All-new Ford Mustang Bullitt unleashed

Ford has revealed a 475bhp Mustang special edition which pays homage to the famed car from Steve McQueen’s epic Bullitt movie on its 50th anniversary.

The Ford Mustang Bullitt is powered by an upgraded 5.0-litre V8 engine, giving the car a top speed of 163mph.

The original 1968 Mustang GT fastback that starred in the award-winning movie also drove onto the Ford stage at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, ending a 40-year mystery about the car’s whereabouts.

The all-new Ford Mustang Bullitt is equipped with a manual transmission, and the gear shifter features a white cue ball knob as a nod to the original, while its active valve performance exhaust system has been retuned to give the car a signature burble.

Exterior paint choices are limited to Shadow Black and the classic Dark Highland Green – as worn in the movie. Other features that pay tribute to the car McQueen drove are subtle chrome accents around the grille and front windows, and classic torque thrust 19-inch aluminium wheels.

“This new Bullitt is, as Steve McQueen was, effortlessly cool,” said Darrell Behmer, Mustang chief designer. “As a designer, it’s my favourite Mustang – devoid of stripes, spoilers and badges. It doesn’t need to scream about anything – it’s just cool.”