MCQUEEN FANS WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED
New Mustang costs a pretty penny, but it’s nicely equipped and also a ton of fun
Back in 1968, the movie Bullitt featured what would become one of the best-known car chases ever committed to film.
It was the picture’s saving grace: As a friend pointed out, without that scene, this otherwise unmemorable flick would only be dredged up today by a handful of obscure-movie fans.
Instead, Steve Mcqueen chasing a Dodge Charger through the streets of San Francisco turned out to be unforgettable, and since then, Ford has released three tribute versions of the Mustang. Following 2001 and 2008 editions, the most recent is the 2019 Bullitt. It made its auto show debut in January 2018, alongside the car used in the movie, marking the 50th anniversary of the film.
(An aside: Despite the cars racing past the same green Volkswagen Beetle four times, and the Charger losing more hubcaps than it had, Bullitt won an Oscar for best editing.)
Nostalgia seldom comes cheap, and remembering Mcqueen is no exception. It’s based on the Mustang GT Premium, which starts at $47,425, but in Bullitt trim it begins at $57,525. For that, you get a 5.0-litre V8 that’s used in the regular GT, but with a 20-horsepower bump up to 480 ponies. The price also adds such performance upgrades as Brembo front brakes, autoadjustable suspension, a limitedslip differential, active exhaust valves, and unique wheels with summer performance tires, plus a 12-inch customizable instrument cluster, premium audio, a navigation system and blindspot monitoring.
Mcqueen apparently wanted a bare-bones Mustang because he thought that was all his character could have afforded on a cop’s salary, but comfort is as important as performance these days.
Speaking of comfort, my tester was equipped with one of the Bullitt’s few options, an $1,800 set of Recaro seats, which you may want to try before you buy.
Mcqueen was skinny and I’m not, and they are a tight fit for those like me. And unlike the car’s stock leather-clad seats, they aren’t heated or poweradjustable. Like the movie car, this Bullitt carries no exterior badges, save for a fake rear fuel cap with the film’s logo on it.
Colour choices are black or a commemorative Dark Highland Green, and overall, its lack of flash means that you’ll mostly be noticed by those already “in the know” as to what you have.
And what you have is fun on the run. Those eight cylinders do a damn fine job of getting this car from stop to go fast, and with a magnificent rumble when you hit the switch to open up the exhaust valves. The sole transmission choice is a six-speed manual, with a cue ball for a shifter. It rev-matches on downshifts, roaring and popping out those twin pipes and shouting that there’s no replacement for displacement.
For all that, though, it prefers that you row that cue ball a little slower if you want a slick shift; if you bang it through the gears, it can be a bit frustrating to snick it smoothly into each slot. The tachometer circles around a readout of what gear you’re in. And if you’re good at heel-and-toe, you can turn off the electronic helper and rev-match on your own.
There are driving modes that take you through a variety of engine, steering and suspension calibration, from normal and comfort modes, to sport, and then to track driving and even a drag-strip setting, including launch control and a line-lock feature for lighting up the rear tires. A custom setting lets you mix-and-match many of them, such as combining sport steering and exhaust with a smootherriding suspension.
The standard Magneride dampers use magnetic coils to effectively change the viscosity of the metal-infused fluid inside, becoming firmer or softer in milliseconds. The Mustang has always been a bit of a twitchy car with a tendency for the back tires to hop a little if they hit a bump, but this suspension does a good job of screwing everything down and keeping it flat on the curves.
The Bullitt sports an interior that’s handsome but tight, and the rear seats are pretty much for show. It’s well finished and nicely equipped — as it should be for a Mustang that’s flitting close to $60,000. The switchgear feels solid, with buttons and toggles to handle the climate control, and big dials for the major stereo controls. The infotainment is Ford’s Sync 3 system, which has developed into one of the more intuitive and easy-to-use systems out there.
Ford calls the Bullitt a “limited-edition” model, and there’s a number plaque on the dash — but at the same time, the company won’t say just what the limit is on how many it’ll pop out. I’ve been playing with collector cars long enough to advise that you should buy a car like the 2019 Bullitt because you love it and you want one, not because you think you’ll send it across the Barrett-jackson auction stage in a few years and retire on the proceeds.
The Bullitt is a lot of money, but fans willing to spring for it won’t be disappointed because it’s also a lot of fun.