So What's Your Point?
In the bull session after our "street races," Miles was justifiably proud of his Bullitt and happy it stood up against the Four-Valve competition so well. Obviously, it won't run out the back door from the deep-breathing Four-Valves, but a sharp Bullitt driver will not be embarrassed from a lack of power and clearly has no worries in the turns. Bullitts, even the nongreen machines (Miles' car is 1 of only 700 or so blue Bullitts, so it could have some rarity value in later years), are sharp, handsome, purposeful cars, too.
It's also important that Miles' Bullitt has the best street ride of this threesome. It's more plush than the stiff-gaited Cobra with its aftermarket springs, but it's firmer than the Mach 1's musclecar softness. It has the just right combination of ride, steering response, and cornering for daily driving when you have to and fun when you want to. And while none of these Mustangs sets the mark for modern cabin comfort or utility, the Bullitt interior offers classic, old-boy-club comfort without trying too hard with overstyled trim. And let's not forget the Bullitt was easily the leader when comparing showroom floor prices. It's king of the Two-Valves.
The Cobra? As Editor Turner says, "There's nothing wrong with that car that a set of 4.10 gears won't cure." Amen, brother. With that one small addition the Cobra would out-snap the Mach, annihilate the Bullitt, and still have the rpm to rip down the freeway. However, even with stock gearing the Cobra prevails anywhere the rpm can be kept spooled up and the momentum rolling-- a road-racing track, in other words.
In the end, though, these midyear Cobras must be regarded as specialists. They're rpm-dependent and a bit heavy. While the IRS does smooth prominent bumps and occasionally saves your bacon on heaved pavement, the Cobra driver always has a sense of substance--a battlewagon demeanor of mass, power, and presence. Given the experience with the earlier cars, Ford definitely has refined the mix in the Mach 1. It really has no bad points, combining the torque of the Two-Valve Bullitt with nearly the top-end horsepower of the Cobra, to arrive at a powertrain that both daily drives and races with authority. There's the fun of the retro styling, the gee-whiz of the hoodscoop for your friends to admire, a pillowy ride, and definite value in the pricing.
Pleasing Mach 1 details keep coming too. The exhaust note is near perfection--a bit roary but missing the boom and without a hint of drone. Light throttle pressure does the lane-change trick on the freeway, and you can even trade some performance for an automatic transmission if you insist.
All three of these Mustangs are Big Units, but time shows they keep getting better. It makes us wonder what's in store.
Horse Sense: Two-Valve and Four-Valve are common Mustang terms and provide a clear definition between regular and premium 'Stangs. But get ready to add Three-Valves to the mix. When the '05 Mustang arrives, the GT will sport a 300hp Three-Valve modular engine, similar to what's under the hood of the '04 F-150 pickup.