A Vehicle Dedicated To Bullitt
It starts with a great sound of music: The Roaring of the V8 and the piping of the exhaust promise a great ride, American style.
This is the Bullitt, a Mustang bringing back the memories of Director Peter Yates’ film from 1968 with Steve McQueen shining like a star: “Bullitt”. The car-chasing scene in this movie on the streets of San Francisco is known as one of the best in the history of Hollywood. And without this scene, this movie would have vanished in our distant memories.
On its 50th anniversary, Ford brought back this legend on four wheels in dark green and with an “empty” front grill. The only badge is in the rear. It is a limited series production with a serial number on the dashboard. Our tester had the number K0667, even if Ford does not give any clue about the scale of production.
The Bullitt At A Glance
The Bullitt is based on Mustang GT Premium. Ford added another 20 horsepower to the original GT engine to reach 480 hp while delivering the same torque. As you would expect, this car comes only with a manual transmission.
The optional ( $ 1,800) Recaro sports seats provide very good lateral support, but only manually adjustable in six-ways and not heated. But, to me, these seats are a bit narrow and less comfortable. Having said that I am, as a “somewhat” overweight old guy, not a typical driver for this type of car and my comments may be judgemental and biassed.
These seats make much sense if you test the limits of the car on the track.
Driving Impressions
For two days, I drove the car on the highways around and in pothole-covered streets of Toronto. My final verdict is: Do not think that the Bullitt can be your only and everyday car. It is fun to drive after you painfully bow and find your position behind the steering wheel. The long doors, as they are in a sports coupe may be a barrier to tackle in tight parking spots. It may be torture to play with the shift sticks in the terrible Downtown Toronto traffic. And the potholes in hundreds of Toronto streets turn the experience very nasty.
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Manual, six-speed gearbox fits well to the character of this sports car. -
The Bullitt is a limited series production with serial number inside
Own it to take to the track or enjoy some twisty roads in the countryside for adventure at summer weekends.
Pricing
The Mustang GT Premium, which is the basis for the Bullitt, starts at $47,425, but in Bullitt trim the MSRP jumps to $57,525. For that, you get a 5.0-litre V8 that’s used in the regular GT, but with a twenty-horsepower bump up to 480 ponies. Other features expected to justify the price difference are; Brembo front brakes, auto-adjustable suspension, a limited-slip differential, active exhaust valves, and unique wheels with summer performance tires, plus a 12-inch customizable instrument cluster, premium audio, a navigation system, and blind-spot monitoring.
Conclusion
A perfect choice of sports car for baby boomers who can remember Steve McQueen’s era and witnessed the birth of Pony Car in the 1960s. Or you are a millennial going off the beaten path and discover the qualities of an American sports car instead of a higher image German or Japanese name.
Following our comprehensive test with the Mustang GT, as you can read in the link below:
https://www.autoandroad.com/2019/06/ford-mustang-gt-2/
Article and Pictures by Varol McKars
