Steve McQueen Edition Bullitt Mustang Looks Even Better in Real Life

This supercharged Bullitt started life as a collection of computer-generated sketches but now it’s a high-powered reality.

Last August, McQueen Racing (headed by the late Steve McQueen’s son Chad) and Steeda announced they were going to create a Steve McQueen Edition Bullitt Mustang as a modern automotive tribute to the “King of Cool.”

At that time, they released computer-generated illustrations of how the car would eventually look and we made sure to share them with you here on The Mustang Source. Those showed a mean green machine sitting on special wheels and sporting sail panel louvres. Now comes this footage from our friends at Nitto Tire. The latest video on their Driving Line channel on YouTube shows the 2019 Steve McQueen Edition Bullitt Mustang in all of its three-dimensional metal, glass, and rubber glory. As promising as the early images were, the real car looks better.

Up front, there’s a pronounced splitter that makes the splitter on the Mustang GT PP2 look subtle. There’s no Steeda banner at the top of the windshield, but there is a Steeda performance suspension underneath the Steve McQueen Edition Bullitt Mustang’s Dark Highland Green bodywork.

A set of special Steve McQueen Edition wheels wrapped in Nitto NT555 G2 tires help this Bullitt fire down the road. This particular car is not equipped with those cool sail panel louvres shown in the preliminary designs, but it does have a few surprises that make up for their absence.

We told you last year that the standard Steve McQueen Edition Bullitt Mustang would have a cold air intake and a performance tune that would increase its 5.0‘s horsepower to an even 500. This particular car has that and more. Much more. Under the hood, there’s a Whipple supercharger that cranks output up to 775 horsepower. That blown beast is connected to a short-throw shifter (topped with a cue ball knob, of course).

With that kind of power up front, it’s a good thing there’s a four-point roll cage behind the front seats. It replaces the rear seats, but those were never really spacious enough to carry adult passengers, anyway. Might as well use the room for something cool.

There was only one Steve McQueen. Fortunately, there will be more than one Steve McQueen Edition Bullitt Mustang. McQueen Racing and Steeda will produce 300 of them a year. Prices start at $20,995.**

Gallery photos for The Mustang Source by Derin Richardson

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.