FORD

Company is Open to a Manual Mustang GT500

With a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 making over 700 hp and badass looks that will incite fear in Camaro and Challenger drivers all over the country, it's exactly what a modern-day Shelby should stand for.
There is one slight problem with it, though. There is only one transmission on offer and it's a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic with paddle shifters. Mustang fans famously love to three-pedal setup, so this came as a bit of a shocker to some enthusiasts, but all hope is not lost. Speaking to Road & Track, Ford Performance chief engineer Carl Widman indicated the automaker was open to building a GT500 manual if customers asked for it.
"Right now, we're DCT-only, [but] we get feedback, and we're real tight with the Mustang crowd," he said on the floor of the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The dual-clutch, which was sourced from Tremec, was chosen because it was strong enough to handle the GT500's robust torque output. Ford has not really said how much torque the GT500 makes, though we're assuming it's quite a lot if it could not be a strong enough manual or torque converter automatic. Strength was not the only reason Ford opted for the paddle-shifted Tremec box. The quick-shifting DCT is faster than a manual both around the circuit and on the drag strip and in a range-topping performance product like the GT500, lap times are important. After all, Ford has the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to dethrone, which comes with Ford and GM's speedy 10-speed automatic. The ZL1 also offers six-speed manual, though, Ford. Just saying. Sam McEachern