6 Reasons You Need A Ford Mustang Bullitt
The best car chase scene ever to hit the silver screen was in Bullitt. In the flick, the acting legend Steve McQueen pilots an automotive legend, a Dark Highland Green 1968 Mustang Fastback, giving us ten delicious minutes of tire-squealing, high-revving action.
While that very steel steed was recently unearthed from hiding in a private collection for 4o years, Ford has been busy building an iteration you can daily: the 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt. We hit up the hilly streets of San Francisco and the surrounding countryside to romp on the Pony car in a manner befitting McQueen himself. Here are six reasons you’ll want one for yourself.
More Grunt Than A Mustang GT
Under the hood lurks the most potent Coyote powerplant to date, with 480 horses on tap and 420 lb-ft of yank. That’s 20 more ponies and 15 more lb-ft of torque than the 2019 Mustang GT’s 5.0-liter offers, and the power credit is due to an increased throttle body and a high-flow intake manifold.
It Comes Alive High In The Revs
Unless you’re seriously romping on it, the Bullitt’s 5.0-liter V-8 can seem sedate, especially below 4000 on the tach. It’s got a throaty rumble at that engine speed, but keep your foot buried and the Mustang starts to howl at 5000. Between 6000 and the 7500 redline, that Detroit 8 is positively shrieking its war song, and it’s so perfect you’ll want to repeat.
Hallelujah, It’s A Manual
The Bullitt is a proud member of the Save The Manuals club, as it is only offered with a six-speed stick. There’s active rev-match now, a first for Ford, that’ll replace your need to heel-toe, offering zippy and concise shifts. (Proper gearheads rejoice; you can easily turn the rev match off, too.) The gearing is tall, which meant we could complete a lengthy run through a twisty mountain road without ever leaving third.
It Handles Absurdly Nicely
It’s tidy and composed when you’re working it through a corner. Hammer in a little too fast, and you’ll find the tiniest of adjustments via the wheel or the brakes produce an immediate response that sets you on the right line in a hurry. It’ll carve around the tightest turns without much need to scrub speed. Should you get hauling too fast, the six-pot Brembos on the front happily chomp onto fat rotors to get you stopped in a hurry.
Running Shoes Come Standard
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber is de rigueur for the Bullitt, which provide plenty of bite for aggressive street driving. Flick the drive mode selector into Track mode and you’ll probably want stickier tires to accompany the stiffest setting afforded by the magnetorheological dampers. But running it all day in Sport gives you a rigid setup that dovetails nicely with the 4s shoes.
It Won’t Be Here Forever
Ford’s only doing a two-year run of the Bullitt, so prospective buyers better act quick lest they lose out. It’s only offered in black or green, but true McQueen fans know to opt for the latter. There’s a Bullitt logo on the back, but the mawing front fascia remains de-badged, as do the flanks. Subtle touches like that help give the Bullitt a little extra cachet.
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