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| 2008 Bullitt Mustang - Article "The 2008 Bullitt Mustang: Re-imagined and Raring to Go", March 2008 Like baseball, hot dogs and apple pie, re-imaginings of popular television shows and movies have become a distinctly American cultural trend. Witness the recent return of Knight Rider, the continuing success of Smallville which traces early Superman lore without batting an eye that the equally modern Superman Returns, the Batman saga that has re-invented itself twice now, and last summer's blockbuster Transformers. With this rich appreciation of the icons of the not-so-distant past, is it any wonder that one of the hottest cars on the scene this year, the 2008 Bullitt Mustang, is also a re-imagining? Designed as homage to the original Mustang that was driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968 film Bullitt, the current model is actually the second such tribute-on-wheels to come from the plants at Ford. In this case, the limited edition offering is chiefly the brainchild of Ford's global vice president of design, J Mays, whose track record solidifies his experience with this trend. Previously, Mays was involved in the development of Volkswagen's ever-popular New Beetle, and he also had his hand in the last version of the Bullitt, the 2001 model that was a collaborative effort with Ford's chief designer, Doug Gaffka. More of an homage to the original than the last Bullitt, the 2008 model was built to echo the lines of the original, down to the dark Highland green paint color, which is virtually identical to the Highland green used thirty years ago (though this year's car also comes in black). The 2008 Bullitt retains the minimalist styling so familiar to fans of the movie, so there is no rearing-horse logo, no spoilers or scoops, only a black mesh grille broken by a strip of satin aluminum, and exhaust tips dressed in shiny chrome. The masterminds behind this car are so devoted to retaining the image and spirit of their inspiration, in fact, that they matched the pitch of the exhaust to a digitally re-mastered DVD of the movie. As wonderful and authentic as all the design is, it's the engine that most aficionados care about. The 2008 Bullitt Ford Mustang has a 4.6 liter V-8 engine under it's hood, providing the power of 315 horses and 325 pounds-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm. The elevated redline of 6,500 rpm allows a top speed of 151 mph (but don't try this unless you're on a closed track. It's dangerous at best, and illegal in most of the country). Mated to this engine is a five-speed manual Tremec transmission, and it's all supported by a chassis, suspension and cold-air intake system all lifted from Ford's racing division and modified for street-legal use. Inside the Bullitt, you won't find Steve McQueen, but he'd feel pretty comfortable in the spare cockpit highlighted by satin aluminum and upholstered in dark charcoal leather seats. Available optional features of this car include wheel locking kits, ambient lighting systems, anti-theft protection, a Shaker 1000 audio package, and Sirius Satellite Radio. The local Ford new car dealer understands the value of limiting an iconic car to maintain it's cachet of special-ness, and originally stated that only 7,700 2008 Bullitt Mustangs would be built and sold. If Mr. McQueen was still alive, I think he'd be first in line to drive one.
This page was last updated on 02/27/10. |
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