The Ford Mustang Boss 302 made a triumphant comeback for the 2012 model year, including the track-ready Laguna Seca model named in honor of Parnelli Jones’ 1970 Trans-Am season-opening win at the famed track in a Boss 302. The limited-production 2012 Boss 302 Laguna Seca includes a few changes for improved performance with one such change being the removal of the rear seat, but soon after the car’s introduction, Mazda noticed that something else was missing from the car: the official name of the track. As the title sponsor of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Mazda sued Ford over the naming rights of the beefed-up Boss 302 model and a court recently favored with Mazda in the matter.
Mazda’s suit was not financial and requested only that Ford either remove the name or use the track’s full name, and instead of changing the car’s name (possibly to another racetrack in the U.S.), Ford has just rolled with the punches and altered the car’s name to match the track including the logo on the faux gas cap cover located on the decklid. The car’s official name will now be the Ford Mustang Boss 302 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Edition, and it will apply only to the 2013 and subsequent model years. In a light-hearted nod to this whole situation, this particular version of the Boss 302 will also be available in a new, exclusive color, Rotary Blue, which will be on display at the 2012 New York International Auto Show.
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