Speeding Bullitts: 2026 Ford Mustang GT vs 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack
The two-door Ford Mustang GT and Dodge Charger Scat Pack duke it out along the route of the Bullitt car chase in San Francisco. Can the twin-turbo, all-wheel-drive charger write a new ending to a familiar script, or is the V-8 Mustang still the preeminent pony car?
Even if you've never seen Bullitt, the 1968 Steve McQueen crime thriller, you've probably still heard of its car chase, which uses San Francisco's dramatic topography to great effect. McQueen himself does a lot of driving, notably in a scene where he understeers wide and misses a corner in his Mustang, smokes the tires in reverse, and takes off down the street doing a one-wheel peel. The adversaries are bad guys in a Dodge Charger, and there's an exciting 10 minutes or so of trading parries until the chase concludes in explosive fashion.
In the movie, both the Charger and the Mustang are two-door coupes. The Mustang has stuck to that formula, but 1978 was the last year for a two-door, rear-drive Charger, a frustration to would-be Bullitt pilgrims looking to re-create the vibe of the movie in contemporary machines. But with the return of the two-door, internal-combustion Charger, Car and Driver figured it was time to make like Frank Bullitt and prowl the streets of San Francisco with these two not-quite-natural rivals …
(photo credit: Greg Pajo | Car and Driver)
