Ford discontinuing GT350 and Bullitt for 2021, adding Mach 1

A supposedly leaked VIN decoder for the 2021 Mustang made the internet car forum rounds on April 1, but it looks like it wasn’t a prank.

The VIN decoder chart has two big omissions: the GT350 and Bullitt are both gone from the model designation, as is the GT350’s unique, 526-horsepower 5.2-liter V-8 that got as much praise for its sound as it did for its high-rpm output. On the bright side, it looks like Ford is slotting the Mach 1 into the Mustang lineup above the GT, right where the Bullitt used to reside.

We’re sad to see the GT350 go, but buyers who yearn for a flat-plane crank in their Mustang can always order one of the two EcoBoost four-cylinder engines, as it seems that Ford will continue to offer two variants of the turbocharged 2.3-liter, which currently produce 310 and 330 horsepower. The brutal, 760-horsepower supercharged 5.2-liter that’s found in the GT500 also looks to carry on for 2021. What we don’t know is if the power output for any of the engines will change. It also appears that two variants of the 5.0-liter V-8 will again be available for 2021. Will the GT and Mach 1 continue with the 460- and 480-horsepower variants previously used on the GT and Bullitt? It seems like that’s the logical assumption.

The Bullitt is only available with a six-speed manual transmission and your choice of two colors: Dark Highland Green and Shadow Black. It gets its power boost over the GT thanks in part to a larger throttle body, shared with the GT350’s 5.2-liter Voodoo engine. It makes sense that this engine will carry on in the Mach 1, taking the reins from the Bullitt as the next rung up the ladder from the GT and giving Mustang enthusiasts another option to own a pony car with an iconic name. We’re betting that, like the Bullitt, the Mach 1 will come with unique trim to set it apart from the garden-variety GT. However, unlike the decidedly stripped-down and understated Bullitt, the Mach 1 should be a bit more ostentatious. It has to have graphics, but would it be asking too much to also get a shaker hood scoop?

The original Mach 1 debuted in 1969 and lasted for the duration of first-generation Mustang production. It was available only on fastbacks and only with a V-8. That changed when the Mach 1 package continued with the Mustang II. Like every other Mustang II in 1974, there was no V-8 option, but the 302 returned in 1975 and lasted until 1978. The Fox-body Mustang saw a resurgence of performance, but never got a Mach 1 variant. It wasn’t until 2003 that Mach 1 would return. Then, like now apparently, it came on the heels of a popular special edition Bullitt, making 2021 an appropriate time to bring back the V-8 bruiser. With a hood scoop, please?