 |
by Greg Wilson
Thirty-three years ago, actor Steve McQueen drove a 1968 Mustang GT 390 through the streets of San Francisco in hot pursuit of the bad guys in a Dodge Charger in the movie “Bullitt”. Though the car chase was only 8 minutes long, it is remembered as one of the better car chases in movie history. McQueen, who was an amateur racing driver, did most of the driving, and car enthusiasts who saw the movie at the time remember the movie and the car well – a dark green Mustang GT 390 fastback with American Racing Classic Torque Thrust mags.
In an effort to recapture the magic of that car, Ford has introduced a mildly modified 2001 Mustang GT with some of its familiar styling features, such as the American Racing alloy wheels and a special Dark Island Green paint – the “Bullitt”.
Subtle styling differences between the Bullitt and the regular Mustang GT include a blacked-out grille, different rocker panels, smoother side scoops, a different ‘C’ pillar (like the ’68 Mustang), aluminum fuel filler door, aluminum exhaust tips, and a Bullitt badge. The Bullitt has a large, non-functional hood scoop, something the ’68 Mustang did not have.
 |
Inside the Bullitt is an aluminum shift knob, aluminum door sills and door locks. The speedometer and tachometer have graphics similar to the ’68 Mustang, which I have to admit, are hard to read. The front seats are styled like the ’68 seats, but have much better side bolstering and head restraints. The brake and accelerator pedals were moved closer together to facilitate heel-and-toe gear changing.
Under the hood is a 4.6 litre two-valve V8 with a racing intake manifold and dual throttle bodies. It develops 265 horsepower and 305 lb-ft of torque. A TR3650 5-speed manual transmission features shorter shifts than the standard Mustang GT, and the clutch features a revised eleven inch flywheel. In addition, Ford re-tuned the exhaust note to sound more like the original ’68 Mustang GT.
 |
The Bullitt’s suspension features higher spring rates, revised shocks, and stiffer stabilizer bars, and is lowered by 3/4 of an inch. Upgraded brakes are Brembo 330 mm vented front discs with red calipers, and rear 296 mm vented discs.
Each Bullitt has a special holographic identification plate under the hood which is individually numbered. Another identification plate is hidden somewhere on the vehicle just in case some unscrupulous Mustang GT owner tries to convert his ‘ordinary’ GT into a Bullitt to increase its value.
Only 500 Bullitts will be sold in Canada, and there are no plans to introduce this car in 2002, so there is a possibility it will become a unique, and maybe a collectible Mustang.
The optional Bullitt package can be had for an additional $5,695 over and above the standard Mustang GT Coupe which currently retails for $30,525.
Driving Impressions
 |
Ford laid out a route through the streets of San Francisco that duplicated the car chase route in the movie. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to get airborne – heavy car and pedestrian traffic and a few conspicuous San Francisco policemen thwarted that idea – but the heavily-travelled and sometimes broken concrete surfaces of these city streets offered a chance to test the suspension. Though fairly stiff, it is quite tight – possibly the tightest of all the Mustang models. Fortunately, the roads were dry, so there was none of that famous Mustang rear wheelspin – the Bullitt comes standard with traction control, a great idea for Canadian weather conditions.
The Bullitt is noisy. The tuned exhaust rumbles and roars whether you’re going fast of slow – it’s a sweet sound, yes – but I don’t know how I’d feel about it a year from now. The car vibrates and rumbles, threatening small dogs and old ladies. The manual shifter is a delight – it’s got a raunchy mechanical feel and makes gear noises when you shift. Unlike so many sound-deadened sporty cars these days, the Bullitt communicates its mechanical noises to the driver – a throwback to the car that you drove by sight, sound, touch, and smell – is that gear oil or engine oil I can smell?
Even with traction control on, you can spin the rear tires, but as you pick up speed the traction control cuts throttle input reducing wheelspin when accelerating out of fast corners. In the dry, I liked to leave the traction control off because wheelspin is controllable. But I’m guessing that I’d want it on in the snow.
 |
The rear-wheel-drive Bullitt is a well-balanced car on smooth roads and has high cornering limits. It oversteers at the limit, but it’s easily controllable. Like the Mustang GT, it’s a fairly heavy car, not as nimble as smaller front-wheel-drive sporty coupes like the Focus. With 265 horsepower, the Bullitt is not in the big horsepower leagues, but its 4.6 litre V8 makes up for it with plenty of torque for great throttle response when passing or lane-changing, and a lazy, relaxed engine speed when cruising on the freeway.
For $36,220, the Bullitt is well-priced in the marketplace. Even if you never saw the movie, the Mustang GT Bullitt looks sharp, and offers better performance than the standard Mustang GT. And with only 500 sold in Canada, it is certainly unique.
Retro-movie cars: the next big thing?
If Ford can market a car made famous in a movie, why not other manufacturers? When will we see the VW New Beetle “Love Bug” Edition, the Jaguar F-Type “Italian Job”, the Pontiac Firebird “Night Rider”, the Chevrolet Corvette “Route 66”, the Ford Model T “Flubber” Edition, and of course the all-new Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Stay tuned – or not.
