Chevrolet Camaro RS Review

The wait between thinly disguised show car and production Camaro was so long that a lot of people were predicting the real thing would be a dud...that the public would be bored silly before the first one was sold.

Boy, were they wrong.

No, it's not going to be 1967 all over again, when 220,000 Camaros rolled out of showrooms and into driveways across America...100,000 is probably more like it. But in this day and age, that's an impressive number for a limited-use vehicle (have you tried the back seat?) with two more or less equally attractive direct competitors.

Part of the appeal here has to be the magic Chevy has wrought with the base V6. At 305 horsepower, it's five horsepower more than the '09 Mustang V8, and only ten less than the 2010 Mustang V8. The fact that it can get 29 miles per gallon on the highway no doubt sweetens the deal for newly-green buyers.

And then there's the look. It takes a lot of critical thinking to get past the "Wow!" stage when you walk up to the new Camaro, especially in the right color (ours was the yellow you see above). Once that critical thinking is mustered, though, the only downer is the car seems a bit big...especially if you've been exposed to the first-gen (1967-69) car this one emulates. But the truth is, there's no way to build a car with the capabilities of this one, and the equipment the government mandates and buyers demand and have it be as light and lithe as the ones from 40 years ago.

Inside is where a lot of the "Wow!" factor evaporates. It's dark inside...and it's not helped by the high doors and low roofline that reduce glass space all around. Over time, you get used to it, but you'll never fall in love.

And the cluster of gauges down on the floor console? Well, we've learned way too much about ergonomics and keeping our eyes on the road the past four decades to think that's anything but a gimmick with no real value for the driver.

Ah...driving.

For the purposes of television, I took the RS out to the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving near Phoenix and spent half an hour or so on the autocross track. The RS handles sweetly...especially given its size and weight. The SS, with a heavier 425-horsepower V8 over its nose, probably won't move as nimbly.

Base price starts in the 22s...our tester bottom-lined at $30,160. These days, for this kind of performance, that's a bargain. It goes a long way toward explaining how Camaro is overcoming a late start, stiff competition, a bad economy and a burgeoning "sports cars=bad" mentality with a car that draws its inspiration from before its target buyers were born.

UPDATE: Did another week in another RS recently...this one with a six-speed manual...makes a big difference in performance (which is already stellar)...and kept the  price below $30K ($29,175). EPA estimates 17 city/29 highway.

If only Chevy can fix the interior darkness and visibility issues (beyond suggesting we buy the 2011 Camaro Convertible, that is)

Camaro SS Review

Months after our turn in the Camaro RS, comes the long-anticipated week in the Camaro SS.

What's the difference, ask the less than die-hard Camaro fans?

2 cylinders, 120 horsepower and 11 grand.

The SS is this year's bad boy Camaro...a 6.2 liter V8 making 425 horsepower. Not long ago, this was Corvette territory.

Sure, it's fast. Yes, it makes a marvelous noise when you put your foot in it.

Yeah, I would have loved this car in high school. No, there's not much I'd change about it....except maybe the slightly claustrophobic interior.

But would I buy one?

Hmmm.

Even assuming an epic middle-age crisis, I really don't know. The V6 RS, packing 305 horsepower, a price that begins in the $22,000 range and an EPA highway estimate of 29 miles per gallon strikes me as close to having it all.

425 horsepower is better on paper, but where and how do you use those extra horses and not endanger your future as a licensed driver? And the tradeoffs for that power of uncertain usefulness include a sticker that starts at $33,430 and an EPA highway estimate that drops to 24.

In absolute terms, it's a screaming deal....the tester bottom-lined at $35,850...which for this level of performance is amazing...and 24 highway for sheer muscle is a compelling number.

But factor in the uncertain times in which we live and banking the extra 10 grand from the purchase price and the weekly savings in gasoline, not to mention insurance, just seems like the smarter pick if you're shopping Camaros.

Mercedes-Benz E 350 C Review

When I started TireKicking professionally back in the late 90s, my favorite Mercedes was the CLK 350. Well-built, smooth and slick...nice lines, and, with the 350's lighter six instead of the 430's heavy V8 over the front wheels, beautifully balanced.

Over time, the CLK lost its allure...as did the entire Mercedes line when it went chasing volume at the expense of quality.

Well, the good news is that there's mounting evidence that Benz is back...and intent on building the best-engineered automobiles to a standard rather than a price.

The CLK convertible lives on, but the coupe is now part of the E-Class.

I mean, just look at the pictures above. It's gorgeous.

And once inside, you're not let down...the car reinforces the "good choice" vibe every inch of the way.

Cheap? No. Just barely reasonable, really...at $48,050...and lightly optioned at $54,245. But it's how good the car is that carries it off.

For your money, you get looks, style, quality, performance (0-60 in 6.2 seconds) and reasonable (17 city/26 highway) fuel economy. And, thanks to M-B no longer chasing market share above all else, you'll be driving something different...you won't see three just like yours driving home every night.

Even in a recession, there's a place for high quality and true luxury. $50,000 Chevy Tahoes are out...but there'll always be a place for a car like this.

Watch the pretty blonde lady take a test drive in her mind in this slick Mercedes-Benz official video:

Dodge Challenger R/T Review

The mailman got out of his truck, put our mail in the box by the sidewalk, turned, stared, did a double take and went back to his truck. He came out seconds later with his cellphone, snapping shot after shot.

The power crew came to replace the transformer buried in the next-door neighbor's backyard. They got out of the truck, on the way to the front door to tell me how long the power would be off. They never got there. I found all three of them, five minutes after I heard the truck doors close, in the driveway. Their question had changed from how soon they could cut the power without inconveniencing me too badly to:

Could I start it up, back it out of the driveway and do a burnout down the block?

The six year old girl, dressed in pink, leaving my daughter's ballet school, holding her daddy's hand as they walked to their minivan, stopped cold and said: "Whoa, Daddy! AWESOME car!".

God only knows what adolescent boys must be saying and thinking (though my son, who's 14, the age I was when the first Challenger hit the market, tells me it's "a reasonable alternative to the Viper").

Bright red (Dodge calls it "TorRed"), with 20" aluminum chrome wheels and a profile worthy of inclusion on Mt. Rushmore...and yes, it's got a Hemi.

5.7 liters, 376 horsepower and 410 pounds per foot of torque, to be precise. And though it comes with an automatic, this one had the optional TrackPak 6-speed manual.

Yes, it's way bigger than the original 1970 Challenger. That's what happens when you use the Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger platform. But it looks great, it's scary fast, it's got way more trunk room than the old one, and once you get inside, just reprogram your spatial orientation to "Road Runner" instead of "Challenger" and you'll be fine.

It's also something of a bargain for what you get: $29,320 base price...our tester bottom-lined at $35,965.

Love the shape but need still more of a bargain? The SE starts at $21,995, and comes with a 250-horsepower V6 and 18-inch wheels...which would have been a dream come true not too long ago. In fact, Dodge expects most Challengers sold will be SEs.

Here's a nice video about the development and production of what was then the not-yet-released Challenger SRT-8, the hottest of the Challengers:



UPDATE: More than a year after the above was written, Chrysler sent us a second Challenger...again an R/T with the Hemi, the 6-speed manual, the Track Pack...and again, an '09 (though the '10s should be out there now).

This one had a bump in the base price...now $30,220 and with more options on the sticker, the bottom line rings in at $38,170.

Oh, and this one was silver.

Not covered the first time we covered this...five-star crash ratings all around, four for rollover. EPA estimates 16 city/25 highway.

Volkswagen (New?) Beetle Review

After 10 years, Volkswagen is still calling it the New Beetle. Apparently, it will go out that way, because next year, there will be a new New Beetle...probably a 2011 model.

So should you wait? My knee-jerk reaction would normally be to say yes...but after a refresher in the existing Beetle, I'm not so sure.

18 months or more ago, I'd have written the Beetle off as tired and way overdue to be put out to pasture. But I drove one recently with the new realities firmly in my brain and you know what?

It's got a lot going for it.

I mean, just look at the basics: $18,540 base price...20 mpg city, 29 highway. Yes, the Jetta and Golf (a previous generation of which the Beetle is based on) are a few hundred dollars cheaper and get an extra mile per gallon or so, but the incredible feeling of space inside the Beetle (thanks to that arching roofline) is hard to beat.

If you're looking for unassuming, economical transportation without feeling cramped and invisible, the Beetle may be exactly the right call.

Scion tC Review

Here's a question I've never asked:

"If Darth Vader were a college student and drove a Scion, what would it look like?"

See above.

Okay, that's probably a bit harsh...but I was more than a bit bugged by the Scion tC.

Not the car itself, which I have always liked a lot...but by the way it was optioned.

The tC, for the uninitiated, is a smart, tight, fun little coupe...with a base price of just $17,000, an EPA estimate of 20 city/27 highway, more handling capability than most vehicles with a Toyota pedigree, and an impressive list of standard features (17 inch alloy wheels, moonroof, 160-watt Pioneer audio system with subwoofer)for the price.

Hard to beat.

But the tester came with $4000 of options that made absolutely no difference. $1083 for ground effects. $430 for a rear pedestal spoiler. $65 for a different shift knob. A metal one. In Phoenix. In summer (okay, that's worse for me than for a lot of folks). $1999 for 18" black wheels and Toyo tires. And $389 to upgrade the Pioneer audio system...though it doesn't specify what the upgrade was, exactly and it sounded about as good as the stock one (at least according to memory).

So $17,000 becomes $21,000...the performance of the car isn't improved (arguably, the 18 inch wheels hurt the ride) and the all-black menacing look....well, c'mon...it's a Scion. It's just not that menacing.

Still love the tC. Great car. Just buy it as-is, bone stock and you've got something. But jacking up the price by more than 20 percent for this stuff? Pass.

Ford Focus SES Coupe Review

I began my automotive journalism career 12 years ago this fall by testing a small Ford coupe that impressed me more than I expected. So it's kind of appropriate that this, the 150th TireKicker post (first anniversary is August 24), is also about a small Ford coupe that impressed me more than I expected.

The Ford Focus has been a bit of a disappointment simply because there's a better one being sold in Europe. But there are two bits of good news: We'll be getting the Euro Focus (or something very close to it) in a year or two...and the American version is being constantly improved and refined in the meantime.

The SES I drove had a 2 liter DOHC four, a 5-speed manual that's one of the best I've had from Ford and 17 inch wheels.



Inside, air, SYNC, and auxilary audio jacks are all standard.

Options on the tester included leather heated bucket seats, a moonroof and an upgrade to the audiophile sound system...as well as anti-lock brakes (which really, really should be standard).

Base price: $17.570. As tested: $20.615.

EPA estimates: 24 city/35 highway.

Now in that range, there's a lot of competition (it takes 26 city to make the TireKicker Top Ten Fuel Savers...and a lot of compacts are priced in that $17,000-$20,000 range), but the Focus is now good enough that it's able to run in that crowded pack.

Ford Mustang GT Review

Okay, throw the old script away. You know, the one where Mustang invents the pony car, but after a couple of hot new kids named Challenger and Camaro come to town, rapidly loses its edge.

That was so 40 years ago. Literally.

One thing is immediately clear after an afternoon...much less a week...in the 2010 Mustang GT:

Ford is serious.

The new 'Stang ought to be just a mid-cycle refresher...but it goes a big step further...it's slightly smaller, a bit lighter, handles and rides a ton better than last year's...and the interior is now a much nicer place to do business. We're talking a jump of two or three grades of materials and workmanship. And it's lighter and airier than the Challenger and Camaro, both of which tend to sit you low and cloak you in darkness.

The GT comes with those big fog lamps in the grille, leather trim sports seats, a power 6-way driver's seat, air, ambient lighting, the Shaker 500 audio system, SYNC, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel standard.

Oh, yeah...and a 325 horsepower 4.6 liter V8, which logic says ought to be mincemeat for the V8 Challenger and Camaro, but ends up being very competitive...partly due to the weight and size savings I mentioned earlier.

All that for a base price of $30,995. Sure, a six-speed manual would be better than a five, but the five shifts smoother and easier than ever before.

The one I had for a week (up until this very morning, in fact) had the premier trim with color accent (see photo above) for $395, a Security Package (another $395), a Comfort Package with heated seats ($595), and the 3.73 rear axle ($495). With destination and delivery ($850), the total tab was $33,725...a couple grand less than the Challenger.

Gas mileage? 16 city/24 highway, according to the EPA. Again, a six-speed would be nice.

A lot of the goodness in the new Mustang GT comes from last year's Bullitt package, right down to the throaty exhaust note and the chrome cue-ball shifter. Here's hoping they're not done with that franchise and that there will be a new Bullitt to raise the bar further still.

I took it to the local cruise night this past weekend...the Ford guys were all over it...and the GM and Mopar guys expressed admiration too. They talked about the styling, the interior upgrades, the engine note.

But the thing everyone dug most?



Yep...gotta love the sequential turn signals. Tells the guys in lesser cars where to follow.

Write this down...if pony cars survive at all, Mustang's here to stay.

Nissan 370Z Review

Oh, man, I hope the Nissan dealers have sold all the leftover 350Zs already.

Because once you drive the new 370Z, there is no going back.

The 350Z was nice and all...apart from a seriously cheap interior...but this...well, wow.

332 horsepower. 270 pounds per foot of torque.

A six-speed manual transmission.

18 inch wheels.

An interior someone spent time and money on.

That's the standard stuff...that comes with the $29,930 base price.

The one I drove for a week (and seriously considered hiding when Nissan came around to pick it up) had Chicane Yellow paint ($500: see photo above), carpeted floor mats ($115) and the Sport Package (SynchroRev Match manual transmission, viscous limited slip differential, 19 inch RAYS forged wheels, upgraded P245 and P275 tires, front chin and rear spoiler and Nissan Sport Brakes for $3,000).

Total price, including $695 destination charge:

$34,240.

Oh, sign me up already!

I haven't wanted a Z like this in 30 years. And it doesn't hurt that while you're rocketing across the universe (or so it feels), the EPA says you're getting 18 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway.

The Z lost its way for a couple of decades...but it's all the way back now.

Porsche 911 Carrera Review

Every time Porsche changes the 911, they take the risk that they'll ruin it (I know, purists will argue they did that when they switched from air to water-cooled engines). What's remarkable is how, every time, they dodge that bullet. It's the greatest high-wire act on earth...with continuous performances for the past 46 years.

If you'd asked me, I'd have told you that the 2008 911 was as good as they'd ever be able to make. I'd have been wrong.

The 2009 immediately announces its superiority. It performs better (even in the "base" Carrera, which I drove for a week recently), the interior is nicer, the electronic aids (Porsche Stability Management, Anti-lock Braking System, Anti-Slip Regulation, Engine Drag Torque Control and Active Brake Differential) all do their jobs with less intrusion on the joy and sport of driving.

And the styling refresher is a resounding success...taking the headlights ever so slightly more vertical evokes memories of the 911s of the 60s, 70s and 80s without being overtly retro.

Looking for excuses not to buy?

How about price? Porsches are insanely expensive, right? Wrong. The 911 Carrera base price is $75,600...there are a lot of far less capable vehicles that cost a lot more.

Gas mileage? Nope. The EPA says 18 city/25 highway.

Well, it can't possibly be environmentally responsible, Mike.

Um...it qualifies for LEV1 (Low Emission Vehicle) status.

Actually, price (and, okay, practicality...the back seats are a cruel joke) is about the only disqualifier that's genuine for most people. But in about five years, this is going to be the best used car purchase you've ever made.

Nissan Altima Coupe 3.5 SE Review

Always admired the rakish good looks of the Infiniti G37 Coupe but wished the price were a little lower?

Nissan's been listening. The Nissan Altima Coupe has a lot of the same attitude and style for a chunk less change. Yes, you give up 60 horsepower, but only 12 pounds per feet of torque, so the off-the-line thrills are in the ballpark. And let's be honest...270 horsepower in a car this size is nothing to sneeze at. And there's a bunch of good stuff in the SE trim level...18 inch alumnium wheels, 8-way power driver's seat, a power moonroof, an AM/FM/CD audio system with six speakers and a bunch more for a starting price of $26,390...nine grand less than the Infiniti G Coupe.

In fact, the Altima Coupe SE is so complete the one I tested had only two options...floor and trunk mats ($175) and Vehicle Dynamic Control ($600). Total price, including destination charges, $27,780. Not too shabby. Mileage is decent, too...EPA says 19 city, 26 highway. Very much worth a look and a test drive.

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Review

The second car I ever tested as a professional TireKicker 11 years ago was the 1998 Corvette. Zero to 60 was 5.3 seconds. Top speed was 171 miles per hour. Price tag: $45,000 as equipped.

It was the fastest, most incredible thing I'd ever driven.

Well, 11 years can change a lot. I've driven 1,375 cars since then, for starters. But the Corvette has changed too...especially when you step up to the Z06. Try zero to 60 in 3.7 seconds. Top speed 198 miles per hour. And the price tag? $82,065 as equipped.

As Carroll Shelby used to say, speed costs money.

Actually, the base price of a Z06 is $72,405...but the one GM sent me for a week had a $6,515 "3LZ Premium Equipment Group" (Upgraded Bose audio system, power telescoping steering wheel, heated seats, memory package, universal home remote, side impact airbags, a luggage shade and parcel net, Bluetooth, and a custom leather-wrapped interior). There was also $1,995 worth of Z06 Original Chrome Aluminum wheels and $300 for Atomic Orange Metallic paint (which looked stunning in direct sunlight).

I'd love to tell you what this car is like at wide open throttle, but c'mon...half throttle is enough to jeopardize your future of a licensed driver in less than the time it took to read this sentence. Way less. Let's just say that this is Chuck Yeager jet jockey X-15 rocket stuff. Brute strength in a candy-colored wrapper.

It's also surprisingly livable for what began essentially as the track version of the 'Vette (standard Corvettes still start around $46,000 base price, though it will take you 4.1 seconds to get to 60 and you surrender 8 miles per hour of top speed...can you live with only 190?).

And, the factoid that I love to use to shock people with: It gets great mileage. The EPA says 15 city/24 highway. If you can square that with 505 horsepower in less than ten seconds, congratulations...that piece of data alone can usually launch a ten minute argument.

Look, Corvettes not only aren't for everybody, they aren't for most people. That's the point. It's an exercise in awe...executed precisely because they (the engineers) can (or at least could).

I have only two questions: How much more incredible is the ZR1 (630 horsepower)? And will GM be making these (or any) cars much longer?

We should all hope so.

Mazda RX-8 Grand Touring Review

Time, development and refinement. Those are three things that can improve a car, and the Mazda RX-8 has benefited from all three.

Like most people, I was wowed by the look of the RX-8 when it first came out a few years back (making its screen debut in the "X-Men 2" movie)...but a bit underwhelmed when getting to know it in person. The suicide-style four door arrangement looked cool in photos, but was awkward in person. The body's proportions never looked just right from any given angle...and, frankly, it wasn't that fun to drive.

Well, the doors are still dorky (not much can save that but a restyling and possibly a return to two doors), but a bump up to 18 inch wheels has solved the proportion issue handsomely, and the engineers have obviously been working overtime to make the Zoom-Zoom a little zoomier.

The Grand Touring level comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission coupled to a 1.3 liter rotary engine making 232 horsepower. Not a monster, but more than adequate. You also get a sport-tuned suspension (which gets a lot of credit for the increased fun factor), high-performance tires (ditto), and nice stuff like a power moonroof, air conditioning, a 300-watt Bose audio AM/FM/6-disc CD changer audio system, Bluetooth, leather-trimmed seats, and a bunch more for a base price of $31,670.

The tester had only two options, Sirius Satellite Radio ($430)and a navigation system ($2,000), taking the price with delivery charges to just under $35,000, and making it prime competition for say, a loaded Nissan 350Z.

Mileage has never been a rotary engine strong suit...the RX-8's EPA estimate is 16 city/22 highway...which is midsize SUV mileage these days. Props, though for stellar safety ratings...four stars for the driver in a frontal crash, five for the passenger, as well as four stars for front seat and rear seat protection in a side crash and five stars for rollover.

The RX-8 isn't an instant must-have, but Mazda's been working hard to make sure that if you give it a chance, it will make a better than average case for itself.

Audi R8 Review

It's the question professional TireKickers (aka automotive journalists) get asked all the time:

"What's your favorite car?"

For 11 years, I had to answer the question with a question. What type? I mean, the Rolls-Royce Phantom is a great car...but so's the Honda Accord LX. I've never met a Porsche 911 I didn't like...but on the other hand, if you've got two or more kids and strollers, Pak-And-Plays and trips to Costco are part of your life, Chevy Suburbans just plain rock.

All those things still apply. But if you gave me a Venti Sodium Pentathol (half-caf, please) right now, I'd fess up:

The Audi R8 is my favorite car.

There have been a lot of cars over the years that I wouldn't have minded if the manufacturer forgot to come get at the end of a week's worth of testing. The R8 had me praying for mass amnesia at Audi of America.

Yes, this is the car I referred to in my review of the Audi A5/S5 as the car I'd look over my shoulder at after I parked it. Not that I'd ever walk very far. The R8 is a people magnet. Car people, non-car people...doesn't matter. They all want to know what it is...and most are shocked to hear it's an Audi (they were guessing Ferrari or Lamborghini).

The cockpit is tight, but supercar cockpits are, and the R8 is by far the most comfortable and user-friendly of the bunch. Fire up the engine and you know you've got something special. A 4.2 liter V8 with 420 horsepower gets the R8 from zero to 60 in 4.4 seconds. It does the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds. Top speed is 187 (electronically limited because the tires couldn't take more). It handles like a slot car.

Gas mileage (are we really talking about this?) is amazingly good for this type of car...an EPA estimated 13 city/18 highway for the R-tronic manumatic...12 city/19 highway for the stock stick. With a 23.8 gallon tank, that means 425-plus miles worth of cruising range. Breakfast in Boston? Lunch in Laguna Beach? Dinner in Denver? Getting there in the R8 would be more than half the fun.

If you can find a dealer willing to sell you one at list price, figure on $125,000, give or take. It is so worth it.

Volkswagen Rabbit Review

Some cars are like a good hamburger. Too many add-ons keep you from getting the true flavor.

Volkswagen may or may not have been thinking of that metaphor (I'll bet not) when they re-christened the Golf the Rabbit here in the U.S. and re-positioned it as more basic transportation.

If you have never driven a Rabbit, go to your local dealer now, because this is where a chunk of the automobile business is heading...to cars the Europeans were embracing while we were in our SUV-induced coma.

Ford hasn't brought its Euro-spec Fiesta and Focus to our shores yet, but like GM's import, the Saturn Astra , the Rabbit is all about strong, solid German engineering. Everything, from major maneuvers to subtle switchgear, is precise. Not too soft, not too hard. Exactly right.

VW's press fleet loaned us an example with only four options...a six-speed automatic transmission, electronic stabilization, 16" alloy wheels and an iPod adaptor in the armrest. We'd have passed on the automatic (which would have saved $1075), but even so, the bottom line was only $18,524 (from a base of $15,600). You could easily buy two Rabbits for less than the price of some cars that simply aren't as good.

And though gas prices are easing compared to where they were in July, it's still three bucks a gallon or more...so 21 city and 29 highway miles per gallon is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Ford Focus Coupe Review

Just in time for rising gas prices (and tightening consumer credit), Ford has freshened the Focus Coupe.

This is a great time to have a competitive product for under $20,000 (under $18,000 is even better)...and the Focus, decently equipped, can slot in around $17,000. For that, you get a roomy (by subcompact standards) coupe with better-than-decent performance and very good fuel economy. We'd pass on the trick lighting that can make the footwells and the cupholders light up in seven different colors...but we'd definitely keep the SYNC audio system that allows you to hook up your iPod or other digital music device and then control it by voice.

We're still not getting the truly great stuff...the European Focus...but the U.S. version is way better than a lot of reviews from journalists ticked because we don't have the Euro-spec version yet would have you believe.

Ford Mustang Bullitt Review

(Note: This is a 2009 model. Read the review of the new 2010 Mustang GT here.)

If, in 1968, Ford had introduced a car that looked like the 1928 Model A, there would have been more stockholders selling shares than dealers selling cars. But pop culture is a funny thing...and a 40 year flashback can work...as long as it's the right 40 years.

The Ford Mustang Bullitt is a car that trades on two images...one, of a car...and two, of the man who drove it: Steve McQueen.

The 60s were full of cool cars on TV and in the movies, but you don't see Dodge trying to rush a Dodge Dart GTS Mannix edition to market, do you? Steve McQueen was beyond cool (for the record, I like Mike Connors, too).

If you haven't seen the movie Bullitt (is that possible?), buy it. McQueen is Frank Bullitt, a San Francisco cop and it's a good story, but the movie is best known for a 7-minute chase scene featuring McQueen at the wheel of his Highland Green Mustang GT (with decidedly non-stock wheels, blackout grille and a lack of badging) and a couple of murderous thugs with a '68 Dodge Charger.



Despite some continuity errors (the Charger loses six hubcaps and that green VW bug is everywhere), it's widely regarded as one of the best, if not in fact the best movie chase scene ever. See it once and it's burned into your brain.

But even before the big scene, McQueen and the Mustang peg the cool-meter. There's just something that says...yeah, he'd drive that car. And he's so cool, we'd all like to have it rub off on us.

Ford tried a Bullitt edition a few years ago, before Mustang's re-design...and it didn't really work. But now that Mustang looks like a Mustang again, the effect is dead-on. It's achieved by taking a Mustang GT Premium coupe (base price $27,020) and adding the Bullitt Package (interior revisions including a 60s-era Ford font on the gauges, 3.73 limited slip axle, 18" wheels that look like the movie car's mags, and packed exhaust tips for $3,310).

In reality, you get a better car than McQueen drove. This one's faster, can actually go in directions other than a straight line, and comes with the killer Shaker 500 audio system, including AM/FM and an mp3 capable 6-disc CD changer. Our tester also had Sirius Satellite radio. Steve was stuck with just AM (though KFRC and KSFO in 1968 weren't exactly punishment).

And you'll get way better mileage, even if you drive it like Steve...the EPA says 15 city, 23 highway. All for a price of $34,705 as tested. So, go buy the movie and then go test drive one of these...and then tell me with a straight face you're not at least tempted.

                                                                        
Wake up your Stang's inner beast with a Mustang cowl hood from your aftermarket Mustang authority, AmericanMuscle.com!