I m Never Seeing My Mustang Again

I'm pretty certain I first saw that epic 1968 Steve McQueen motion picture Bullitt from the dorsum of the sometime human being's pastel yellow, V8-powered Rambler Ambassador at the local Drive-In, with the audio coming in from a single speaker box hanging off the left front window.

It didn't affair that the sound was horrendous or that my begetter demanded dead silence from the back stalls, because from that moment on I was 100 per cent hooked on the Highland Green Ford Mustang – specifically, the GT 390 Fastback, the verbal version that McQueen, and his mate Bud Elkins drove in the movie.

The two scenes that sold me on the Mustang were the opening sequence off that iconic hunt, where McQueen is about to blast up the get-go colina while struggling to observe a gap in the traffic.

He's admittedly steely-eyed and working the steering wheel hard equally he opens information technology at full noise in pursuit, while the scene when he overshoots the corner as he'southward chasing the Black Contrivance Charger (ii-door dorsum then), and smokes the tyres as he'southward in a full-throttle opposite. Awesome camera work.

Not and then long afterward, and as luck would have it, my father'due south business partner had just purchased a Highland Dark-green Mustang Coupe, and fifty-fifty though it was a standard 289 V8 (not the fastback), it was still one of the coolest cars in Sydney at the time, and we were heading from Sydney to Canberra in information technology for the long weekend.

fifty years later on and I get the give-and-take that Ford is making a third-generation Mustang Bullitt and Ford Australia has got its easily on 700 examples only, but word on the street was that every one of them had been accounted for – seems I was a month likewise belatedly. In fact, when I called the Ford PR guy and told him I wanted to buy ane, he just laughed.

For the showtime fourth dimension in my life I had the spare cash to buy a new motorcar, only couldn't get one for love or money. And so, I did the just thing anyone could do in this unlikely predicament – I chosen a bunch of dealers and left my name with them in the unlikely event someone cancelled their order.

Worse nonetheless, the more I read about this new 3rd-gen Bullitt, the more nervous I became. Devoid of all Ford and Mustang badging with a blacked-out grille, an intake manifold lifted straight from the Shelby GT350, a larger 87mm throttle trunk (up from 82), and an impressive open air box.

And if you thought the noise from the standard Mustang GT was decent, the Bullitt had an all-together different frazzle note thank you to a new active frazzle arrangement acoustically designed to mirror that of the original GT 390 Fastback pic car – something which took the engineers over a yr to get right, or so it was reported.

All-in-all, a unique Mustang feel and quite possibly the last of its kind given tightening emissions regulations and the global push towards electric vehicles – at least, that was my thinking at the fourth dimension.

Weeks, if not months, went by before I finally got some good news from the mega Sydney dealership group, Peter Warren Automotive, who called to say that a customer had cancelled due to him not realising the Bullitt was only available with a manual transmission – meaning I could take his build slot, equally long as I was prepared to put 1000 bucks down past close of business that same 24-hour interval.

It didn't affair that I would besides need to stump up another 3000 grand additional for the optional Recaro seats he chose as the only choice available, either, equally the car would exist worth more than for it in the long run. Washed.

That was early 2018, and my Bullitt arrived a couple of weeks before Christmas that same year, but in fourth dimension for an inaugural 1800-kilometre round trip from Sydney to the Aureate Coast to meet mum and the residue of the family. Well, that was the plan before I spoke with some other well-informed colleague, Curt Dupriez, who threw another even larger spanner into the works.

Interestingly, a year afterwards I was doing a trip from LA to Encinitas (near plenty to San Diego), in the latest Wrangler Rubicon four-pot turbo (what a mistake not bringing that here), and called in to what is 1 of the oldest Ford Dealerships in California where they had the Bullitt on testify next to the Shelby GT350 – and while I'm a massive Shelby fan and would love the extra grunt, I all the same reckon the Bullitt is more special.

How much?

Ford Australia's list price for the Mustang Bullitt was $73,688 before on-road costs, so I had to add $3000 for the Recaro buckets, so that's near $77,000 plus on-roads, then call it 81-m, give or have. At to the lowest degree, that's what I idea I'd exist paying.

But, when I got the call from Peter Warren Ford, the drive-away price was bang on $86,000 – simply what can you do, I was lucky to become one, so I didn't feel it was right or proper to haggle given the Bullitt's limited availability in Australia – just 700 examples, and each i of them in Dark Highland Green, though United states buyers could also get Shadow Black.

For those that missed out, who knows if there will ever exist another Mustang Bullitt, given I'm just not certain if the picture show lives on in the eyes of the young drivers these days. I promise I'm incorrect and there's an all-new quaternary-generation model on the way – but I'thou non sure an EV version would work.

Nevertheless, for Aussie Ford fans still dandy on a 18-carat muscle car – the Mustang Mach ane is simply outstanding in ability to thrill those behind the wheel. Dynamically, information technology'due south noticeably superior to the Bullitt out of the box in every way, also as being another fine nod to heritage from the same era and for effectually the same coin.

Buying Experience

Overall, pretty proficient. I ever had a unmarried point of contact from the fourth dimension I paid my $1000 eolith, later on which I received various notification mails advising me of where the car was throughout the build and shipping process.

The moment I knew my car was on a boat and bound for Australia, I advised the dealer that I would not be collecting the automobile from the dealership, as it would be going on a truck down to Herrod Performance in Melbourne.

They were more than than happy to assist that process along before profitable with personalised plates, registration and the offset yr'southward automobile insurance.

I besides informed them that I wouldn't be servicing the car at Warwick Farm as information technology was too far from where I lived, and again they understood that.

What I've added

From someone who had only ever modified their first car – a Ford Cortina with three on the tree – with those classic G-Mac orange sway bars and some fatter tyres (DIY) I was about to drop another $8k purely on a recommendation from my colleague, Curt Dupriez, who mentioned Melbourne-based Ford Performance guru, Rob Herrod of Herrod Performance, was modding Mustang GTs.

Originally, all I wanted to do was replace the cheap 'Torq Thrust' knock-off wheels for a set of modern-day originals from American Racing.

For all kinds of reasons, that just wasn't possible, just Rob was importing Black multi-spoke forged alloys from some other manufacturer in the Us which meant I could also upgrade from 19- to twenty-inch wheels, along with fatter 305s (upwardly from 275s) downwardly dorsum and 275s upward forepart, nevertheless using Michelin Airplane pilot Sport 4S tyres on the new wheels.

Rob also mentioned his handling package – which he said they've had a lot of success with on the Mustang GT – that claims to transform the cornering ability, without compromising ride compliance.

It calls for the stock springs and sway bars to be swapped out for thicker Ford Performance parts, besides as a recalibration of the MagneRide adaptive damping, which I promptly agreed to. No discounts.

The programme was to go the machine back a week before Christmas so I could make the trip upward north, where my younger brother also had his genuine '69 Mach i in his garage, consummate with a Cobra engine and the loudest frazzle outside a Funny Motorcar at the drag strip.

Thankfully, Rob, his son Chris, and the coiffure got the car completed.

Later on a quick chat and the all-important coin transfer, I was on a flying to Melbourne knowing that I had to go along these magic enhancements to the machine curtained from the adept married woman for a picayune while longer. Non proud of that, simply along with the initial purchase of the Bullitt, it would have been too big of a pill to swallow at the time.

Feedback from others

Pretty much every time I have the Bullitt out, I go locals in my street coming out onto the road to stop me for a ride.

Only last week this happened. People are all smiles whenever I drive by – you don't often get that kind of reaction fifty-fifty driving supercars – except maybe, a McLaren.

Others I've taken for a ride have been immediately motivated to order a Mustang GT – based on the noise and the manual shifter, if only they could get a Bullitt, because all are obsessed with the Highland Green Paint job.

How it drives

Here'southward the thing – the Bullitt handled and rode well straight out of the box, but either mode, I was expecting a noticeable improvement despite my car at present riding one-inch lower than a regular Mustang Bullitt.

Just, that exam would come up soon enough. Get-go, I wanted to stand and stare at the physical transformation that had Herrod had created here.

The extra-fatty rubber at the rear is a visual standout and the perfect accompaniment to the lower ride superlative on 20-inch wheels. This is definitely the ticket, I thought.

Time to get moving. Right from the go-become, it felt different to the press car I had driven previously. Tighter, more equanimous and thoroughly more planted when I gave information technology a moderate squirt to bring together the Hume. Oh yes, this was a unlike Mustang Bullitt to anything else I'd seen or driven.

Just the fact I didn't accept to expect at those cheap Chinese knock-off wheels put a smile on my confront. Moreover, this was a tougher stance all round. Menacing almost, especially in concert with the specially-honed exhaust wide open in Race Rail mode to play its loudest rendition of the original movie car soundtrack.

All I wanted now was to chase a Hellcat upwards and downward San Francisco'southward hills at present that I had the ultimate handling prepare, which led me to another idea. It's at that moment I truly wanted to plough around and head dorsum to Rob'southward workshop and get the 400mm cross-drilled brake package and supercharger kit he offered, but I kept going n for fear of my more fiscally-responsible half if word got out.

At that place'south nothing like driving a proper manual transmission with vintage-like cue-ball shifter that seems to fit perfectly in your left hand, while paired with a moderately-weighted clutch. All the same truth be told, I'd much adopt the Tremec box from the latest Mach 1 than the Getrag unit in the Bullitt, equally it feels so much more robust and precise at the same time.

That said, the rev-match role is bright, and you lot'll soon enable information technology in favour of heel-and-toe shifting (as I did) given its infallible throttle blips at precisely the right moment, regardless of how late you leave the gearchange.

The steering could be more chatty, though, (information technology surely is in the Mach 1), and that'south subsequently the Herrod Performance treatment. Yous can really hustle the Mach 1 though challenging bends with a fine degree of advice y'all merely don't arrive the Bullitt. That's a real pity in my view.

I don't drive information technology all that much these days given my job of reviewing new cars each week, but once or twice, prior to this current Sydney lockdown (will it ever end), I've had the opportunity to properly mix information technology upwardly on some great roads behind an i30 N hatchback driven properly quick.

I'chiliad pleased to say my Herrod-modded Bullitt was more than upward to the job in the handling department. In fact, the harder you push, the more the car hunkers down and carves up the bends.

Merely, when the route opened up, it was 'no contest', thanks to the power and torque of the Mustang'due south wonderfully sonorous v.0-litre V8 at full cry.

Honestly, the grip this enhanced Mustang generates now, is uncanny, as is its power to carry blistering footstep through the more challenging corners. You can also become on the throttle much before for the exits. It feels as equanimous as the Mach 1 – perhaps even more than so, but without the level of feedback on turn-in.

However, even as a daily, the Bullitt is a dream, and that includes stop/start peak-hour driving or just pottering around in tertiary all solar day. It's the same story with long hauls like my 1800km round trip up northward.

Once you've cleared Metropolitan Sydney, you just apply set the adaptive cruise and laissez passer the time away with CarPlay, considering these Recaro seats offer superb long-range comfort even if they mean you lose the heating and cooling functions that come with the standard seats.

Cabin and tech thoughts

A mix of retro and modern – remembering this generation of Bullitt came out in 2018. Things have moved on quite a chip since then, particularly with screens and dash layouts.

It'due south not luxurious in any way shape or form, while being a long fashion off Euro equivalents at this price indicate, but at that place is plenty of leather upholstery near the cabin as well every bit all the usual modern-cons which nosotros all consider mandatory inclusions these days.

Mind, the leather is substandard compared to annihilation from Europe and Korea these days.

Standard kit includes an viii.0-inch touchscreen without the drinking glass-backed clarity you get in Volkswagens costing less than one-half this price, but Ford's Sync 3 infotainment organisation is both reliable and responsive.

Apple CarPlay works well, particularly when you're continuously switching between music, podcasts, messaging and phone apps as you tend to do during long stints behind the cycle.

The Mustang's customisable 12-inch all-digital driver's display is a decent characteristic, as well, offering several instrument and gauge configurations, also every bit a shift-lite bar, which but goes live at around 4000rpm or above. Consider information technology as instant gratification for giving it a proper nudge.

There's also ambient lighting, front end and rear parking sensors, a 12-speaker, 1000-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system (must be depression-end because the speaker grills are plastic), an auto-dimming rear-view mirror as well as car LED headlights and wipers.

While the boot will swallow a full-size suitcase and and so some, don't try getting into those back seat demote seats unless you're reasonably short and very flexible. Information technology's a hassle either way and but for brusque rides.

Apart from that, there's just enough space inside the cabin for odd and ends, with a cooled centre console bin providing the only reasonable space to hold phones, wallets and keys, besides the glovebox.

Have any issues or faults cropped up?

No, non one. It'due south but got 7400kms on the clock, but its due for a service despite the depression kays.

The Bullitt is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Servicing

It had a complimentary service at 3000km, and some other service at 4777kms in 2022 at a price of $400.

Just, given the machine now has a total of 7400km on the clock I haven't serviced the auto since, but do requite it a run at least twice a month for 20 minutes or so.

Lesser line

As much equally I crave for a Shelby GT350R or even a Mach 1, I wouldn't bandy the Bullitt for either. As well much of my youth and heritage are tied up in this machine.

I still love it every fourth dimension I become behind the bike and make some noise and spotter the smiles every bit I go past.

I still desire that Shelby, though, if they ever do a RHD version.

Click the images for the full gallery

More than: Everything Ford Mustang

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Source: https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-reviews/why-i-bought-a-ford-mustang-bullitt

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