at any Saleen Ford dealer or the Saleen store in Irvine, California for a mere $61,565--autograph included.  Sounds good, right?  Well, if it sounds good enough, you'd better get a number now, as only 500 of these gems are going to be crafted for the public's consumption.  This new Boss 302 seeks to follow many trends from the past 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 and it's no wonder why.  Several nostalgic touches, consisting of the black side and hood stripes, a functional shaker hood, black decklid, rear spoiler, and louvered rear window cover, as well as 19-inch Minilite-inspired alloy wheels all make this Mustang of today resemble its ancestor.  Lest we forget the performance amongst appearance--this Boss means it on the road as well as the showroom.  More detail on this shining legend inside, along with a MotorTrend exclusive interview with Parnelli Jones himself.

Parnelli Jones Drives Them Both at the Streets of Willow

Motor Trend: I've heard that you went to Saleen with this idea when you were restoring a 1970 Boss. Can you tell us the full story?

Parnelli Jones: Yeah, because I won the Trans-Am championship for Ford in 1970. I've always had a great feeling for the Boss, so I always wanted to restore one. So I finally bought one, and I was driving it before I started restoring it. And you forget how antiquated things are in comparison to new cars. So I said this may not be that much fun to drive. I'm going to gather up a bunch of pictures and I'm going to take them down to Saleen, and just have him paint me a Saleen Mustang. So we got down there and then got to talking and one idea and then another idea come up and so on and so forth until finally we realized we could sell a few of these. So that's kind of how it all happened.

MT: What does it mean to you to have your name on a Saleen Mustang?

PJ: Well, I think it's great. I mean I've had my name on the tire you know in the past and never on a car. But this car is so fabulous. I'd done some work for Saleen before and I'd driven for him and I'd taken people for hot laps in their supercar [S7] and stuff like that. And I know how the quality work that they do and they've certainly done that with this car-and with all their cars. They're kind of like blueprinted cars. I mean there's nothing wrong with cars that come down the line but when you have somebody that's overlooking every piece and quality control they have is unbelievable.

PJ: Actually, I did. We talked up ideas and then you know I couple things they were going to do that I didn't like and vice versa, you know. But Steve calls it a Saleen Parnelli; I call it a Parnelli Saleen. [Laughing]

MT: You haven't been out at the Streets of Willow with either of these cars. Any predictions on which car will be quicker?

PJ: I don't know. It's going to be interesting. So we're going to find out. That's what we're here for.

MT: You've race everything from Indy cars to stock cars to Baja race trucks to Trans-Am. Where does the Boss 302 rank on your list?

MT: The Streets of Willow is a short, tight track. How did the old Boss feel out there?

PJ: Well, it felt short. [Laughing] It felt like the track was short. I was winding up the steering wheel a little bit more because the turns being so tight and everything. It's fun. I mean, the car fits there.

MT: What's it like to get back in this car?

PJ: Well, you know, to me it's like putting on a glove. I mean, I get back in there and I just, everything feels real comfortable for me. I've driven it a few times over the years. I just love getting back in and taking a ride in it.

MT: When you're out there, do you ever get flashes of Mark Donohue or Sam Posey coming by you?

PJ: No, I didn't think that. I usually tried to keep them behind me. [Laughing]

MT: You've driven the old Boss. How do you think the new one will do?

PJ: Well, it's going to interesting. I think it's going to be very interesting. I hate to say, I don't even know. To tell you the truth, I have no idea.

MT: I'll ask you after you drive the new one then ...

PJ: Yeah, I think that's the best way-that's why we're here.

MT: Now you've driven the old Boss and now the new Boss. What would you say are the biggest similarities?

PJ: Well, they're both Boss. [Laughing] Actually, the new car, you know, with power steering, power brakes, is probably a lot easier to drive. The other one, you know, has no power brakes, no power steering-it has good brakes, good steering, and everything-it's just that, I think you have to be much more physical. And especially on a tight course like this, where you don't have much, you know, to let it out, so to speak. The new car is probably a lot easier to drive than the old one.

MT: With superior weight to power-6.4 lb/hp versus 9.0-the 1970 Boss was still 0.44 second slower around the Streets of Willow. Below: Nearly every styling cue is carried over from the old Boss to the Saleen car-even "15" decals are available.MT: Did the new car feel quicker to you?

PJ: I think it was quick in the corners. I mean, I think there's spots that probably the other car might be a little better. In most cases, the new car is very impressive. I'll tell you, it's very, very impressive. It impresses me. So I guess that's what really counts.

MT: If you had to pick one car to take out on the track, which one would you choose?

PJ: To play with? Well, the other one is getting to my age. [Laughing] The newer one probably would be better; in fact, that's how I got into this whole program in the first place, because driving the '70 Boss Mustang I was restoring obviously was, you know, [I] realized how antiquated they are compared to the new cars.

MT: Do you think this new version could go racing?

PJ: Oh, I think it could do that. I think if you put an oil cooler on it and a roll cage in it, you'd just about be ready to go. And some tires-race tires.