MOVIE MILESTONE INSPIRES UPDATE

Better handling and a load of features, but is it as cool as the film version?

What would Steve drive?

Steve, of course, being the inimitable late actor, McQueen, and it’s a logical question. Not only was he the highest-paid actor for a spell in the 1970s, he was also an accomplished car and motorcycle racer, and collected many rare, high-performance cars. To top that all off, he’s also responsible for probably the most famous car chase of any movie ever: the scene from his 1968 cop drama, Bullitt, in which he did much of his own stunt driving on the streets of San Francisco in a 1968 Ford Mustang. So, I’d say he knew a bit about cars.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the film, so Ford decided to resurrect its Mustang Bullitt version for a third generation and bring it back to where its namesake began: San Francisco.

This special model is offered in a similar metallic Dark Highland Green to that of the original 1968 Mustang McQueen drove in the film. (There’s also a version available in black, which doesn’t seem to make sense; would you offer a Dukes of Hazzard-themed Dodge Charger in purple?) It’s more powerful, loaded with features and comes with its own unique look in a nod to the film.

McQueen did things his own way and for his own reasons; it’s why he’s considered “The King of Cool.” So the question is: Would Steve McQueen drive the 2019 Mustang Bullitt?

More horsepower is never bad. The Bullitt uses the same 5.0-litre V8 you’ll find under the hood of the Mustang GT, with the same 420 pound-feet of torque.

But Ford engineers squeezed out a 20-horsepower bump to 480 by using the same intake manifold borrowed from the monstrous Mustang Shelby GT 350 and a new open-air induction system. You can feel the added ponies strafing mountain roads at higher revs, and you especially sense the traction control kicking in with a bit of over-exuberance coming out of corners (that kills the screeching-tire movie shots, but luckily you can turn the electronic nannies off ).

Helping to exploit all that power is a new active-valve exhaust system. It may help a little with horsepower, but what it really does is add a satisfying, thundering V8 roar under revs and crackling pops on deceleration.

Better handling is also a good thing. The Mustang has come a long way since the solid rear axle days of Steve’s ’68, but it will still lose track of a Porsche on winding mountain roads like the ones on the outskirts of San Francisco. The Bullitt compensates with magnetorheological damping that was also borrowed from the Shelby’s parts bin. It keeps the coupe relatively flat and composed into the corners. It’s adjustable, of course, with different driving modes (Normal, Sport, Track, Drag).

Details make a difference. There are a host of small but very important details all around the car that make it just a little more unique, including green accent stitching in the interior, a production number on the dashboard and — possibly the most defining feature — the white cue ball shifter knob, an ode to the original car used in the film. (Bullitts only come with a six-speed manual with rev-matching capability).

It’s also about what’s not on the car: save for Mustang logos on the centre caps of the classic “torque thrust” wheels, there’s not a single Ford or Mustang badge anywhere, including the blacked-out grille. A Bullitt logo adorns the rear false fuel cap, along with one on the steering wheel, and that’s it. When you look at it, especially from the front, you know there’s something different about it, even if you aren’t a Mustang aficionado. This ain’t 1968, that’s for sure. There’s a scene in the film where McQueen parks his Mustang on a San Fran street, gets out, then bends over to lock the door with his key. Well, you won’t see that if they decide to remake the film today. The Bullitt has the most standard features of any Mustang, including a 12-inch digital instrument cluster that is customizable and changes depending on the mode you’ve chosen, heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel and crosstraffic alert, among many others.

Oh, and of course keyless entry and push-button start.

The smiles say it all. Considering the number of Mustang drivers pointing, smiling and giving thumbs up to us in San Francisco traffic, it’s safe to say the Bullitt will get a warm welcome from Mustang fans.

But would Steve drive the Bullitt? Considering McQueen reportedly picked the Ford Mustang for the film because he felt that’s what a cop could afford, I’m not sure the $57,000-plus Bullitt would fit his original criteria (that’s also around a $14,000 price jump from the Mustang GT Premium trim level). And if you’re contemplating such lofty prices, then the Shelby GT 350, which starts at about $62,000, would fit the racing McQueen more, with a 5.2-L, 526-hp, flatplane crankshaft V8 that raises the hairs on your arms when you hear it roar at full flog.

Only problem with that is that Ford isn’t offering the Shelby for 2019, so the Bullitt is your fullfat, high-performance Mustang — for now, at least. And I think, in that, Steve would approve.