In a nod to its roots, the gear shift on the 2019 Mustang Bullitt is a white cue ball.
It’s the same type of gear shift actor Steve McQueen can be seen handling in the iconic 10-minute long race scene from the 1968 movie Bullitt, which saw the classic Mustang in hot pursuit of a Dodge Charger through the hilly streets of San Francisco.
Ford Motor Company developed the 2019 Mustang Bullitt in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the movie and has been unveiling it at auto shows across North America, including the Vancouver International Auto Show on at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre until Sunday, April 1. The 2019 Bullitt will be available for sale this summer in limited numbers.
On March 28, automotive writers, members of the media and select bloggers were invited to the auto show for a first look at the 2019 Bullitt, which comes complete with an upgraded 5.0-liter V8 engine that delivers at least 475 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque, pushing the car to a top speed of 163 mph — an eight mile per hour increase from the latest Mustang GT.
The active valve performance exhaust system is standard and has been and retuned to give the car that signature sound. But unlike the Mustang McQueen drove, this new Bullitt comes with a heated leather steering wheel and a 12-inch all-digital LCD dash board.
“This new Bullitt is, as Steve McQueen was, effortlessly cool,” said Mustang chief designer Darrell Behmer said in a press release. “As a designer, it’s my favorite Mustang — devoid of stripes, spoilers and badges. It doesn’t need to scream about anything — it’s just cool.”
Exterior paint choices are limited to Shadow Black and the classic Dark Highland Green — as seen in the movie. Other features that pay tribute to the car McQueen drove are subtle chrome accents around the grille and front windows, classic torque thrust 19-inch aluminum wheels, red painted Brembo brakes, and a unique black front grille. Inside and out, the vehicle uses minimal badging — only the circular faux gas cap Bullitt logo on the rear center is visible on the exterior. The leather-trimmed interior features green accent stitching on the dashboard, door panels, center console and seats.
“When making a Bullitt, there are certain things it absolutely must have,” said Mustang chief engineer Carl Widmann. “It has to have the right attitude, it has to be unique in some way from a Mustang GT, and more than anything, it has to be bad ass.”
Paying homage to her grandfather, third generation McQueen, Mollie McQueen, starred in a special short movie of her own introducing the new third-generation Bullitt, during which she races the new Mustang through a parking garage battling a Dodge Charger for the final free space.
You can check out the Bullitt at the Vancouver International Auto Show on until April 1.
@sthomas10
