First Drive: The Ford Mustang Bullitt is more than just a film tribute

What is it?

Roll back the years to 1968 and the action-thriller film Bullitt, to when arguably the greatest chase scene in the whole of cinema was born as Steve McQueen, playing the role of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt, goes on the hunt for hitmen in a Dodge Charger.

Behind the wheel of his ‘Highland Green’ Ford Mustang GT, Bullitt (who completed the stunt scene himself) skillfully dispatches of the bad guys following a thrilling chase through the streets of San Francisco — and thus creating an icon of the silver screen.

The film is now celebrating its 50th anniversary and to commemorate the occasion, Ford has come up with this — the Mustang Bullitt.

What’s new?

Okay, so film tie-in cars often tend to be little more than some well-marketed stickering — but that’s far from the case here.

Sure, Ford has given the car some gimmicks — with ‘Bullitt’ badging on both the rear of the car and on the steering wheel, along with a little plaque on the dashboard with the moniker — but changes go deeper.

Power from the 5.0-litre has seen a little boost, just to give a little in reserve should a Dodge appear in your rear-view, while the car signals the debut of rev matching on the Mustang. Oh and of course, there’s the ‘Highland Green’ paint to match (‘Shadow Black’ is also available, but that’s not very true to the film car).

What’s under the bonnet?

Powering the Ford Mustang Bullitt is the 5.0-litre V8 brute that can be found the regular GT. However, it does get a little bit of a bump in power — now developing 454bhp, a 10bhp increase over the standard machine— although torque remains the same at 529nm.

That power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual — resulting in a 0-60mph time of 4.4 seconds, with a 163mph top speed possible. As for efficiency, Ford claims a combined MPG of 22.8 can be achieved while CO2 emissions come in at 277g/km.

The powerplant remains largely the same as before — feeling a little lazy in its power delivery, but also offering a wide powerband and ease of acceleration. To feel that extra power, it really has to be worked hard but the fruits of that labour are pretty juicy if done correctly.

What’s it like to drive?

Steve McQueen’s driving might have had you believe the Mustang is the most nimble machine around — but that’s not quite the case here. The Mustang Bullitt feels brutish, especially on narrow European roads, although it remains composed and manageable. Just don’t expect hot hatch-like precision.

What it lacks in back road finesse it more than makes up for on long stretches of motorway, though. Refinement is good, and that wide band of power makes high-gear overtaking a breeze — but be prepared to make plenty of fuel stops.

The (optional) addition of MagneRide dampers is one we’d recommend, as the system allows the ‘Stang to be both a comfortable long-distance machine and an even more composed beast when things do get twisty.

How does it look?

Okay, so while this may be more than just a regular film-related special edition, Ford has still done the usual thing of putting as many references into the design as possible — and quite effectively, too.

First up is that ‘Highland Green’ hue, which not only looks the part as a Bullitt tribute — but might just be the best shade in the Mustang range. There’s also the omission of the ‘Stang badge up front (which looks seriously cool) and the addition of a ‘Bullitt’ one at the rear (not quite so cool).

Black 19-inch alloy wheels house red Brembo brake calipers, adding aggression to an already mean look. We’re big fans of the overall design, although the tacky badging does detract slightly from the otherwise cool look.

What’s it like inside?

The tweaks to signal this as a special edition continue inside the car, with a white cue ball shifter providing a nod to the original car while a ‘Bullitt’ plaque can be found on the passenger’s side in place of the normal Mustang one.

Usual complaints about the muscle car apply here, with a rather cheap-feeling interior present — although the car’s price-to-performance ratio can let this be forgiven. The Mustang Bullitt also gets Recaro seats as standard with green contrast stitching which do offer good support, but create something of a cramped driving position — which is worth keeping in mind for those looking at a long-distance cruiser.

What’s the spec like?

Being a special edition, the Mustang Bullitt benefits from a generous helping of additional equipment. Headlining alongside all the Bullitt bits is the introduction of rev matching technology — which is set to be introduced across the rest of the Mustang range.

For no extra cost, safety tech includes lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and pre-collision warning, while luxury additions come in the form of Ford’s Sync3 system display on a 12-inch LCD screen, automatic LED headlights and an active exhaust system.

It does however, command a notable price over the regular Mustang GT — coming in at £47,545. With the base car available from £42,145, that’s a fair amount to pay for film-related additions and a small power increase.

Verdict

If you want to feel like Steve McQueen on a daily basis, then Ford’s latest Mustang Bullitt is the car for you.

This is more than just a Mustang with some tribute bits attached to it and offers a genuinely compelling choice for both fans of Bullitt and regular punters.

That said, if you’re happy to do without all of the film bits and minor power bump, then opting for the regular Mustang GT will offer a better value for money package. That said, you’d possibly be able to pull off a turtleneck with the Bullitt, which might just make the premium worth it alone…