Mustang ‘Bullitt’ Anniversary Edition Confirmed for SA

The 1968 movie ‘Bullitt’ is by all accounts quite iconic, and for many different reasons. For celebrity enthusiasts, it’s remarkable because it features the legendary Steve McQueen as the titular police lieutenant Frank Bullitt.

For car enthusiasts, however, it’s got more significance as far as automotive credibility is concerned. For one, it features one of the most famous car-chases committed to film, but it also has a four-wheeled icon able to rival McQueen’s fame: the Ford Mustang GT Fastback.

Movie and car fans will be happy to hear that Ford is producing a limited number of Ford Mustang ‘Bullitts’ in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1968 film!

It would be easy for Ford to just make a couple of cosmetic changes and call it a day, but they’ve gone beyond that low-hanging fruit and even boosted the Bullitt’s performance. It will still have a 5-litre V8, the same as the current Mustang, but it’s pushing out an additional 32kW of power taking its power output to a screaming 338kW and 530Nm of torque.

Another performance related addition is a 6-speed manual transmission that has a rev-matching function for smoother changes – complete with a white cue ball mounted onto the gear lever, just like the original.

Shifting to the interior, there’s been a huge upgrade in technology in the 50 years since the movie’s release, so that’s being reflected in the cabin. A 12 speaker, 1000w Bang & Olufsen sound system and 12-inch LCD instrument cluster will make the ride in the Recaro racing seats entertaining and comfortable in equal measure.

The upgrades are completed with 19-inch Torq Thrust wheels, hiding red Brembo brake callipers beneath, and the car will come in either a Dark Highland Green or Shadow Black – with the dark shade of green being more screen-accurate.

Pricing, availability of units, and the exact date of its release are still under wraps, but keep a look out for more information to drop throughout the remaining months of this year.