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ROAD TEST: '08 Mustang Bullitt: McQueen-cool power and speed

Tom Incantalupo | ROAD TEST

May 16, 2008

Four decades after hitting the big screen and redefining the on-screen car chase, the Ford Mustang Bullitt returns to the streets in 2008, blending the best Mustang ever with the latest Ford Racing technology.

The newest "Bullitt" version of the Ford Mustang is testament, in highland green clearcoat, to what a good job Ford has done over the years in maintaining the goodwill of its pony car.

Contrast that with how General Motors allowed its Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird, which also have loyal followings, to die of neglect.

The Bullitt Mustang evokes the 1968 film of the same name co-starring Steve McQueen and a green '68 Mustang with the sweetest exhaust tone this side of heaven - which no stock Mustang ever had. McQueen and his co-star chase a couple of bad guys in a Dodge Charger all over San Francisco in a tire-squealing, hill-jumping, nine-minute duel that ends with the Charger and its occupants oven-toasted in a fiery wreck.

The green Mustang nearly upstages the human at the wheel, and for 2008 Ford is mining that goodwill with a second specially equipped version of the Mustang GT, priced at $31,075. The first Bullitt, an '01 model, was based on the previous-generation Mustang. The new one has the advantage of the retro, late-60-ish restyling done as part of the 2005 model year Mustang redesign.

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Its 4.6-liter V-8 engine delivers an extra 15 hp. over the base GT's - or 315, with an exhaust system tweaked for more power and a (not quite successful) effort to duplicate the sound of McQueen's car. The Environmental Protection Agency doesn't provide economy estimates for the Bullitt specifically but one would assume, because of the extra performance, that economy will be slightly less than the 15 miles per gallon city, 23 highway numbers for the basic GT. I averaged no better than 20.4 mpg in a roughly 80-20 mix of highway and local suburban driving, according to my tester's driving computer.

The five-speed transmission - the only gearbox available, because real men like McQueen shift their own gears - is a bit crude but gets the job done. The clutch pedal pressure is light, and it's easy to get used to. There's enough engine torque, 325 pound-feet, for rumble-free second-gear starts in normal, non-hurried, driving.

Real men don't need power steering, either, so the assist in the Bullitt's system is low.

The $3,310 options package that makes the GT into a Bullitt includes a more responsive throttle; a new induction system to feed power-boosting cool air to the engine; a redline higher by 250 rpms, or 6,500, to increase the top speed; a 3.73 ratio limited slip rear axle for quicker, five-second zero-to-60-mph launches, and stronger brakes.

Aesthetic elements of the Bullitt package include the dark green paint (with black as an alternative), specially styled 18-inch wheels, and interior touches that include a spherical polished aluminum shift knob and aluminum swirl dashboard appliqué for a '60s look.

Ford plans to build 7,700 Bullitts this model year, with no more after that.

The Mustang has seat-mounted side air bags and does a good job protecting occupants in side impacts, according to U.S. government crash tests - as it does in frontal crashes, where it earns the highest, five-star, rating.

Consumer Reports says the Mustang's reliability is average. Auto market researchers J.D. Power and Associates rated Fords above average, based on owner gripes in the first three months on the road, but slightly below average in dependability over three years. Prices start at $20,445 for a V-6 model and range up to $44,425 for the 500 hp. V-8 Shelby GT 500.

2008 Ford Mustang GT Bullitt

Vehicle Tested:

Engine: 4.6-liter V-8

Fuel: Premium recommended

Transmission: Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive

Safety: Dual front and seat-mounted side air bags; four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock; fog lamps; tire- pressure monitoring

system

Place of Assembly:

Flat Rock, Mich.

Trunk: 13.1 cubic feet

EPA fuel economy

estimates: 15 mpg in city driving; 23 on the highway

Price as driven: $34,705 including freight