KING OF COOL – Ford Mustang Bullitt
Ford is almost ready to unleash their iconic Bullitt on our roads, and we have pricing
We’ve known for some time that Ford South Africa will be unleashing their special-edition Mustang Bullitt on Msanzi, and now we have pricing for the flagship Mustang, as well as the rest of the range.
While the facelifted Mustang debuted Stateside some time ago, South Africa has – until now – soldiered on with the pre-facelift variant. Not that that has affected its sales in any way, because since its local introduction in 2016, the famed pony car has continued to dominate the local sports car sales charts, with over 3,000 Mustangs making their way into South African driveways.
But fortunately, Ford South Africa is readying the refreshed Mustang for its local launch, bringing with it some significant styling updates, more power and some nifty tech improvements too, most notably the addition of a 10-speed automatic transmission, which has already debuted in the updated Ford Ranger line-up. Other tech highlights include an active exhaust system and the option of an adaptive damping system dubbed 'MagneRide'.
But, we are of course talking about the awesome Mustang Bullitt, of which only 55 are destined for South African shores. If it hasn’t ring a bell yet, the Mustang Bullitt is a special edition model that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Steve McQueen movie that made the green machine so famous.
“This new Bullitt is my favorite Mustang. With zero stripes, spoilers or badges, it doesn’t need to shout. It’s just cool, like Steve McQueen.” Those are the words of Darrell Behmer, Mustang chief designer; and frankly we have to agree with him.
While Ford has yet to release final specifications for the Bullitt, it is likely that the legendary pony car will be available in a choice of two colours, Shadow Black or the classic Highland Green. Other retro touches include 19-inch Torq Thrust-style (that hide massive Brembo brakes), and other Bullitt design touches feature throughout. In keeping with modern times, it is said to feature the latest 12-inch digital infotainment display as well as a premium 1000-watt B&O system, with Recaro sport seats and a heated leather steering wheel competing the interior.
As predicted, our South African-spec Bullitt will feature the exact same outputs as the Euro-spec Bullitt, meaning that it will produce less power than its American counterpart. Whereas the US-spec model makes 354kw and 529nm from its naturally-aspirated ‘Coyote V8’, our SA-spec Bullitt will produce 338kw and 529nm. This is still a minute increase over the 5.0 GT which now packs 331kw and 529nm, and can be attributed to an open-air induction system, an upgraded intake manifold, 87mm throttle bodies and a control module calibration straight from the Shelby Mustang GT350. Much like the American Bullitt, only one transmission will be offered - a 6-speed manual equipped with Ford’s new rev-matching technology which blips the throttle as the driver downshifts.
All variants of the Mustang – bar for the Bullitt – will utilize the new 10-speed automatic transmission. As mentioned, the 5.0 V8 variant will now produce 331kw and 529kw, while the smaller capacity turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost gets an acceptable 213kw and 440nm. Expect the 2.3 Fastback to hit 100kph from standstill in just 5.5 seconds, while the convertible variant will need an extra 0.2 seconds to hit the same marker. The 5.0 GT Fastback meanwhile will run from 0-100kph in a claimed 4.3 seconds, while the GT Convertible will take 4.5 seconds.
The ‘new’ Mustang is expected to arrive in South African dealerships in the coming weeks, with pricing for the new range being as follows:
Ford Mustang 2.3 Fastback R768 000
Ford Mustang 2.3 Convertible R831 000
Ford Mustang 5.0 GT Fastback R915 800
Ford Mustang 5.0 GT Convertible R978 400
Ford Mustang Bullitt 5.0 V8 GT Fastback R995 400
