Star Power: Steeda transforms the Bullitt from leading man to action hero with the Steve McQueen Edition
The
headlights peer down a dark, tree-lined road. From a stop your scribe
rolls into the throttle. The power surges and from the midrange up the
power is intoxicating. Banging through several gears the world is a
blur, but the performance is clear. The tires dig into the road as the
car reaches chase-scene speeds.
Peeking in the rear-view mirror,
the coast is clear, but the bad guys don't have a chance when this 2019
Mustang Bullitt flexes its muscle. However, this example isn't just a
factory limited edition stallion, it is a special edition built with the
star of its namesake movie in mind. This is the Steve McQueen Edition
Bullitt Mustang from Steeda Performance Vehicles — and this one is
supercharged.
From that first blast in the car, it was difficult to determine what
was more impressive, the power on tap or the ease with which it was
applied to the road. While the factory Bullitt delivers a generous 480
horsepower right off the dealer lot, the optional Whipple supercharger
under the hood of the McQueen machine ramps up the output to 775
horsepower.
However, the supercharged horsepower and the signature
Steeda suspension are only part of this story. This might be the first
example with a supercharger under the hood, but this extra special
edition takes the movie-inspired machine to another level in a way that
the King of Cool would have loved.
"When Ford introduced the S550-based Bullitt Mustang at the 2018
North American International Auto Show, we knew it was inevitable that
we would do a Steeda version of the car because the Bullitt customer is
essentially no different from other Mustang enthusiasts in that they
place a priority on performance," Bob Adams, President of Steeda
Performance Vehicles, said. "As we discussed potential upgrades, it was a
no-brainer to involve Chad McQueen and the Team at McQueen Racing into
the development process, because of the valuable insights and expertise
that they could bring to the table."
Having the insight of the
actor's son in developing this version allowed Steeda to make
performance and visual improvements that enhanced the Bullitt's
undercover style without straying to far from its understated mission.
"Chad McQueen is an accomplished driver and is extremely
knowledgeable about performance cars. To this day he still get a large
amount of track time, plus he has tremendous insight as to what his
father would have wanted to do to the Bullitt if he was alive today,"
Bob explained. "So when you mix the knowledge base of the Steeda and
McQueen Racing organizations with the incredible insight and skills of
Chad McQueen, you have the perfect formula needed to create the ultimate
Bullitt Mustang for today."
Among the significant upgrades in
visual firepower are a set of unique Steve McQueen Edition 20-inch
wheels adorned with Steve McQueen Edition center caps and wrapped in
Nitto NTTTG2 rubber, and an aggressive front splitter, and a signature
rear emblem. If you know the Bullitt, they standout, if not they aren't
overt.
"Chad was adamant that he wanted this car to be exactly what his
father would drive today. From a design perspective, he wanted the Steve
McQueen Edition to be the ultimate sleeper Mustang," Bob explained. "He
wanted big horsepower, a suspension system that can handle the power
with confidence, and as an added bonus, a four-point roll bar, rear-seat
delete, and six-point harnesses. Chad oversaw the entire development
process and once completed and while he was testing it on the track, he
was all smiles and said, "You guys nailed it, this car is perfect in all
regards"
In our brief experience behind the wheel the
supercharged Steve McQueen Edition Bullitt not only applied that Whipple
power to the pavement with ease and confidence, but it did so with
little downside. Obviously the suspension is more taut and communicative
of road imperfections, but the change is slight in comparison with the
leap in performance.
"You are right about the feeling the suspension system provides when
under power. The suspension feels to enhance its overall grip on the
pavement and launch exceptionally hard. This is because our development
teams spent considerable time with modifications to the suspension with
the primary focus on power delivery and performance handling," Bob
elaborated. "Every part that was installed is part of a cohesively
engineered package specifically designed to work together for maximum
traction without the annoying NVH issues that many manufacturers have
with their performance packages."
That combination includes a host of Steeda's proven S550 suspension
upgrades, including sway bars, camber plates, dual-rate springs,
bump-steer kit, billet vertical links, and full IRS support. The
suspension still offers compliance, but pounces like a predator when the
power is applied with the right pedal.
It was especially fun to come charging into a corner, jump the
binders, down shift with an auto-rev match assist and squeeze that
supercharged power on in the corner exit. This combo just begs to cut
loose on a racetrack — or in a movie car chase.
"We strategically followed the Steeda formula that is based on over
30 years of Mustang performance," Bob said. "And that is a comprehensive
engineered and thoroughly tested package for high horsepower and
aggressive driving situations."
Of course, in general driving the
car excelled with comfort and all the toys you would want. It also
exudes the kind of cool that makes you want to pop on a pair of aviator
shades and go for a cruise, which we did on a sticky summer evening in
Detroit. Fighting the urge to make a getaway in this special machine, we
reluctantly returned the McQueen Edition key fob back over and returned
to civilian life.
Suffice it to say that if you are a fan of the Mustang Bullitt but
you want more firepower, the Steve McQueen Edition Bullitt — which
starts at $22,995 on top of the base vehicle — turns Ford's leading man
into an action hero.
