Ford Mustang Bullitt
A surprise reveal ahead of this year’s Detroit Motor Show, the new Bullitt is a special edition that marks 50 years since Steve McQueen fired up his gorgeous, Highland Green ‘Stang and decided to lay down one of the best movie chases the world has ever seen across San Francisco in 1968’s Bullitt.
“It’s my favourite Mustang,” explains the ‘Stang’s chief designer Darrell Behmer. “Devoid of stripes, spoilers and badges. It doesn’t need to scream about anything, it’s just cool.”
And that, it most certainly is. We start with the classic 1968 Bullitt Mustang’s exterior hue being deployed to excellent effect here – Dark Highland Green – but it’s also available in Shadow Black.
As Behmer notes, there are no spoilers or stripes, but there are 19in aluminium wheels, subtle chrome accents around the grille and front windows and red Brembo brakes. Inside, there’s much leather, a 12in digital LCD instrument cluster, and unique green accent stitching on the dash, door panels and centre console. And the seats.
Oh, and when you fire it up, the LCD screen gets a ‘Bullitt’ welcome screen.
There’s a 5.0-litre V8 here, producing “at least” 475bhp and 420lb ft of torque
Also when you fire it up, you’re onto a good ‘un. There’s a 5.0-litre V8 here, producing “at least” 475bhp and 420lb ft of torque, along with a top speed of 163mph – 8mph more than the ‘normal’ Mustang GT. Add to that an active exhaust (there are valves for noise), an ‘Open Air’ induction system and GT350 intake manifold with 87mm throttle bodies, coupled with a new powertrain control module calibration for “optimal performance”. Good.
Because it’s a special car for a special year, you get a special treat: there’s a manual gearbox on board, equipped with a white cue ball gear knob in a nod to the original. Plus, everything you get in the Mustang GT’s Premium and Performance pack is bundled into this 163mph lump of nostalgia.
Three options are available: an electronics pack including better audio, memory seats, nav, blind-spot info and so forth, the MagneRide semi-active suspension, and Recaro black leather seats.
“When making a Bullitt,” Mustang chief engineer Carl Widmann notes, “there are certain things is absolutely must have. It has to have the right attitude, it has to be unique in some way from a Mustang GT, and more than anything, it has to be bad ass.”
On the outside, only two colors – Dark Highland Green and Shadow Black – will be offered. There’s minimal chrome, and minimal badging too. Indeed, the only Bullitt reference is on a faux fuel filler cap. Special 19-inch wheels are added, plus some dark exhaust tips.
It’s the fiftieth anniversary of classic car movie Bullitt, and a perfect excuse for Ford to launch a new special edition. The 2019 Mustang Bullitt takes the Mustang GT and gives it a Steve McQueen makeover. Power is now “at least” 475 HP and torque 420 lb-ft, for a max speed of 163 mph.
The manual gear shift is topped by a classic white cue ball shift knob, just like in the movie.
Inside, there’s the 2019 Mustang’s digital instrumentation panel, with custom Bullitt graphics. The leather seats have green stitching, as does the dash, door panels, and other trim; MagneRide semi-active suspension is an option. Finally, the manual gear shift is topped by a classic white cue ball shift knob, just like in the movie.
