According to the company, it’s been more than 42 years since Ford management gave its engineers the green light to build a special car, and the resulting 1969 Mustang Boss 302 remains one of the world’s most sought-after examples of American performance.

At their Spring Challenge, members of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) met last weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway north of Fort Worth to evaluate invited vehicles on the Speedway’s road course. As a result of their evaluations this year, the Association has named the 2012 Mustang Boss 302 the High Performance Car of Texas.

“This recognition is a sign of the iconic status Mustang has achieved,” said Steve Ling, Ford Large and Performance Car Marketing manager. “It is successful and exciting new products like Mustang that continue to differentiate Ford as an automotive leader.”

The 2012 Mustang Boss 302 is a limited production, high performance edition of the Ford Mustang, developed with a particular emphasis on high performance, road course driving. Piloting the Boss 302 is visceral experience, filled with raw, unbridled performance. Acceleration, handling, braking and top speed are equally matched for perfect balance, while operating within the framework of legally defined safety, noise and emissions requirements.

An optional Laguna Seca edition is aimed at racers more interested in on-track performance than creature comforts. The Boss 302 Laguna Seca has increased body stiffness, a firmer chassis setup and an aerodynamics package carried over almost in its entirety from the Ford Racing Boss 302R.