Live out your Steve McQueen fantasies with this souped-up Ford Mustang Bullitt

By Stephen Edelstein Published August 28, 2018

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt is a modern incarnation of the iconic movie car, and that makes it pretty cool. But Ford tuner Steeda thought it could do better, so it created its own special Mustang to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Steve McQueen’s Bullitt and its famous Mustang vs. Dodge Charger car chase.

That car is the Steve McQueen Edition Ford Mustang Bullitt, and the inclusion of the McQueen name is more than a hollow marketing ploy. Steeda teamed up with McQueen Racing, the motor sport and engineering firm run by Chad McQueen, Steve’s son, to design the car.

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The Steve McQueen Edition is based on the 2019 Mustang Bullitt, and features the same modern interpretation of the 1968 movie car’s Highland Green paint. But Steeda went a step further, commissioning HRE to design new aluminum wheels that look like they came straight out of the 1960s. Those wheels are wrapped in Nitto NT555 G2 High Performance tires in a staggered configuration, with wider rubber in the back.

The basic package includes a cold-air intake that bumps output from the 5.0-liter V8 engine to 500 horsepower, which is 20 hp more than stock, a short-throw shifter for the six-speed manual transmission, and some suspension upgrades. But Steeda also offers an optional supercharger that boosts output to 775 hp, a weight-saving rear-seat delete kit, roll cage, carbon-fiber driveshaft, and McQueen Racing brake calipers.

Steeda charges $20,995 for the basic package, but first you’ll need a 2019 Mustang Bullitt donor car, and those start at $46,595. Customers who have already ordered a Mustang Bullitt can have the car shipped directly to one of Steeda’s four assembly locations for the conversion. For those who don’t already have an order placed, Steeda said it will coordinate with Ford to get the car built and shipped to one of its facilities. Steeda plans to make just 300 Steve McQueen Edition Bullitt Mustangs per year.

It’s shaping up to be a vintage year for the Ford Mustang. Besides the 50th anniversary of Bullitt, Ford recently celebrated a major Mustang production milestone. The automaker just built the 10-millionth Mustang since production started in 1964. Looking ahead, Ford has both a high-performance Shelby GT500 and a more eco-friendly Mustang hybrid waiting in the wings.

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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