The Mustang Bullitt plays homage to the iconic hero car … and will introduce the facelift to our market.
THERE’s nothing quite like sidestepping the clutch on a big V8-powered brute … especially one wearing a Mustang badge. No flappy-paddle transmissions or turbocharged frippery here; just a thumping 5,0-litre lump under a vast bonnet, connected to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.
Traction control off, clutch in, cue-ball shifter into first, revs up and go! Eight cylinders of fury bark from the open exhausts as torque is transferred through the limited-slip differential to the unfortunate strips of Michelin Pilot Sport rubber wrapped around the rear alloys. The Mustang’s back-end wiggles down the road, necessitating slight steering corrections to keep it on the black stuff, while tyre smoke fills the rear-view mirror. Antisocial? Yes, but I’m sure Steve McQueen would’ve approved.
When it comes to special occasions, Ford has a knack for perfect timing. The very first Mustang produced in 1964 was a Wimbledon White convertible powered by a V8. In August 2018, the 10 millionth ‘Stang rolled off the production line in Michigan in the form of (you guessed it) another Wimbledon White convertible V8. It was, however, still a surprise to learn on our arrival in France the movie Bullitt was launched on the same day 50 years before. Although McQueen is a legendary actor, it’s the car-chase scene and particularly the 1968 green Mustang which captured many a viewer’s imagination.
This story is from the December 2018 edition of CAR.
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This story is from the December 2018 edition of CAR.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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