New Ford Mustang Bullitt 2008 with photos and video

The Ford Mustang is, in itself, a car that many Europeans dream of for its price and qualities, but it is even more admired for its multiple limited editions and/or tuned versions. And what better edition for a car than the one that recalls its best years, its finest historical moment: Bullitt.

The fact that a Ford Mustang starred in the greatest car chase in film history in that movie is reason enough for this generation to give 7,700 lucky owners the chance to feel they hold a genuine muscle car capable of tearing through the streets of San Francisco like a bat out of hell, even though the real star of that scene passed away recently, but it is never too late to emulate him, is it?

Exteriorly, the new Ford Mustang Bullitt is very different from the cars of its generation, among other things because it is the first to do without the brand’s badges and only features a few with the ‘Bullitt’ inscription, leaving the grille completely free of them, just like lieutenant Bullitt’s Mustang. 18-inch Bullitt wheels that recall the originals, two chrome exhaust tips larger than on the base model, and of course the spoilers, fake air intakes and all kinds of superfluous decorations have been removed to make it more simple yet pure. As for the paint, you can choose the legendary Dark Highland Green (the one seen in the photos), or for the less purist there is also the option of painting it black.

The mechanics have been improved by Ford Racing; the V8 engine has been recalibrated from 4.6 liters, delivering 315 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 440 Nm of torque at 4,250 rpm. The transmission used is a five-speed Tremec manual capable of propelling this Mustang to 243 km/h, although in my opinion, the top speed of a car like this is what matters least; what should count is the ability to do 0-100 km/h in barely 5 seconds, also capable of doing the quarter mile (roughly 400 meters) in 13.7 seconds at a speed of 165 km/h.

On the other hand, the suspension has been adjusted and lowered and the chassis reinforced to improve its handling; furthermore, the Ford engineers used a remastered version of the film to achieve the exact tone of the original engine sound and be able to replicate it, so that more than a car it already seems like a musical instrument ideal for performing heavenly symphonies at every traffic light.

The interior has perhaps been the part that pleased least, since the people at Ford do not seem to have bothered much to make the modern interior a finish worthy of accommodating the very Steve McQueen; black leather is the only option, with metallic inserts on the dashboard, a spherical aluminum knob for the gear lever, and a thin layer of leather covering the steering wheel.

The rest of the equipment includes features such as air conditioning, cruise control, electric windows, electric mirrors, ABS brakes, traction control, side airbags, a tyre pressure monitoring system, or a Shaker 500 sound system with a six-CD changer, MP3 reader and eight speakers.

As I said at the beginning, the small plate on the engine will bear only a number from 1 to 7,700, which will be the limited units produced, of which 7,000 will stay in the United States and 700 will go to their northern neighbour, Canada. Production will begin in the first quarter of 2008, and if it has already convinced you and you live in Yankee territory, consider parting with the paltry 21,345 euros it will cost you, sometimes I hate the old continent…

Below is a video and more photos:

[jwplayer file=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36MFh4of6lE”]

Information and photos via | Autoblog en Español
Video via | Popular Mechanics