Moments after throttling up Ford's newest Mustang Bullitt, two things happened: I started checking my rear-view mirror for a black Dodge Charger, and I felt the need to take this baby airborne. Heck, police inspector Frank Bullitt did it, flying down the staircase slopes of San Francisco -- and leaving our stomachs in our throats -- in what is still the most gripping car-chase in movie history.
Alas, try and find those kind of hills and dips in South Florida. And not one black Charger showed up all week -- the cowards!
Still, the look of Ford's newest Bullitt, its coloring, engine sound and performance add up to an even better Bullitt than the other version Ford produced from the previous Mustang design in 2001. Even Steve McQueen, who made the role and the car chase memorable, would have to concur.
This time around, the Bullitt takes a more subtle route. No floating pony in the grille (only horses you'll find are on the wheels). No spoilers or scoops that weren't on Bullitt's. There's a pair of stainless steel exhaust tips that probably weren't on the golden oldie. And a faux fuel filler in the middle of the decklid, embellished with a gunsight and the word Bullitt. I also found the Bullitt name also appears on door-sill plates and in the center of leather-wrapped steering wheel.
But, mostly, this is just a clean-line version of the '68 GT with the dark Highland Green paint from yesteryear (black is available in limited numbers but why would you?).
Engineers went to great lengths to reproduce the sound from the movie car, which may or may not have been the actual Stang's sound anyway. I can say there is at least a hint of that memorable rev in the '08, enough to elicit a grin when you step on it and turn down the Shaker audio system.
Forget McQueen's GT390. Power in the new guy comes from the same engine as in the GT, a 4.6-liter three-valve V-8. Ford did punch up the horses to 315, from 300, with 325 foot-pounds of torque at 4250 rpm, however. And the redline gets a 250-rpm increase.
Zero to 60 is rated at 5.2 seconds, nearly a second better than the GT. It's made possible by a five-speed tranny blessed with short gear ratios. It pops into gear with ease and the clutch is easy on the knee.
No automatic is available, by the way. If you're the McQueen type, Ford figures, you'll be needing to do the shifting in this rear-drive animal.
With the improvements, no one would complain if Ford injected more power into the Bullitt. I like the way it handles, though. It has more aggressive shocks and struts than the GT and corners cleanly.
EPA says to expect 15 mpg around town, 23 on the open road. Surely McQueen did no better.
Inside, retro rules with aluminum applique on the dash, and polished aluminum brake pedals and shift knob. Warning: The shift knob gets dangerously hot from the sun, I actually directed one of the AC vents down on it to make it touchable as soon as possible.
Speakers that jut out from the door can hamper the exit for six-foot-plus types. Banged my feet on them.
Only 7,700 Bullitts were to be built out of its Flat Rock, Mich. plant beginning in January. The 2001 models went fast, too.
This year happens to be, ironic or otherwise, the 40th anniversary of the Bullitt flick. If you haven't seen the movie, or it's been a long time, it's time for a Blockbuster night.
And if you're lucky enough to get behind the wheel of a Bullitt, try to ignore that black Charger in the rear-view.
Price: $31,315
