2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt Review

Commemorating the landmark 1968 Steve McQueen movie “Bullitt” – especially the famous car chase scene – the 2008 Bullitt Mustang is more than just another special-edition-of-the-week Mustang that we’ve become accustomed to from Ford. This one boasts a little more power, better handling and possibly the best exterior enhancement of any current-generation Mustang that we’ve seen, high-performance Shelby models included. Yet performance has never been the Mustang’s problem. It’s the lack of refinement, and the Bullitt’s cheap plastic interior and lack of sophistication is even less acceptable at this model’s $34,700 as-tested price tag than it is at the standard GT’s $28,000.

By Keith Buglewicz Photo credit: Oliver Bentley

Page 2

Technically, the Bullitt is a $27,765 Mustang GT (including the $745 destination charge) with a $3,310 option package added. The appearance package is most obvious, with the car stripped of most of its badges and available in black or in our tester’s Highland Green, the same color as McQueen’s movie car. The package also includes a handful of engine enhancements and suspension tweaks, delivering at least a little on the exterior’s promise. Our test car included Ford’s $1,995 navigation system, a $325 anti-theft system, $525 high-intensity headlights and an ambient lighting system and iPod integration (but not Sync) for $295 apiece.

Page 3

In addition to the green paint and lack of badges, the 2008 Bullitt Mustang adds Ford Racing’s exhaust and cold-air intake to the Bullitt Mustang’s 4.6-liter V-8. The resulting 315 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft of torque is 15 hp and 5 lb.-ft. more than the GT. The Bullitt also gets a recalibrated throttle for crisper response; retuned cams for better high-end power, higher redline and a meatier torque curve; a shorter final-drive ratio for quicker launches; and a solid-shifting five-speed manual transmission. Shocks and struts are unique to the Bullitt, as are the rear springs, which lower the car an almost imperceptible 6 mm.

Page 4

Ford claims the Ford Racing engine enhancements’ beefier torque curve and shorter final drive make for harder launches and a better top end. While we didn’t have a standard Mustang GT to compare it against, the Bullitt has no problem pulling hard from a dead stop with a glorious V-8 roar, and we noticed no letup in power deliver as the engine approached redline. The five-speed shifter is solid, maybe a little too stiff, but with a smooth and progressive clutch. It’s the kind of powertrain that brings out your inner delinquent, and it’s hard to resist the urge to turn rubber to smoke at every opportunity.

Page 5

The Mustang Bullitt’s suspension enhancements don’t include an independent rear end, and despite the better shocks and springs there’s no escaping that big heavy axle in back. The Bullitt stays composed in hard corners as long as the road is smooth, but hit a bump or pothole and the rear end dances nervously. The steering is very precise, and the body motions are well controlled for such a heavy car, but curvy roads are not this car’s strong suit. Surprisingly, the Bullitt has a comfortable ride. It’s controlled, but only lumpy or harsh on seriously broken pavement.

Page 6

Considering this is a sporty coupe and not a family hauler, visibility is pretty good. The back glass is large and the rearmost pillars are thin. The small triangular side windows improve visibility, and even though the B pillars are thick, they’re largely obscured by the head restraints and don’t pose a problem. Oddly, the view out over the hood is one of the most constrained. The Mustang’s large hood bulge looks cool from the outside, but from the driver’s seat it gives the illusion of the nose pointing skyward.

Page 7

There’s little about the driving experience of the Bullitt that isn’t geared toward fun. The roar of the exhaust inspires you to just rev the engine at stoplights. The strong acceleration and V-8 torque are available at any opportunity. Shut off the traction control and you can slide the tail with ease. Fine, it’s not a canyon carver, but this modern muscle car does fine without that ability. However, we should warn you that even if you wear a tweed sportcoat and black turtleneck while driving it, you’ll still never be as cool as Steve McQueen.

Page 8

Sporty front seats are required in this kind of car, and these fit the bill very well. Comfortable and supportive, they also have good side bolstering for when you decide to McQueen it up on the streets of San Francisco, although some of us felt the shoulder support was too tight. With power fore-aft, up-down and lumbar and a manual seatback angle adjustment, it was easy to find a sweet spot. While the steering wheel adjusts only for height and not reach, it wasn’t really an issue. The shifter’s big aluminum knob is placed ahead of the cupholders, meaning you have to reach around your morning coffee to make shifts.

Page 9

The best part of the Mustang Bullitt’s rear seats is getting out of them. Despite the deep butt pockets, the lack of head, leg, foot and shoulder room makes them little more than leather-covered package shelves. Use them like that and the deep dugouts work well for holding a gallon jug of milk. But human beings? No.

Page 10

This is no luxury car, so there’s plenty of noise to keep your ears occupied. Foremost among the sounds is, of course, the engine. This is a good thing, so good that at least one of us found himself revving the engine at stoplights just to listen to the tuned Ford Racing exhaust. At speed it reduces to a background burble, largely obscured by tire and wind noise, and just a hint of transmission whine. The big tires and heavy rear axle thump loudly over large expansion joints or other large bumps. It’s a good sporty-coupe soundtrack, but it could also get annoying during a long commute.

Page 11

The Mustang has a smallish trunk, only 13.1 cu. ft. Part of the problem is the large hump to accommodate the rear axle, which cuts into the trunk space and makes for an oddly shaped floor. The short rear end also contributes. Ford has equipped the Mustang with fold-down rear seatbacks, but you must fold them from the interior; there is no secondary release in the trunk itself. Liftover is on the high side thanks to the ‘Stang’s high rear haunches.