2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt: You didn’t get one for Christmas?
A top speed of 163 miles per hour and a starting price of $47,590, according to the Kelley Blue Book… Surely, you need and want a 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt, just like the one Steve McQueen drove in the 50-year-old movie Bullitt, only with a lot more 21stCentury updates?!
Race cars like this tend to bring out the ‘little boy’ in grown men who may generally be logical and practical, but once they get in the driver’s seat, suddenly they feel they really are Steve McQueen (with a whole lot of Alexander McQueen thrown in) and are invincible – and start driving in a manner that is, at best, dangerous. This car is powerful. It can perform a lot of tricks at high speeds and yet it is no toy. I admit to being a fraidy cat when it comes to high speeds: I like my life and my driver’s license too much.
There are so many technical, neat-o, whiz-bang features to this car, but here are some of the basics: 5.0-liter TI-VCT V8 engine offering 480 horsepower with 420 pound-feet of torque (maximum, using high-end fuel), 6-speed manual transmission (no automatics available) with seating for four (Ha Ha Ha – again, bears, make sure you can get in and out with a relative amount of ease).
Inside, there are many, many, many nice touches to the 2019 Bullitt, many of which cost extra, and they all give it both a retro feel and modern flair, sorta like The Flintstones meet The Jetsons and they really all did have gay ole time with Jet Screamer.
The gear shifter is a white billiard cue ball (be sure to have a good, non-greasy grip) and it works well with the short shift throws. What’s that, you ask:
“A short throw shifter modifies the geometry of the shifter so the travel distance of the shift lever is reduced. It moves the pivot point higher up the shift rod causing you to move the shifter less distance, hence the shorter throw.”
Yeah, I had to look it up too, but click here for more on how all that works.
All test vehicles that were roaming around the country late last year were Dark Highland Green, according to the Monroney sticker. It’s basically a metallic hunter green, or a deep twilight wintergreen, but it’s still the same color as the original Bullitt was fifty years ago. But alas, it has indeed come into the 21st Century. Most noticeable on the outside is probably the black honeycomb grill, which is absent any sign of the roaring Mustang, instead replaced by nonstop Bullitt badging, featuring Bullitt targets everywhere you look.
Inside, the luxury doesn’t stop, even though this really is not a luxury car. (Keep in mind: this is a sports car so the inside is tight!) Everything is smooth and refined, to include the technology, which can be a bit overwhelming. You may be tempted to just get in and drive off and burn rubber (just know that new tires on this car will easily run you $500+ for each misjudged peel-out) but you should take some time to learn how the Bullitt works and how the technology works with it. This is not Steve McQueen’s Bullitt. There have been some updates that have been downloaded and altered your data while you slept. And this is just the start of the new year…
Personally, I’m very excited about 2019, especially here in the United States. A new Congress has been seated and the winds of change are blowing hard enough to rip a terrible blonde toupee off the head of our (fake) head of state. That will mean only good news for bears far and wide. The more women there are in power, the more freedom bears everywhere will enjoy. That’s a fact.
Once your American student loans are forgiven, then you might consider buying a Bullitt.
Photos by Dave Bear
