2008 Mustang Bullitt History

H-pipe specifically developed for Bullitt. If theme music is warranted, drivers can crank up the Bullitt’s Shaker 500 Audio System.

Safety First – Steve McQueen (and stunt drivers) buckled up before racing the Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390, specially modified to run the bad guys off the road, at speeds of up to 110 mph along the streets of San Francisco. Concerned residents along the film route reportedly called the San Francisco Police Department and City Hall during filming of the now-legendary jump sequence. Some say the San Francisco authorities were led to believe the cars wouldn’t exceed speeds of 35 mph. Designed for performance, the 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt delivers the thrill of the original – along with a host of features scarcely imagined in 1968. Standard content includes an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with traction control, seat-mounted side air bags, LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), Ford’s Personal Safety System®, SecuriLock® Passive Anti-Theft System (PATS); and the company’s Tire Pressure Monitoring System. (Ford advises consumers to buckle up, drive safely and obey posted speed limits.)

Sport-tuned – Bullitt’s 390 cubic-inch V-8 introduced big-block performance to the Mustang. For 2008, Ford dials the driving dynamics up a notch for Mustang enthusiasts. Ford engineers modified the 2008 Mustang Bullitt’s chassis and suspension to fine-tune handling and ensure the extra horsepower and torque from the 4.6-liter V-8 is put to good use. The live rear axle uses a 3.73:1 gear that helps launch the Bullitt with vigor.

Stock Mustang GT shocks and struts were swapped out for new units that allowed engineers to dial in a more aggressive driving dynamic and deliver the most balanced Mustang yet. A tower-to-tower brace designed specifically for the Bullitt lends additional torsional and lateral stiffness to the chassis for improved cornering and holds a unique serial number for each Bullitt. The brakes also have been improved versus the base Mustang GT’s. More aggressive front pads were developed specifically for Bullitt and improve fade resistance and pedal feel.

Insider’s View – Driver’s-view shots let audiences in on the thrill of the chase in Bullitt, along with giving them a glimpse of the Mustang GT’s spartan, no-nonsense interior. The 2008 Mustang Bullitt maintains an understated mystique, with a graphically clean interior, sporting charcoal black leather and race-inspired accents – including a hand-machined, aluminum swirl dash panel appliqué. Consumers also can set the mood with available ambient lighting.

Did You See That? – The chase scene in Bullitt took more than two weeks to film, resulting in 9 minutes and 42 seconds of edited footage that helped Frank P. Keller earn an Academy Award® for Film Editing. Filming in a working city, with locations spread out over a considerable part of San Francisco, helped generate a number of continuity lapses that are either overlooked or celebrated by Bullitt aficionados. A few disjointed street sequences emerge when the footage from certain streets is reused. (Audiences are tipped off when a green Volkswagen, yellow cab and white Firebird reappear several times.) The Dodge Charger driven by the villains loses no fewer than eight hubcaps during the chase. Still, for many, no other chase scene before or since has come close to equaling it.

Clean Machine – 1968 was the first year in which vehicle emissions were regulated by the U.S. federal government but cars still burned leaded fuel and catalytic converters were still years away. All 1968 Mustang engines incorporated an exhaust emission control system. Today's vehicles produce 99 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than cars in the 1970s. The 2008 Mustang Bullitt’s 4.6-liter three-valve engine delivers low emissions and is in compliance with MuCalifornia's stringent Low Emissions Vehicle II (LEV II) standard.

Need for Speed – Then: The original 1968 Mustang GT 390 boasted a 0-60 time of 7.8 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 15.2 seconds at 94.0 mph, according to Motor Trend. Now: Ford engineers modified the 2008 Mustang Bullitt’s chassis and suspension to fine-tune handling and ensure the extra horsepower and torque from the 4.6-liter V-8 is put to good use. Motor Trend clocks the 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt at 5 seconds even for 0-60, with a quarter-mile time of 13.7 seconds at 102.7 mph.

Date : 07 Nov 2007 12:16:09 Source: Ford

Date : 07 Nov 2007 12:16:09
Source: Ford