FANS of Steve McQueen, car-chase movies and Mustangs rejoice! Ford has attempted to combine all three in a limited-edition version of Australia’s best-selling sportscar.
Dubbed ‘Bullitt’ after the 1968 feature film starring McQueen and Jacqueline Bisset, the Mustang Bullitt is set to hit Australia sometime around October, about three months after its US release, at prices expected to be in the mid-$70,000 region.
Ford isn’t saying how many will land from Michigan, but expect it to be in the low-to-mid hundreds, out of several thousand to be made available globally.
The local launch is set to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the movie’s US theatrical release on October 17.
A strange homage considering the film has only gained fame for a 10-minute chase scene through downtown San Francisco, with a pair of hitment piloting a 1968 Mustang and a Dodge Charger, two of each were used by Warner Brothers during the shooting.
The Mustangs were on loan – and significantly modified – by the Ford Motor Company. Racecar driver and actor McQueen reportedly ensured that he was clearly visible behind the wheel so moviegoers would not think a stunt double was doing all the fancy action shots.
So, what is the Mustang Bullitt going to comprise of for its circa-$10K premium over the regular GT Fastback V8 manual on which it is based? Obviously, for starters, it is the facelifted version heading to Australia soon, with significant changes to the front and rear, an upgraded interior and improved technology.
Beneath the redesigned bonnet will be an altered version of the 5.0-litre Coyote V8, delivering around 340kW of power and 550Nm of torque to the rear axle; these are said to be only slightly more than the GT Fastback V8 donor. Top speed is north of 260km/h in European guise. Compared to the engine in the outgoing version, it scores high-pressure direct injection and low-pressure port fuel injection tech, promising a broader spread of response combined with greater efficiency.
Typically, Ford has elected to limit options down to a bare minimum, with things like Recaro sports seats expected to be the only available extras. Even the MagneRide adaptive dampers offered elsewhere may not make it to Australian-bound Bullitt examples. Pity. There will be no automatic transmission either, meaning that the trick new 10-speed gearbox slated for lesser versions won’t be seen in the McQueen special. It’s six speeds or nothing.
Additionally, despite what you might read elsewhere, it is highly likely that only one hue will make it Down Under – the so-called Dark Highland Green paintwork as seen in the film. If you were after the more sinister-looking Shadow Black then you’re out of luck.
Other visual Bullitt cues include a blackened grille and rear bootlid, and chrome lipstick surrounding the grille and front windows as per the movie car. Green stitching on the cowhide and a smattering of badges declaring this car’s place in Hollywood car-chase history complete the changes.
Whether owners in Australia will also get to enjoy the ‘Bullitt Electronics Package’ that bundles satellite navigation, memory settings for the driver’s seats and mirrors, an upgraded sound system and blind-spot monitoring is yet to be confirmed. However, heated leather seats, a 12.0-inch all-digital instrument cluster with a Bullitt welcome screen and 19-inch ‘torque thrust’ aluminium wheels and red-painted brake callipers are set to also adorn this particular Mustang.
On the safety front, all models are poised to adopt autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, as well as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, auto-levelling headlights and automatic high beam.
While it may be true (if somewhat cynical) that the Bullitt is really only a short-run money-making exercise designed to keep interest in an ageing American sportscar alive in the face of increased competition from more modern alternatives such as the Chevrolet Camaro and upcoming next-gen Dodge Challenger, the fact that Australia is receiving it has deeper significance for Mustang fans, since its success (or otherwise) might open the doors to further special editions and higher-performance variants that were hitherto unavailable to us.
This isn’t the first Bullitt-badged Mustang; Ford released the original in 2001 in the fourth-generation ‘Fox’ bodied version, while another one arrived during the previous edition’s run in 2008. Neither, of course, came to Australia.
It will be interesting to see if fans of the movie, movie star or movie car adopt the Mustang Bullitt.
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