Some time ago, Jil McIntosh wrote a piece about auto writers who forget that they are (or should be) writing for real people, not just zillionaires. You know the guys, they are the ones who write that a 2 seater that sells for a hundred grand is a value priced sports car. While I can’t remember when or where Jil’s article appeared, it came to mind this weekend as we traveled in the 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt.

Nicknamed Frank, our tester came equipped with touch screen navigation and keyless alarm. The current pricing packages bring Frank to a whopping $34,079 cdn. So let’s add this up here: 2 doors, 315 horsepower, 325 ft/lbs torque, leather interior, navi, a cool shifter, aluminum dash, upgraded suspension and brakes, cold air intake and an absolutely incredible exhaust note. All of that adds up to an incredible value in my eyes.
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This uttered by my co-piloto after we switched seats and I removed my sandals after becoming co-piloto.

Oh well, perhaps I should scrub down the summer footwear on occasion.

The drive was uneventful other than some fun roads once we left New York State. Wait a minute, who am I trying to kid? The designated co-piloto desided to run the really loud Bullitt Mustang to redline in the first three gears right in front of a NY State Trooper! Jackass!

Of course a few miles later the same cruiser appeared in our rear view mirror. Surprise!

Anyway, once we left the interstate, we found some incredible roads through three states. Once we hit Connecticut, I got back behind the wheel anticipating some twisties. I wasn’t to be denied. I’m not sure, but I think a windy rural road and 315 horsepower breathing through a more or less open exhaust do not equal 35 miles per hour. I can be pretty certain that our average speed for the last 20 miles was far in excess of that! Damn this car sounds and feels great.

Tomorrow, we’re headed a few miles down the road to Lime Rock where we hope to get tons of stories, not to mention some great photos. For now, it’s off to bed!

Frank as in Detective Frank Bullitt. The Garage is heading south for Connecticut early tomorrow morning. Destination: Lime Rock Park to cover the American Le Mans Series event. If we make it the whole way with our licenses intact, it will be a miracle.

In fact, I had been behind the wheel a grand total of about 7 minutes this afternoon before I decided to attack an on ramp. Right under the watchful eye of the local constabulary. Fortunately, Oakville Ontario’s finest must have had more important things to do than question a fat old man about his driving habits and he left me alone. We will have to mind our p’s and q’s along the way, as while Frank may look stealthy he has a healthy bark that attracts attention at every stop light.

It’s just so much fun to open Frank up and hear his heart growl that I’m sure the side roads through the Catskills are going to be a hoot. As the weekend goes by, we’ll be blogging and posting tons of photos along the way. My co-pilot this time out is a former Mustang owner, who will likely put in a few comments here and there about the improvements Ford has made in the last 19 years since he bought his LX. We’re going to meet up with a few friends from the web over the weekend, so we should have a few surprises along the way.