2019 Mustang Bullitt More Is Much More Than Its Movie Namesake
YouTubers The Straight Pipes explore the Bullitt and its Hollywood heritage, but there’s more to like about it than its Steve McQueen connection.
The Ford Mustang has multi-generational appeal. Teenagers scrape summer job money together to buy older ones. College students look forward to buying one as a graduation present to themselves. Those who are about to retire configure and daydream about the one they plan on getting once they no longer have to clock in somewhere. Movies, such as “Bullitt,” which came out in 1968, are a little different.
That’s because there have been different Mustangs for different generations of people. There was only one “Bullitt,” though. Even if younger people are aware of it, they may not feel the same way about it as those who grew up around the time it came out. For example, consider Yuri and Jakub, the guys behind the popular YouTube channel The Straight Pipes.
Both of them have watched clips of the Steve McQueen classic, but neither one of them particularly care for the film. As Jakub puts it, “It’s not a movie for our generation.” The two of them have a lot of good things to say about the 2019 Mustang Bullitt inspired by it, though.
Ford differentiates the Bullitt from the Mustang GT by covering it in either black or special Dark Highland Green paint, removing all of the Ford badges from the exterior, and adding special wheels. Inside, there’s a throwback cue ball shifter, which Yuri and Jakub find much more likeable than the one in the GT convertible they tested previously. They’re not quite as unanimous in their opinions about the Bullitt’s optional Recaro buckets; Yuri likes them, but Jakub calls them the best sport seats he’s ever sat in.
The killer soundtrack from the multi-mode active exhaust (especially in its Track setting) is definitely one of the Bullitt’s more likeable traits. However, it highlights the movie Mustang’s tall gearing. Jakub says, “The only problem is you don’t have enough gears to go through legally before you start to go to jail and hear all of the gears and all of the exhaust sounds.”
Thanks to engine upgrades, including the intake manifold from the Shelby GT350, the Bullitt’s 5.0 generates 480 horsepower (20 over a stock GT) and 420 lb-ft of torque. The effects of those upgrades are not lost on Jakub, who says, “The engine does pull ready hard. It does have a lot of power. It does feel like it wants to be revved out, which makes it really fun.” The enhanced Coyote is hooked up to a smooth-shifting six-speed manual and puts its ample power down through a standard MagneRide suspension, which offers a gentle, compliant ride. Unfortunately, the Bullitt’s aggressive traction control tends to spoil the fun the V8 provides by kicking in suddenly and awkwardly.
Only time will tell if the 2019 Mustang Bullitt will keep its value over the next decade or so. One thing seems certain: younger generations will know it as a badass Mustang, even if they’ve never seen the movie that it gets its name from.
Photos: Screenshots
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