Ford’s famous muscle car a true performer
Revamped Mustang Bullitt unveiled at 2018 AutoShow, 50 years after onscreen role
Ford is making a cinematic entrance at the Canadian International AutoShow this year with a close-up on the Mustang Bullitt.
Celebrating 50 years since the Steve McQueen hit movie Bullitt made the dark green pony car famous, Ford is releasing a 2019 edition, complete with a period-correct cue ball shifter.
To help celebrate, Ford is letting auto show visitors take part in a short Bullitt remake of the iconic chase scene through the streets of San Francisco, Calif. Wannabe Steve McQueens get to race another car for the last parking spot in a garage in a virtual 2019 Mustang Bullitt. In the resulting videos, the Mustang always wins.
Ford says that’s because the 2019 Bullitt will have a 5.0-litre V8 engine that will deliver at least 475 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque, propelling it to a top speed of 262 kilometres/hour — an almost 13 km/h increase over the latest Mustang GT. It’s a thoroughly modern Mustang that’s been tuned to create the distinctive growl and given the Shelby GT350 intake manifold for higher performance.
The anniversary edition, coming this summer, will be available in only two paint colours, the “Dark Highland Green” of the movie car, or black. Other than the colour, there are only two options for Canadian buyers: an electronics package, which includes memory seats, navigation and safety features, and Recaro seats. All Canadian cars will be equipped with a semi-active suspension system.
Another notable launch for Ford at this show is the new Ranger mid-size pickup. After an eight-year hiatus, the company is reintroducing the formerly popular truck in North America for 2019, taking advantage of the resurgence of this mediumsize truck segment. Production is to start late this year in Michigan.
The new Ranger will be built on a high-strength steel frame and employ a Ford 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine and 10-speed automatic transmission. “Ranger’s proven 2.3-litre EcoBoost provides a torque target on par with competing V6 engines, but with the efficiency of a four-cylinder,” says Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s executive vice-president of product development and purchasing.
The truck will be available in three trim levels with an optional off-road package. Called FX4, it includes offroad-tuned shocks, all-terrain tires, a frame-mounted steel front bash plate, frame-mounted skid plates and special badging. Ford also equipped this edition with the same terrain management system found on the F-150, as well as its new Trail Control technology that creeps the vehicle at a steady pace over rough terrain. No show offering is complete without an SUV, and Ford is stepping up with the 2019 Edge ST. This is the first Ford SUV to be tuned by the Ford Performance division. It’s being built at the Oakville, Ont., plant and will be on the market by summer.
They have equipped it with a specially tuned 2.7-litre twin-turbocharged EcoBoost engine that produces 335 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft. of torque. To earn the ST badge, the Edge has also been outfitted with a quick-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive with selectable traction control, tuned sport suspension and available performance brakes.
With performance comes a host of safety features, which Ford says make the 2019 Edge the smartest Ford SUV ever, as well as offering the most standard driver assist technology of any vehicle in the mid-size SUV segment.
“Ford is already the top seller of SUVs, and this year the new, Canadian-built Ford Edge will also be offered as the Edge ST — a performance SUV with a track mentality,” said Mark Buzzell, president and CEO of Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd.
“And, we’re bringing the Ford Ranger back to the Canadian market in early 2019, giving truck fans an affordable, rugged and manoeu- vrable mid-size pickup.”
Over at the stand for Ford’s luxury brand, Lincoln, the company will be showing the 2019 Lincoln Nautilus in its Canadian debut. The mid-size SUV is the successor to the MKX. New for this model, the SUV will be arriving with an all-turbocharged engine lineup and advanced driverassist features.
Joining the Nautilus is the 2019 Lincoln MKC, the small SUV entry in Lincoln’s lineup. It’s been redesigned and now offers more driver-assist technology and connectivity options.
Finally, visitors will see the 2018 Lincoln Navigator, which has just been named the North American Truck of the Year. The full-size SUV was completely redesigned and launched in April 2017.