{"id":139974,"date":"2019-09-27T13:43:50","date_gmt":"2019-09-27T17:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=139974"},"modified":"2019-09-27T14:00:51","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T18:00:51","slug":"first-drive-2020-ford-mustang-bullitt","status":"publish","type":"reviews","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/reviews\/first-drive-2020-ford-mustang-bullitt\/","title":{"rendered":"First Drive: 2020 Ford Mustang Bullitt"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
The new Mustang Bullitt celebrates the iconic movie \u201cBullitt\u201d and its fan-favorite San Francisco car chase,<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s relatively easy to write about the current generation of Ford\u2019s iconic Mustang. Just pop open your wallet or purse and look inside. If there isn\u2019t a ton of cash, no problem. Ford has a more-than-capable Ecoboost four-cylinder Mustang (from $26,670) that outputs a crazy 300-plus horsepower.<\/p>\n

If there is a wad, but not a stack, then the Bullitt Mustang ($47,810) is your Pony car of choice.<\/p>\n

If there is a stack of dough, then the Shelby GT variants ($60,440-$73,435) are must have supercars.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

(Ford Unveils Mustang Racer Ahead of Dream Cruise)<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

But no matter the financial choice, you\u2019ll be behind the wheel of a car that\u2019s known worldwide for being fun, capable and collectible.<\/p>\n

Which brings us the to the 2020 Bullitt Mustang. Why the name \u201cBullitt?\u201d<\/p>\n

Older readers will know that it eponymously pays tribute to the Mustang driven by legendary actor Steve McQueen in the 1968 thriller, Bullitt. McQueen was cast as San Francisco Police Department detective Frank Bullitt, working an organized crime case.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Bullitt realizes he\u2019s being tailed by the bad guys, and turns the table in one of the greatest car chase scenes in cinematic history with Detective Bullitt chasing a Dodge Charger in his 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback. McQueen was also an established racecar driver, and actually drove the Mustang in many of the chase scenes.<\/p>\n

So, in 2001, Ford honored the legacy of the movie Mustang with the first Bullitt edition Mustang GT. In 2008, another version was released to commemorate the film\u2019s 40th<\/sup> anniversary, and the current version three debuted in 2018.<\/p>\n

For 2020, the Bullitt Mustang may not have the power of Shelby Mustang performance variants, but it is still one heck of a fun car to drive.<\/p>\n

Visually, the traditional Mustang silhouette is retained; with the only visual cue that you are driving a special edition is the absence of the \u201cPony\u201d on the car\u2019s grille. That grille channels cool air to Bullitt\u2019s 5.0-liter V8, with 480-horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. A smooth shifting six-speed manual transmission with rev matching is super crisp under fire. Selectable drive modes include Normal, Snow\/Wet, Sport, Track and Drag Strip.<\/p>\n

(Ford\u2019s New Shelby GT500 Tops GT by 113 Ponies)<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

I spent most of my drive time toggling between Normal and Sport, lest I lose my driver\u2019s license. I could envision myself running afoul of the law, and ending up in court. \u201cYour Honor,\u201d you must understand any Mustang V8 has one of the sweetest engine sounds ever.\u201d Good luck with that defense. I was wise and just slowed down!<\/p>\n

The hypnotic sound of Bullitt\u2019s V8 is further enhanced with an active valve performance exhaust system that lets you control noise levels. Live in a quiet neighborhood? Set it for Quiet Start. Mad at your neighbors? Sport mode will certainly even the score.<\/p>\n

On the road, the Bullitt offers surprising levels of comfort and convenience. That\u2019s provided you are in the front seat of this four-place sports coupe. If you and your wingman or wingwoman are more than 6-feet tall, rear seat legroom is reduced to small adult\/child status. Think major airline in the middle seat at the rear of the plane. Ride quality is compliant and can be dialed in for comfort or road carving.<\/p>\n

But in reality, I doubt very few buy a Bullitt or any Mustang as family or crew haulers. You buy one of these cars for the visceral experience that combines all of the senses: Visually stunning and aurally exciting, with a tactile cabin and rubber burning aromas, all \u201ctastefully\u201d done.<\/p>\n

Mustang Bullitts are also contented with a full complement of safety, luxury and convenience gear. It\u2019s a complete package that slots nicely into the array of Mustangs available from Ford.<\/p>\n

Ford has hit the proverbial \u201cBull’s-Eye\u201d with the Bullitt. As mentioned earlier, Bullitt prices begin at $47,810. And while it\u2019s also available in Shadow Black, my only choice would be the same \u201cDark Highland Green\u201d that adorned the \u201968 movie star.<\/p>\n

(Ford Shelby GT500 Cracks the 700 hp Barrier)<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Seems only fitting to honor the legacy of this terrific automobile.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s a Ford Mustang! What’s not to like?? Perhaps the most adored sports car on the planet, Ford has managed to keep aficionados of all types happy with different variations of the same car all at range of price points. What did we get to drive? The 2020 Bullitt edition. And like the chase scene it move, it didn’t let us down. See our review at TheDetroitBureau.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":239,"featured_media":139976,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[],"category_reviews":[23,20,21],"make":[56],"post-state":[],"category_old":[118,150,151,123,135,168,248,132,159,120,139,164,288],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews\/139974"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reviews"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/239"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139974"},{"taxonomy":"category_reviews","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_reviews?post=139974"},{"taxonomy":"make","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/make?post=139974"},{"taxonomy":"post-state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-state?post=139974"},{"taxonomy":"category_old","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_old?post=139974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}