2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt is retro rocket

Classic 'Bullitt' Ford Mustang to return in 2008

I don't know if it is a tribute to Steve McQueen in his iconic role as Detective Lt. Frank Bullitt or to the Ford Mustang , but Ford's latest product offensive, and even the press launch itself, is most definitely a case of deja vu all over again.

As for the car, it's the latest rendition of the company's iconic Mustang.

While the car is not quite saving the company's coffers, Ford has at least staked a claim that it still knows how to pen designs that people want.

And, of course, Mustangs don't get any more iconic than a GT liveried up to look like it's 1968 and Steve McQueen is still smoking Luckys like the surgeon general was just kidding.

But not only is the car strikingly familiar but so, too, is the method by which Ford is determined to garner publicity for its latest retro rocket.

When the original Bullitt version of the Mustang was launched in 2001, it was here in San Francisco where the car chase scene of the original movie of the same name -- still the greatest car chase scene of all time -- was filmed.

So, cue up all those not-so-tired cliches regarding McQueen's icy stare, his laconic delivery and the authenticity -- as in he did most of his own stunts -- he brought to the silver screen.

We Boomers of a certain age are a sucker for them all.

Ford, of course, is hoping some of that rubs off on this latest homage to Bullitt.

Though not quite as potent as McQueen's breathed-on 1968 GT, the 2008 would nonetheless be more than capable of some serious derring-do were our Ford minders to put out police spotters. Say what you will about some of the Mustang's dated technology -- the solid, "live" rear axle, the three-valves-per-cylinder 4.6-litre V8, etc. -- you can't get much more performance for so few bucks.

Whether in its base GT form or Bullitt guise, the modern Mustang still succeeds because of its adherence to the tried-and-true American muscle car formula: Put generous amounts of horsepower under the hood, copious rubber on the road and then charge the same amount ($33,999 for the GT; $38,494 for the Bullitt) as those namby-pamby Europeans do just to put a set of wider rims on their effete roadsters.

The Bullitt has 315 horsepower (up from the base car's 300). It's not overwhelming, but it is generous. Ford also liberated the 3.73 rear axle from the GT500 that emphasizes acceleration over fuel economy.

That said, even in Bullitt form, the Mustang is not a Vette killer. Its acceleration will definitely get you in trouble with radar traps, but it's not of the tire-shredding variety that makes Vipers and early Mustang 427s the stuff of legend.

It's a solid performer rather than the quintessential muscle car. On the other hand, there are so many goodies available for Mustangs that any degree of performance is available depending on the thickness of your wallet.

Though I can see some of the power-hungry fooling with its engine bits, I heartily recommend leaving the chassis alone. Using the GT as a starting point, Ford has massaged the suspension and steering with firmer springs, thicker swaybars, more substantial dampers and tighter bushings. The result is a far tidier package than the base car with less body roll and much more precise steering response. The front end, in particular, seems to stick like glue, making it easy to aim the relatively big Mustang through the twisties.

Source: [url=http://autos.canada.com/news/story.html?id=a8a1d695-9e28-4319-bf20-804ea98fa5d7]Driving.ca[/url]