![]() ![]() ![]() Ford officially claims the world's newest pony car can connect 0-60 miles an hour in 3.3 seconds in ideal conditions, whatever those might be. The beauty here is the original set the stage for it modern counterpart - as it was then, and remains today, both cars are all about muscle.We left two manufacturer claims out of our First Drive of the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. From a driver’s perspective, however, the 2019 Mustang Bullitt has its act together, using technology to produce a very quick car that doesn’t object to being driven hard. It was an iconic design then, and it has lost none of its shining appeal today. Today’s Mustang Bullitt is positively sumptuous - the Recaro seats offer superb support, the instrumentation changes according to the drive mode selected, and it has a full suit of modern technologies to help out at the drag strip, including Line Lock to perfect smoky burnouts, and launch control that enables the Bullitt to rocket off the line.īased on looks alone, the 1968 Mustang GT 390 wins hands down. It can be a handful, but it’s a very pleasant reminder of what it’s like to drive a car on the edge without a safety net - mess things up and 500 horses will bite in a serious hurry. It is also devoid of electronic assistants, so push too hard and the tail wags wildly. ![]() By today’s standards the cabin is bare bones, but that really matters not a whit. For the movie, McQueen replaced the steering wheel with one from 1967 Shelby GT 500, and added the oil pressure and ammeter gauges from the GT 350. Likewise, there are no headrests and the seats do little to stop you from sliding around when putting the boots to it. The original Mustang had two-point lap belts, an AM radio, Armstrong windows and door locks, and no rear defroster. Likewise, ditching the manual steering rack and adding a powered setup brings better precision, although you still tend to nudge the ’68 in the desired direction rather than actually steer it there. The difference is remarkable and underscores McQueen’s driving prowess there’s much less axle tramp off the line and body roll through a corner. The replica also departs from the original with a coilover suspension setup fitted up front, along with lower rear trailing arms and coilovers in place of the leaf springs out back. With its enlarged engine, this ’68 rips off the dash in about 5.5 seconds, which is nothing short of outstanding. Considering there’s five decades between the two cars, the original holds its own with its big-block heads high. The original 320-horsepower Mustang GT 390 ran from rest to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds, while the 2019 Bullitt chops that to 4.9 seconds. The performance differences proved to be surprisingly small. I’m not complaining about what it has, but 500 just seems like such a nice, round number. I do have one wish for the new Bullitt, however: It’s been 50 years, so 10 horsepower for each year would put an even 500 under the hood. It also benefits from a rev-matching system, blipping the throttle on a downshift. The transmission’s throws are short, the spacing just right, and clutch action light. of torque through a six-speed manual and a Torsen limited-slip rear differential at the back wheels. The 2019 Mustang Bullitt counters with 5.0-litre V8 pushing out 480 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. The long ratios and the engine’s flexibility see the two work together rather well, once you’ve gotten used to the setup. It has a less than defined gate and the throws are just shy of a time zone, but in fairness, the gearbox does what’s required. The hitch in the powertrain is the manual gearbox. The engine was bored and stroked, now measuring 435 cubic-inches and produces 500 horsepower - insert a very big smile here. of torque, and drove the rear wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox. The original Mustang GT 390 had a 390 cubic-inch V8 that got its go-juice from a four-barrel Holley carburetor. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
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