2002 Ford Bullitt Mustang - First Test - American Muscle Car

'68 Dodge Charger Courtesy Vince MunigaYou need to be wearing a leather jacket over a turtleneck as you slide onto the dark, charcoal leather driver's seat of the Ford Bullitt Mustang-even if your local weather is nothing like the constant fog of San Francisco. Driving a car bearing this name requires you to look the part. Fire up the distinctly American, if now overhead-cammed, V-8, and you'll hear the appropriately soft-spoken yet manly burble. It's a sound befitting someone who dances to the beat of his own drum, of existential anti-hero Frank Bullitt-created and played by the icy cool Steve McQueen at the height of his still-cult-like powers-caught between the bad guys who wear badges and the bad guys who don't.

So you've bought into the car's name, its aura, its raison d'tre, and you're ready to do battle in your daily commute.

Slip the aluminum-shift-knobbed five-speed manual into gear and meld into traffic coolly, maturely, and wearing the right shades, of course. With but a hint of badging-only the Bullitt name on the rear deck and on the rocker-panel sills, hidden until a door is open-nobody will know you're out trolling for a triple-black '68 Dodge Charger. Low-key 'tude is what the Bullitt's about. Perhaps it's also about style by way of anti-style. And fortunately, it also functions as a real car for those of us who can't be McQueen wannabes 24/7.

To transform the Mustang GT into the Bullitt, Ford added a cast aluminum SVT Cobra intake manifold, plus a twin-bore 57mm throttle body and port-matched heads to the existing 4.6L SOHC V-8. There's also an alternator and windage tray from the Cobra, plus a high-flow exhaust system with special tailpipes. Power is up just 5 horses over the standard GT, to 265. Torque comes in at 305 lb-ft at 4000 rpm versus 302 at 4000 for the GT. The standard Bullitt comes in Dark Highland Green-and looks fantastic. Don't even think about the True Blue or black paint options; McQueen's 'Stang was dark metallic-green, baby, and that's all there is to it.

Outside, its C-pillar has been modified to make smaller rear-quarter windows, while ride height has been lowered 31/44 in. The Mustang's standard side scoops are covered, and there's a competition-style brushed-aluminum fuel-filler door. American Racing Torq Thrust D-style wheels mimic the ones on Frank Bullitt's '68 Mustang GT, but with red disc brake calipers peeking out from behind them. The only over-the-top Bullitt detail is the white mustang horse imprinted on each caliper. Fortunately, the rest of the car is devoid of excessive cladding and wings; Ford Styling Chief J Mays, who championed this project from the beginning, is known for not liking fussy details. For the full McQueen effect, remove the chrome Mustang emblem from the center of the honeycomb grille.

The Bullitt Mustang's interior is as subtle as the rest of the car. The perforated leather buckets are comfortable, but they're fairly soft and not heavily bolstered. Most of the details-the steering wheel cover, seats, door and console trim, all in black leather-blend in and hide in the dark interior. White-face gauges, aluminum pedal covers with black grips, and especially that aluminum gearshift knob stand out. But it's all purposeful and low-key. The interior is one further reminder that this car is about driving, not showing off.