50-years on from the iconic film of the same name Ford are set to release the Mustang ‘Bullitt’. With a colour scheme echoing the 1968 classic, some seriously good stats, and an effortlessly cool appearance, it is a car the automakers are sure Steve McQueen would approve of.
At the recent North American International Auto Show it’s safe to say there was one star of the show and it came from great American carmaker Ford. The return of a special edition high performance Mustang Bullitt to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Steve McQueen movie of the same name.
Introduced by McQueen’s granddaughter Molly and accompanied by one of the two original Mustang’s used in the film the new version does echo back to the classic car starting with the obvious paint job - classic dark highland green (it will also be available in black). Other features that pay tribute to the car McQueen drove are subtle chrome accents around the grille and front windows, and classic torque thrust 19-inch aluminium wheels. inside and out, the vehicle uses minimal badging; only the circular faux fuel-filler cap ‘Bullitt’ logo on the rear center is visible on the exterior.
But whilst nostalgia is good Ford acknowledge this is 2018, and as such the Bullitt does boast a host of modern offerings. Firstly, it is powered by an upgraded 5.0-litre 8 engine that will deliver at least 481 hp and 569 Nm of torque, pushing the sports car to a top speed of 262 km/h (163 mph). It comes equipped with a manual transmission, and the gear shifter features a white cue ball gear knob as another nod to the original.
An active valve performance exhaust system is standard, and retuned to give the car a signature burble, and other refinements include a 12-inch digital LCD instrument cluster, with a unique Bullitt welcome screen that starts in green with an image of the car rather than the pony.
The car will be available to buy from the summer, but in a nice touch the first Mustang Bullitt that came off the production line went to auction last week, with it fetching $300,000, with the proceeds going to the Boys Republic; a school and treatment community for youths at risk – a school which Steve McQueen himself graduated from in 1946.
