2001 Ford Mustang Bullit GT ___________________
Article written and submitted by William Hodack

THE HISTORY
For those of you lucky enough to already own this car, feel free to skip this section as you've probably already heard the history a dozen times.

The inspiration for the car comes from the 1968 film Bullitt, starring Steve McQueen. Here's a plot summary:

Steve McQueen stars as Frank Bullitt, a tough San Francisco cop assigned to protect a mob witness. When the witness is gunned down, it is up to Bullitt to exact his own brand of justice, much to the dismay of Robert Vaughn, a smarmy congressman who wishes to further his political career by prosecuting organized crime. He holds Bullitt responsible for the death of his star witness, and it is up to the super cop to bring the killer down, while showing Vaughn that he is nothing but a gussied-up sissy-boy.

Thanks IMDB for that handy synopsis! Anyhow, that movie was 7 years before my birth. I ended up getting the Bullitt because the dealer didn't have any GTs left in the colors I wanted.

THE CAR
There are only 6500 made, and Ford has no plans to make any more. It is not available as a convertible unfortunately. It costs about $3,700 more than a Mustang GT V-8 coupe.

What does $3,700 extra get you? Well, not much in terms of horsepower. The Bullitt only has 5 more horsepower than the GT. Some reports say that it's actually 15 more horsepower. The Bullitt has different springs, struts and stabilizer bars in both front and back. Engine modifications, including changes to the intake manifold and throttle-body bore, and the addition of high-flow mufflers, help produce a maximum 305 foot-pounds of torque lower in the range (@4000rpm). Brembo racing brakes allow it to stop on any unlucky dime that happens to be in your path. Power windows, locks, mirrors and cruise control come standard.

The car has a slightly lower profile, about 1.5 inches lower. Exterior changes include covered side scoops, 17-inch, five-spoke aluminum wheels, some unique body panels and a brushed aluminum gas-tank door. It has no spoiler. Interior changes include an aluminum ball gear shifter and metal pedals with rubber grill grips. It comes in three colors: black, dark metallic green, and...um...something else I can't remember.

The "Bullitt" markings are very inconspicuous. The word "Bullitt" is billed in small metallic letters on the left side of the rear trunk. The rear bumper simply reads "MUSTANG", like the LX version, instead of "MUSTANG GT" or "COBRA". Having a would-be punk mistake you for a piddly six-banger LX is one of the funniest things to watch as he shrinks in your rear view mirror. The side fenders display the GT symbol. The hood has a slightly raised scoop (difference between GT is not really noticeable) and does not possess the trademark "flare" openings of the Cobra's hood. The word "BULLITT" is also displayed on the inside door sills.

Some raw performance data:

HP: reports vary from 265 to 275 @ 5600 rpm.
Top Speed: unknown, but I remember getting it up to 135 one time before my girlfriend was screaming at me to slow down.
Torque: 305 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
0-60 mph: 5.6 sec
Quarter Mile: 14.1 sec @ 98 mph

THE DRIVE

If it's a typical Texas summer day, getting into and driving the car is an exercise in burn therapy. You won't notice how comfortable the performance leather seats are when they're burning your thighs and elbows. Touching the gear shifter is like grasping a hot coal. Although, to be fair, most of this could be prevented with a simple sun-shade windshield cover, but I'm too damn lazy to use one of those.

Let's put the Texas heat aside for a moment. Getting into the car when it's NOT 110 degrees outside is empowering. The custom seats are very comfortable. The gear shifter is easily accessible (unlike the GT).

The MACH 460 Sound System (optional) with 6 disk in-dash CD changer comes alive. The CD changer does not use a caddy, the CDs are all loaded into the same slot. I have heard horror stories from friends with Lexus' and BMWs that have had these similar CD changers. They said big bumps will cause the CDs inside to jumble about and get jammed, so the player won't play, won't eject, and needs to be returned to the manufacturer to get fixed (and get your CDs out). This has happened to them multiple times. Well, I have gone over pot holes the size of basketballs, driven over speed bumps at 30mph, and taken rough 90 degree turns at insane speeds and the Mach player has not skipped ONCE on me! The sound is very clear. It has various pre-set EQ settings, but they are all stupid. Church, Stadium, Gospel, Rock, Jazz, etc. Who came up with these? Hey Ford, just because the car was inspired by a 1968 movie, doesn't mean the car is going to be driven by 50 year olds. Try adding some standard EQ settings, like House, Trance, etc.

The sound volume can get very loud without breaking up. The highs and mids are very strong. The lows (bass) are hit & miss. Some songs sound good, others don't. Example: "Brooklyn Bounce" (track with hard, continuous bass beats) sounds amazing, while "Right Here, Right Now" (popular Fat Boy Slim track) sounds muted.

Starting the engine emits a pleasing, deep throaty rumble. It idles louder than other Mustangs. Shifting is somewhat smooth, but not flawless. The car's attitude resembles its namesake, a horse. It does what you want, when you want. Want to use it as a casual daily driver? No problem, it fits the bill. However, for right now, we don't care about how it casually drives.

I say "Go. NOW!" and mash the pedal.

The car takes off, like a horse at the races. It redlines first gear at 50mph @5600rpm. Shifting to 2nd is as natural as breathing. 2nd brings us to 65mph at redline. 3rd kicks us up to 100mph. At this point you have already destroyed all "average" cars and you have become one with the car. You don't notice your rapid heartbeat, heavy breathing, or dilated pupils. All you focus on is the car, the road, and insignificant obstacles such as concrete walls, turns, other vehicles, and those "pedestrian" thingies.

Somewhere in the mid 100s the sensible part of your brain starts to fight back against the adrenaline and reminds you of things like jail, costs of repairing totaled or broken cars, and death. When you decide you've had enough, the Brembos bring you to a complete and controlled halt, with no slipping or drifting.

The ride is not smooth. Luxury cars feel like you're riding on a cloud. The Mustang Bullitt feels like just that: a horse. But this can be an advantage if you're into street racing. You'll feel the road; you'll be one with the car.

The Traction Control is very invasive. It activates when it detects the rear end slipping and reduces the power to the rear wheels. Once activated, it stays on for about 4 seconds. The problem is that it's too sensitive. It'll sometimes trigger on simple turns taken at normal speeds. While vital for wet road conditions, where the Bullitt's power tends to be a liability, the traction control is a death sentence for street racing. Thankfully it can be disabled through a button located on the dash under the radio.

The tires are average. They do not grip as well on sharp turns as I'd like. The rear end can easily swing out. But they're good enough for most purposes. Switching lanes at fast speeds (100mph+) is uneventful and does not bother the car at all. On a dry afternoon, highway driving in light traffic is a dream. Acceleration is aggressive, fast lane switching is no problem, and the Brembo brakes inspire great confidence.

The clutch is somewhat stiff, which can be a problem for rush hour bumper-to-bumper traffic. Your left leg will get tired. Shifting can be troublesome at times during daily driving when shifting from 2nd to 3rd. The gate is very unforgiving with that particular shift, and I have ground the gears several times. Fortunately this does not seem to be an issue when racing. Fast shifting at red line from 2nd to 3rd has never given me a problem.

The trunk has a handy internal escape release mechanism, for all those annoying times you accidentally lock yourself in your trunk! The rear seats are as expected for a performance car, they're small. Big enough for 10 year olds, but not comfortable for anyone else. The front seats are very comfortable.

THE CONCLUSION
The Mustang GT is generally the fastest car in its price range. The Bullitt's extra cost puts it in the Trans Am range, which has somewhat better performance statistics than the Bullitt. I had a special arrangement with Ford called the X Plan, which is 4% over invoice. With that discount in mind, I got the fastest car possible in my price range. Performance aside, it’s also got collector's value since it's a special edition.

IF you're looking for brute speed and performance and nothing else, I'd suggest the lower cost GT or the similarly priced Trans Am. But if you're interested in the Bullitt's history, uniqueness, and collector's value, I recommend it as a fun kick-ass ride!

disclaimer: 'he no longer owns this Bullitt, the company stole it back from him and he now drives a bitchin camaro' CM

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