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Just saw that great car movie and wish you could turn around and get a set of wheels like the stars were driving?

No, we’re not talking about “The Fast and the Furious,” which is selling lots of tickets, despite lukewarm reviews.

And certainly not “Driven,” the Sylvester Stallone dud that lasted on screens for about a weekend earlier this year.

And not “Gone in 60 Seconds” or “Dude, Where’s My Car?” either.

Nope, today’s car-from-a-film is the 2001 Ford Mustang Bullitt GT coupe.

You remember “Bullitt,” don’t you? The American Film Institute recently named it one of the 100 greatest thrillers of all time. The 1968 movie starring Steve McQueen is most known for an eight-minute car chase between a Mustang Fastback GT and a Dodge Charger filmed on the up-and-down streets of San Francisco. It’s wonderful movie making, with no dialogue and only the sound of roaring V-8s and screeching tires.

Ask Ford executives why now for a Mustang Bullitt, 33 years after the movie, and they fail to come up with a convincing answer.

“When we bring out something like a Mustang Bullitt, which really connects with enthusiasts, it keeps the brand fresh,” said Mary Ellen Heyde, Ford’s vehicle line director for lifestyle cars, including the Mustang. “It has a halo effect, and brings people into the dealership. It’s time for us to do this.”

Not to be too cynical here, but that time was, oh, many years ago. If you saw “Bullitt” as an 18-year-old in 1968, have you really been putting pennies in a jar for three decades so that you can now buy a contemporary version of a once-cool car as a 51-year-old?

What’s really happening here is that Ford sees a way to bring some excitement to the Mustang brand at a time when General Motors is about to pull the plug on its long-time rival, the Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird twins.

Plus, we’re at the halfway point in the life of this generation Mustang, between its freshening in 1999 and an all-new version due out in 2003 or 2004.

Ford has little to lose in making a Mustang Bullitt. It’ll only build 6,500 of them, and has no plans to continue it into the 2002 model year. They only come in three colors with one interior trim level. A louder stereo is the only option you can order for the car.

“It’s very asset-efficient,” said Heyde, which means Ford didn’t do much new engineering, instead relying on available parts and tooling. And it’ll make money on the car.

Here’s the bottom line: A Bullitt Mustang coupe — a Bullitt convertible is not available — costs about $3,700 more than a Mustang GT V-8 coupe. That means the Mustang range now stretches from $17,695 for a basic, 193-horsepower Mustang V-6 to $29,205 for the fastest Mustang Cobra at 320 horsepower. In between are GT ($23,330 and 260 horsepower) and Bullitt ($26,830 and 265 horsepower) variants.

If you decide to buy a Bullitt, and you’re fortunate to live in the Bay Ar ea, it’s kind of a kick to drive the new version over the same streets of San Francisco where McQueen did his driving. And the suspension upgrades to the Bullitt — it’s lowered and gets different springs, struts and stabilizer bars in both front and back — and much better brakes make this a much more enjoyable Mustang, especially during aggressive driving in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Engine modifications, including changes to the intake manifold and throttle-body bore, and the addition of high-flow mufflers, help boost horsepower to 265 in the 4.6-liter V-8 and produce a maximum 305 foot-pounds of torque lower in the range.

The neatest thing about the Mustang Bullitt is how nice it sounds. It doesn’t have that gurgle at idle of that 390-cubic-inch big-block 1960s V-8, but it has a melodic roar under acceleration.

Nice touches on the inside include a ’60s-look instrument panel, aluminum pedals and leather-trim performance bucket seats.

Exterior changes inc de special side scoops, 17-inch, five-spoke aluminum wheels, some unique body panels and a brushed aluminum gas-tank door, which is starting to become an industry trend.

Chad McQueen, Steve’s son who also is both an actor and a race-car driver, got the keys to the first 2001 Bullitt.

On hand as Ford introduced the Bullitt in San Francisco, Chad McQueen waxed enthusiastic about the car.

“It’s fun to drive, well-balanced, stiff, but not too stiff. You can toss the car around. It’s nice to drive something that’s not an appliance. . . . The sound is right.

“I dig it.”

Maybe we’re not that far from the ’60s after all.