The All New Ford Mustang Bullitt

Ford Mustang Bullitt Sports Coupé

Movie buffs will likely argue until the end of time as to which film car chase was the most exciting, but most agree that the Mustang vs Charger pursuit in Bullitt is right up there with the best of them.

WORDS TONY WHITNEY - PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FORD

For those who don’t know the movie, the chase involves ‘Mr. Cool’ Steve McQueen as a detective, driving his 1968 Mustang in pursuit of two contract killers in a Dodge Charger through the streets of San Francisco. Ford has had a Bullitt model in its lineup on and off for some time now, but for the movie’s 50th anniversary, it was decided to come up with something special. The result is the 2020 Mustang Bullitt and it might just be the best muscle car ever developed.

The new car looks truly impressive and at first glance, it’s not easy to tell it’s a Mustang. All Mustangs look great nowadays, but this one stands out with something of a ‘stealth’ appearance about it. For starters, there are no Mustang badges anywhere, just a large Bullitt logo on the tail. You have to search to find Ford badges too so it looks quite exotic in the wonderful Dark Highland Green paint job our test car arrived in. The colour is close to that of the movie car and that’s the hue most buyers will likely choose. The only alternative is Shadow Black, which probably looks even more menacing.

The Bullitt, lavishly equipped even in basic form, is a serious performer thanks to an upgraded 5.0-litre V-8 that puts out around 460-horsepower and produces 420 lb-ft of torque. The only transmission you can get is a six-speed manual and it’s a good one offering slick, positive changes. The shift lever has a white cue ball knob just like the one in McQueen’s movie Mustang. Compared to Mustangs of years ago, the new ones really apply the power well with no loss of adhesion at the rear wheels during hard acceleration.

The engine has a wonderfully throaty roar under full throttle, a roar that will delight enthusiasts if not the neighbours. Actually, the car can be carefully driven to produce only a satisfying V-8 burble and doesn’t have to disturb anybody. Ford has done great work with the handling and the Bullitt feels very predictable and safe. Expectedly, this Mustang has an extensive suite of electronic safety and stability features so it’s as safe and secure as any family saloon. Enthusiasts will regard the big Brembo brakes as the best possible safety feature. The Italian company produces brakes for just about all the world’s major racing series, including Formula One.

Our test Bullitt came with the optional Recaro competition-style front seats and they’re hip huggers in the true tradition of serious racing seats. They’re a tad awkward to climb into but once behind the wheel, you wouldn’t have it any other way. German manufacturer Recaro is famous for its competition car seats and also produces seats for Lufthansa and other airlines.

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The Mustang Bullitt is a real thrill to drive, not that common nowadays, especially in this Mustang’s price bracket. Few sports coupés offer as much fun and performance for the money but the big bonus is driving a re-creation of one of the iconic movie cars of the 20th century. Detective Frank Bullitt would have loved this car.

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE: 5.0-litre V-8, 460-horsepower.

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual.

ACCELERATION: Zero to 100 km/h in 4-secs.

TOP SPEED: 260 km/h.

I LIKED: Raw power with noises to match take the driver back to the muscle car days of old. Handling far superior to that of Mustangs of the past. Excellent value for money.

I DIDN’T LIKE: Older folks might find climbing into the Recaro seats a bit of a chore, but it’s easier with the standard units.

MARKET ALTERNATIVES: BMW M4, Dodge Challenger Hellcat, Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette (not all available in Europe).

WHO DRIVES ONE? The enthusiast driver who needs a change from more sophisticated European sports models and would like to turn back the clock to the 1960s and the heyday of big V-8 powerplants.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY: Available now from €56.400.