Driving Impressions : 2019 Bullitt Mustang

By: Mark Moskowitz

The reader might find expectations dashed when reading this article about Ford's new (non Shelby) high performance Mustang. It won't recount glorious laps at VIR or a famed West Coast venue. There are no graphs of g forces realized and maximal speed and acceleration figures that few mere mortals can achieve will be borrowed. Driving Impressions is about the day-to-day experience on banal highways and byways and in the case of the Bullitt Mustang that experience is awesome.

The thesis is to evoke the spirit of Steve McQueen, the 1960s actor and racer, who as Police Lieutenant Frank Bullitt famously piloted a 1968 Mustang at high speeds through the streets of San Francisco in one of moviedom's most famous chase scenes. Fifty plus years later the Mustang's silhouette is sleeker but startlingly similar. The Dark Highland Green paint is sinister. The wheels, darker than the original, mimic the 68's 5-spoke Torq Thrusts. The upper and lower front grilles are blacked out and Ford has wisely chosen to resist all badging on the Mustang's sides and front. There's a lone 'Bullitt' inscribed in a 5 ½ inch medallion at the rear. Polished silver trim typically does not surround the side windows of 2019 Mustangs but the sixties style trim reemerges on the Bullitt edition.

And then there's an aural image – the symphonic exhaust note heard each time McQueen drove away. Ford's Active Valve Performance Exhaust enhances the sound and ups the ante with short choruses during each downshift – courtesy of act rev-matching. A 'Quiet' setting can be engaged if stealth is required.

The base Bullitt edition suspension differs little from that of the GT Premium Fastback when equipped with the GT Performance Package. Both can be enhanced with Ford's adjustable Magne-Ride Dampening System. Its adjustability provides a comfortable ride more tolerant of bumps and surface irregularities than previous softly sprung Mustang non-performance editions. (During the test week, I compared it to the Roush Mustang with Stage 2 suspension and on the street the Bullitt offers the better drive.) The Bullitt claims 20 more horsepower than the Mustang GT courtesy of an improved intake and a larger throttle body.

The interior has a rich look worthy of a modern GT. Base model seats have four-way power adjustment and lumbar support. Seatbacks are manually adjusted. The seats are supportive and comfortable. Some years ago, the supports from console to dash were straight and limited knee room in the Mustang. Now they are scalloped, concave inward and knee and foot room are generous. Pedal position works for heel toe braking and shifting but rev matching obviates the need.

Even with a raised seat, I found plenty of headroom and I suspect that seat adjustment would allow comfort for the average NBA point guard. I doubt any adult would find the rear footwells hospitable.

The 8-inch touch screen was in easy reach and was easily seen though positioned below vents and guages. I strongly recommend the $2100 Bullitt Electronics package. Among its features are blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert as well as voice activated navigation. The option also includes a B&O stereo with sound that would please the most discerning audiophile. Ford offers a Safe & Smart package which includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and forward collision warning with braking on other Mustangs but not the Bullitt. These safety features and a forward camera would be appreciated.

There's modest storage: a small space with a 12v and usb plug below the dashboard toggles and more storage and outlets in a covered console box which is ample but a bit too far rearward for comfortable driver in motion access. Cupholders seem the best spot to house a phone. Other items might fit in the 2 ½ inch deep door pockets.

One can spend a day exploring the display, monitoring and electronic settings. Fun colors are great but more importantly a low dash mounted toggle activates driving modes which include Normal, Sport+, Track, Drag Strip, Wet and Snow and a personal programmable mode. Drag strip performance is augmented by launch control, line lock and a positraction rear end. And a steering wheel mounted Mustang emblazoned button adjusts exhaust modes.

At speed, the green machine is everything one expects it to be. It sports a compromise 3.73 rear gear; a long third gear can easily carry you past 100mph. 60 mph is reached in 4.4* seconds and top speed is rated by Ford as 163 mph. The Mustang though tall and heavy in the front travelled through high and low speed curves with remarkable composure. Ford seems to have mastered electronic steering; feedback seems appropriate in sport and normal modes. One can approach the edge with a confidence further enhanced by large 6 piston Brembo brakes.

The Bullitt is a modern GT at bargain price. Ford and Chevy offer the opportunity to get more horsepower for more dollars, but Driving Impressions mandates the use of a cage roll bar to explore the difference. For performance, civility on the street, and an epic sound at an appropriate price point, Bullitt rules the day.

performance *Car and Driver

Photo credit: Mark Moskowitz

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