Evidence: 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 with a 425-horsepower Hemi V-8; 2009 Pontiac G-8 GXP, 402-hp V-8; 2009 Corvette, 620-hp supercharged V-8. And, though the power isn't as stratospheric, 2008 Mustang Bullitt with its 315-hp V-8.

The Bullitt is a $3,310 package available only on the Mustang GT Premium coupe. It changes the interior trim, wheels, rear-axle ratio and suspension. It bumps up the GT's power by 15 hp and 5 pounds-feet of torque.

Not worth three grand, you might recoil. Depends on how much a feeling is worth.

The package makes a new Mustang resemble the '68 Mustang GT 390 driven by Steve McQueen in the '68 film Bullitt. He plays stubborn San Francisco detective Frank Bullitt, assigned to guard a Mafioso-turned-witness. In one of the most memorable car chases in film history, the Mustang hectors the bad guys' Dodge Charger over the city's hills and into the countryside.

So, for the price of admission you get to feel ever so slightly like McQueen, without Chargers to chase.

Ford says it will build only 7,000 2008 Bullitts for the USA and 700 for Canada. The automaker says it will offer the car again in '09, but it hasn't set the quantity.

The two greatest things about the Bullitt:

•It's easy to drive in daily traffic. Boosting the Mustang's 4.6-liter V-8 just 15 horsepower, instead of reaching for the sky, kept it docile enough to be your commuter, yet gave it enough extra rumble and scoot to make it a joy when you nail the throttle.

The extra power is courtesy of less-restrictive exhaust and air intake and some voodoo incantations over the engine-control computer.

There's no stumble or jerk when you let out the clutch (it's available only with a manual shifter), either from a standstill or underway. Some hot rods lack that agreeable clutch engagement and are much harder to drive gracefully. Thumbs up to the Mustang crew.

•It's almost naked of badges. Joy. Less is more when it comes to stuck-on nomenclature. Ford did it to ape the movie car, which producers stripped of identification, even the Mustang pony symbol. That required corporate self-assurance, which you might think money-losing Ford would lack at the moment.

Bullitt shows off Mustang's marketing genius. Mustang, introduced in 1964, was intended from the outset by Ford's then-president Lee Iacocca to be a sexy-looking car that lured buyers with a relatively low base price, then tempted them beyond resistance with very cool features and options — such as this Bullitt package — to earn much bigger profits for dealers and Ford.

Bullitt doesn't show off exquisite manufacturing prowess, though. A trim panel on the center of the dashboard was slightly misaligned in the test car. The gap between it and an adjoining piece was larger at the bottom than the top — a mistake that would be about impossible for a dealer or owner to rectify.

Too many plastic surfaces felt hard and looked unattractive. You'd think that'd be extinct by now, what with decades of sprinting to catch up to the perfection-driven Japanese automakers (who, yes, goof, too).

Mustang generally and Bullitt specifically won't produce paroxysms over precision. Not junk, by any means, but it could be sweeter, smoother, nicer without much work, it would seem.

Function got pushed behind form when the gearshift knob was designed. Aluminum shift balls look terrific, but — let's be honest — they feel crummy in your bare hand. Too cold in winter. Too hot in summer. Too weird in between. Aluminum just isn't pleasingly sensual after a few moments of contact.

Drag out those ol' thin-leather driving gloves you never quite had the heart to toss.

But go back to the car's reason for being, and there it shines. What fun to drive — fast, slow or in between.

The engine is tuned to sound like the movie car. Engineers recorded the exhaust note from the Bullitt soundtrack to be a guide. It's a distant grumble, not the in-your-face roar or shriek you might associate with muscle cars, especially of the '60s. Always just a toe tap away from the bellow common to Ford V-8s — the feeling of I-could-if-I-wanna-but-I-don't-right-now.

The Tremec manual transmission shifts with an alluring combination of ease and feel. A firm hand, but not ferocious, moves the lever from cog to cog. It's clear you're stirring spinning steel gears rather than triggering switches, but you never feel as if Ford should have eased the effort. In fact, it is very satisfying to run lazily up through the gears. No need to pull the trigger to enjoy this Bullitt.

Wheels are a modern take on the alloy spoke wheels favored by customizers of the era.

Seats are sculpted enough to look inviting but not so much that they are a chore to enter and exit. Turns out they're pretty comfortable, too.

If you're considering any Mustang, don't let the car's beguiling presence blind you to a serious shortcoming for some buyers: The back seat's all but useless.

No, the car won't get any bigger after you buy it. No, your kids' legs won't get any shorter after you buy it. No, you won't be anymore comfortable shoved forward in the driver's seat to open rear space after you buy it. The car is what it is. If it doesn't fit, don't buy it.

But if it does …

2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt

What is it?

Limited-production, high-performance Mustang GT with accessories that mimic the look and sound of Steve McQueen's Mustang in the 1968 movie Bullitt. Suspension, engine, interior trim, wheels and tires are the main changes to the rear-drive, four-passenger coupe built at Flat Rock, Mich.

When?

On sale since December.

How much?

Bullitt is a $3,310 package that can be had only on the $28,215 GT Premium coupe, so $31,525 for starters, including $795 shipping charge. Well-optioned test car: $34,705. Small volume already is making the sticker meaningless in some areas as gotta-haves bid it up. But discounts are available in other areas. Shop hard.

How many?

This year, 7,000 for the USA, 700 for Canada. Ford will make it in '09, won't say how many.

What's the drivetrain?

4.6-liter V-8 rated 315 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 325 pounds-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm; five-speed Tremec manual transmission; traction control.

What's the safety gear?

Belts for all, front- and side-impact bags for front seats, anti-lock brakes.

What's the rest?

Standard are leather upholstery; air conditioning; AM/FM/six-CD/MP3 stereo with input jack; power steering, brakes, windows, mirrors, locks; tilt-adjustable steering column; cruise control; remote locks; rear-window defroster.

How big?

Midsize exterior, subcompact interior. 188 inches long, 73.9 inches wide, 55.3 inches tall on 107.1-inch wheelbase.

Weighs 3,540 lbs. Passenger compartment listed as 84.8 cubic feet, trunk as 13.1 cubic feet.

Rated to tow 1,000 lbs, carry 720 lbs. Turning circle listed as 37.7 feet.

How thirsty?

Rated 15 miles per gallon in town, 23 on the highway, 18 combined. Test car trip computer showed 13.3 mpg in frisky suburban driving.

Tank holds 16 gallons. Makes advertised power on regular; premium adds up to 10 lbs.-ft. of midrange torque, Ford says.

Overall:

For the right person, heaven.

		Ford's Mustang Bullitt, based on the car featured in the '68 Steve McQueen film, has just the right touch of added horsepower to provide a pleasing rumble and scoot in commuter driving. AP

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