2008 Ford Bullitt Mustang

The 2008 Ford Bullitt Mustang made its debut at the L.A. auto show. With a price tag of $31,075, only 7000 will be sold in the U.S., with 700 destined for Canada. Dealers will receive cars in January, so don't lag if you want one.

Not as performance-oriented as a Shelby GT, but still sporting, the Bullitt lives up to the image of the 1969 fastback better than any previous Mustang. It lacks only the fastback and 4-speed. Driving the new car is surely easier, but it retains the cool image and sound of the original, thanks to special Dark Highland Green paint, unique wheels and a retuned exhaust to match the DVD sound track.

The 4.6-liter V-8 is bumped up to 315 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft. of torque. Equipped with a Ford Performance parts cold-air intake, an increase in peak rpm by 250, adaptive spark ignition that can measure fuel octane and a final drive of 3.73:1 the Bullitt pulls like it should and chirps the tires between full-throttle shifts, much like Steve McQueen does in the movie. As for how it handles the jumps, we'll have to wait and see.

2008 Ford Bullitt Mustang - Brian Blades, Road and Track