Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the Mustang Bullitt

My earliest memory of falling in love with a car was a Mustang. As a kid, a friend of our family had a blue 1969 Mach 1 with the Shaker hood scoop, louvers on the rear window and the little wing at the end of the rear deck lid. From that time forward I've always had a thing for Mustangs. One of the most famous car-related movies (OK, it wasn't really car related, but it had Steve McQueen, cars and a chase scene) has to be Bullitt. Having grown up in the '70s and '80s, I somehow never actually got around to watching Bullitt until about three years ago when it arrived in the mailbox courtesy of NetFlix. I can't say I loved the movie, but Det. Frank Bullitt had the hottest ride in San Francisco, bar none.

Ever since the current S197 Mustang debuted in late 2004, Ford has been putting out a steady stream of limited volume special editions in order to keep sales boiling. The latest is the 2008 Mustang Bullitt, and it is to my eyes the best Mustang yet. It carries the classic proportions and cues of the late sixties 'Stangs without any of the tacked on froufrou found on some other specials or even the current standard Mustangs. Read on after the jump for more on why this Bullitt is special.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above for a high resolution photo gallery of the Mustang Bullitt

It would appear that the Mustang Bullitt does not have the same magic as the Shelby GT500. While it's taken over a year for dealerships to lower prices on the GT500 to near MSRP, customers can get their hands on the Bullitt for well under the starting price of $31,075. Ford's April incentives for the Mustang, including the Bullitt, include a rebate of up to $1,500 and an additional $1,000 off in some regions if you purchase the vehicle with Ford Credit. With the potential of $2,500 in rebates, the $3,310 cost of the Bullitt package sounds like a pretty good deal is reduced to just $810. Check out the source below for the rest of Ford's incentive lineup, including money back on the not-yet-available F-150 Chip Foose Edition.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

The original Bullitt Mustang was one of the original sleepers, as all flash and flare were stripped in favor of a clean slate that could fly through the streets of San Francisco with the greatest of ease. The 2008 Bullitt has shed all the frivolities of the Shelby models, or even a stock GT, for that matter. What Ford did do was to add 15 HP through cold air induction and an engine re-calibration, made the ride more track-ready, and slid in the visual cues that brings us back to Steve McQueen's 40 year-old original.

The Popular Mechanics film crew was front and center for a sweet peak at what the 2008 Bullitt can really do, and it's a blast to watch. The newest Mustang spin-off dazzles out of the gate with an impressive array of wasted rubber while the green pony car keeps a tight orbit. We then learn some interesting facts about the Bullitt, like how Ford engineers designed the 4.6L V8 to deliver 315 HP on regular fuel, but the performance quotient increases if premium fuel is added. The extra .20 for 94 octane doesn't sound as bad when it's paying you back with extra ponies. Take a look at the video by clicking here, or hit the read link below. If you watch it and don't want to at least take a Bullitt for a spin, we're inclined to believe your interest in cars will one day pass.

[Source: Popular Mechanics]

Click above image for an updated gallery of the 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt

For the second and final leg of our drive with the Bullitt, we took back roads up from Monterey to San Francisco with some great twisties that really put the new suspension to the test. Read on after the jump for more from Day 2 or click here to read about our adventure on Day 1...

click above image for high-res gallery of the 2008 Mustang Bullitt

The latest edition of everyone's favorite green Mustang is back and this one won't be featured on AutoblogGreen. Just in time for the 40th anniversary of one of the quintessential cinematic car chases, the 2008 Mustang Bullitt is coming to a Ford showroom near you. As expected, the new Bullitt is available in the Highland Green of Steve McQueen's original, but it can also be had in black. The goal according to Mustang design chief Doug Gaffka was to provide a more restrained alternative to some of the more flamboyant 'Stangs while providing great overall performance.

On the outside, the Bullitt is the first of the current generation of S197 Mustangs to be devoid of a pony badge anywhere on the car. The plain black grille is encircled by a simple chrome trim ring. The 18" Bullitt wheels recall those on the original, but the brake calipers are now painted a dark grey so as not draw attention to themselves. A round faux gas cap on the trunk lid wears a Bullitt badge centered in a gun sight graphic. A similar badge adorns the center of the steering wheel. Unlike the last Bullitt, this one keeps its standard fuel filler door. Spoilers, wings, fake scoops and all other such puffery are thankfully banished from this Mustang.

More after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

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While perusing the Ford media website today, we were greeted with the image you see above and Ford's first official acknowledgment that the much anticipated Mustang Bullitt will debut at the L.A. Auto Show in mid-November. Of course, we already know a lot about the Mustang Bullitt thanks to specs that were leaked earlier this month. We also know in general how the car will look, including its famous Highland Green paint and completely blank grille. Ford says in its little blurb (read it after the jump) that the car has the "perfect balance of power, performance and a look of quiet intensity."

Despite all the iterations of the Mustang that we've been forced to stomach from Ford and numerous other companies, this is the one we've been waiting for. It's good to know we won't have to wait much longer. After debuting in a couple of weeks, the Mustang Bullitt will officially go on sale early next year, according to Ford.

[Source: Ford]

The crew over at the MustangBlog procured a copy of the 2008 Mustang Ordering Guide and after combing through the corporate doc they came across all the details of the beloved Bullitt Mustang.

On the outside, color choices will be appropriately limited to Highland Green and Black, while 18-inch Charcoal Satin Finish Euro-Flange rollers frame dark grey brake calipers holding on to Performance-grade Carbon Metallic pads up front. The 'Stang is dropped by Ford's Sport Tuned suspension kit that includes new shocks, springs and a stabilizer bar, while a Bullitt emblem faux filler cap, a spoiler delete and a new upper grille, sans Pony badge and fog lamps, completes the exterior adornments.

Performance-wise, the Bullitt gets the Ford Racing Power Pack, although we're not sure if it's just limited to the cold-air intake system or if it's the full monty, including new mass air meter, Ford Racing oil filter and new mufflers. The Bullitt will come equipped with a reflashed ECU, so we'd guess it's a bit more than just an intake, especially considering that the exhaust comes with 3.5-inch tips. A Ford Racing strut tower brace emblazoned with a serialized label stretches across the engine bay, while out back a 3.73:1 LSD makes sure the extra ponies make it to the ground. Ford decided to nix the space-saver spare in favor of a tire inflation kit, presumably to save weight.

Inside, a black interior with the Sport Leather Seat Appearance package accompanies aluminum accents in the form of a ball shifter, sill plates and pedal covers, while a custom steering wheel is fitted in place of the stock unit.

Now, if we can just get Dodge to release a comparably equipped Charger, we're going to set the team of Neff and Nunez loose on the streets of S.F.

[Source: MustangBlog]

Last December we were invited to Detroit to view Ford's "Showroom of the Future" and were shown a dozen cars and trucks stretching out all the way to 2012. Nothing in Ford's pipeline we saw that day excited us more than seeing the upcoming Ford Mustang Bullitt in person. That was ten months ago, and since no cameras were allowed in the room, all we have is a hazy memory of a gorgeous green Mustang.

The car you see here (click the Read link for more pics) is likely the production version of the Bullitt Mustang we saw back then. A StangNet community member snapped these pics recently, and they suggest that the Bullitt will do away with any superfluous accoutrement like spoilers, louvers and hood scoops. Instead, it will be simple and plain, but more powerful than a standard Mustang GT.

Unfortunately, this little peek is all we get, so we can't comment on specifics except to refer you to a previous post on the Bullitt's leaked specs. The Mustang GT's 4.6L V8 should be producing 312 HP in the Bullitt thanks to a Ford Racing Performance Parts Power Pack, and suspension and brake upgrades are expected, as well.

We hope we'll meet the Mustang Bullitt again in person come January at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, but until then we expect everyone in Motown to lift up any car covers you see.
[Source: StangNet.com]