It’s closer than you might think.
At first glance, the 2019 Genesis G70 and the 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt are fairly far apart in what they set out to achieve. The Bullitt is a loud, V8-powered slice of American muscle that harkens back to the eponymous 1968 film. On the other hand, the G70 is a luxury sports sedan aimed to take on its European competition from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Today’s episode of Hot or Not is more of an apples to oranges comparison, but things come a bit closer together when you look more closely. Both are rear-wheel drive, both claim to have sporty credentials, and both should be fairly quick in their own right.
Whether that’s actually the case, though, comes down to our professional racing driver, Paul Gerrard. Which of these two rear-wheel drive cars will be faster around the IMI Motorsports track?
Competition by the numbers
Let’s go into the numbers. The 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt leads the two by a comfortable margin. It’s 5.0-liter Coyote V8 puts out more power than the standard Mustang GT. In fact, it manages 20 more horsepower, for a total 480 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the standard GT, the Bullitt comes exclusively with a 6-speed manual transmission. At just over 3,700 pounds, it’s a heavy coupe, but it does have Brembo brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires on its side.
Then there’s the 2019 Genesis G70. It also has Brembo brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport tires. However, it has a smaller displacement V6 engine in place of a big V8. Here, you get a 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged unit with 365 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It actually weighs nearly the same as the Mustang Bullitt, although it is less nose-heavy with the smaller engine. Thanks to a suspension geometry setup meant to take on the likes of the BMW M3, it also manages the three laps without tearing up its front tires too badly in the corners.
The results
Remarkably, there’s only a one second difference in the lap times when Paul takes them on the track. The Ford Mustang Bullitt managed a 1:05.04 lap time, while the Genesis G70 achieved a 1:06.04. However, the Genesis did manage a faster 0-60 time above sea level, since it is turbocharged. The G70 hit 60 in 5.31 seconds, while the 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt took 5.85 seconds to get there.
So are both cars hot or not? They’re both hot in their own special ways. These two cars take different approaches to power, speed and fun, most importantly, but they both hit a sweet spot in how they make you feel. Even if you don’t look like Steve McQueen, the Bullitt is a special offering against an everyday Mustang GT. And if you’re looking for an alternative to the conventional German sports sedans, the Genesis G70 is definitely a serious competitor.
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