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GT500 spied with automatic transmission


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My A3 has a seven speed DSG transmission, and I really enjoy driving it in manual mode. But when lazy in traffic it operates just fine in the automatic normal drive. The sports mode can also be a kick in the pants for a smaller car such as the A3. An 8 speed DCT in the mustang 500 GT will be fine.

 

Not to people who want a manual it wont.

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My dream car has always been a Mustang GT. I still remember test driving a 98 GT manual and my father (he needed to cosign at my young age) telling me no lol.

 

If Ford decides to kill the 6 speed, that final year of a manual will be the year I get one.

 

I had a 2018 2.3L convert mustang with 10 speed auto for 2 1/2 weeks as a rental while my f350 was at the autobody. It has 300 miles on it and when I dropped it off yesterday it had almost 2,000 miles

 

As much as I loved the car, I hated the 10 speed. I felt like the car was always working to find the right gear. It was not totally smooth running through all gears and when in Sport mode, it was very jerky and wouldnt shift when I thought it would/should.

 

After all that, what do you all say about the video of the gt500 running around in camo with the manual trans?

Edited by blwnsmoke
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The way I see it:

the "flappy paddle" transmission makes the best lap times, and thus the best numbers for ads and what-not. That said, if Porsche can re-introduce manuals into their 911 GT3 monsters to attract certain customers, Ford can add it as an alternative relatively quickly.

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Has anyone on here driven a performance DCT? I haven't but I am not going to pan it automatically.

I’ve driven 3 different ones on a racetrack for a few laps each in full automatic mode from Porsche, Ferrari and Audi. I was planning to get a manual when I buy a sports car but that experience has me rethinking that decision. Even in automatic mode without touching the paddles they downshift and keep you in the right gear all the time. You may prefer the feel of a manual and the engagement for emotional reasons but from a performance perspective you can’t beat a performance DCT. There is a reason supercar mfrs are moving away from manuals. I think the GT350 would benefit even more since that’s more of a track car whereas I assume the GT500 is more straight line.

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Driving a manual is great fun and I can understand why many people would be disheartened by not having one available in the GT500. However, the GT500 is about big power and ferocious acceleration. A good automatic or DTC will provide that better than a manual.

 

A major reason that I traded my manual Mustang GT for one with an automatic was because I couldn't enjoy the manual knowing that the automatic was quicker, more reliable and less prone to wheel hop, half shaft breakage and other nasty things when using all of the power.

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brucelinc...an auto is more reliable than a manual??????????????????????????? every car Ive owned has been a manual...not one issue.....not one....I would say its the other way around....theres Auto trans being replaced constantly out back...including a CVT I saw ( required engine to be dropped ) out of a C Max....

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brucelinc...an auto is more reliable than a manual??????????????????????????? every car Ive owned has been a manual...not one issue.....not one....I would say its the other way around....theres Auto trans being replaced constantly out back...including a CVT I saw ( required engine to be dropped ) out of a C Max....

He’s talking about using it at the drag strip not everyday driving.

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I am only talking about Mustangs - not FWD vehicles. Maybe the changes to the 2018 Mustang manuals will make them more robust. However, the manual used in the 2015-2017s do not have a great reputation for reliability among the guys who drag race. The old 6R80 automatic seems to be bullet proof by comparison.

Edited by brucelinc
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DCT may be amazing, but no clutch pedal = lame. It's all about the clutch.

AMEN.

 

WTF is wrong with Ford? At this point: even if I was thinking about buying an SUV, I wouldn't even go into a Ford dealer to look. This is how pissed I am about their recent decisions.

 

And to all the "they bitch about the new cars, but all they do is buy used" crowd; I've earned the right to bitch. I've bought 13 new Ford's in my time. Pretty sure I've bought my last.

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351C, read and memorize this. From Ward's Auto:

 

"We are witnessing the auto industry enter a new phase, one of steely-eyed, hard-nosed business decisions, where shareholder money only will be invested in ways that provide double digit returns, including the cost of capital. While this industry always has been brutally competitive, we’re entering an era that is going to disrupt or destroy the automotive world as we’ve known it. The forward-thinking automakers know they better be in supreme fighting shape if they are going to survive."

 

"Nostalgia counts for nothing in this new reality. The old rules no longer apply. It makes people uncomfortable, but that doesn’t matter."

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AMEN.

 

WTF is wrong with Ford? At this point: even if I was thinking about buying an SUV, I wouldn't even go into a Ford dealer to look. This is how pissed I am about their recent decisions.

 

And to all the "they bitch about the new cars, but all they do is buy used" crowd; I've earned the right to bitch. I've bought 13 new Ford's in my time. Pretty sure I've bought my last.

 

Nothing like a gross overreaction. Actually, this thread is a gross overreaction. The manual is a dying breed and folks need to accept it. Sedan market is shrinking and low margin. You may not agree with what Ford is doing but from a business perspective, it does make sense to focus on higher margin vehicles. I would much rather them build what people are buying and has high margin, than something that I personally prefer but makes no money.

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Nothing like a gross overreaction. Actually, this thread is a gross overreaction. The manual is a dying breed and folks need to accept it. Sedan market is shrinking and low margin. You may not agree with what Ford is doing but from a business perspective, it does make sense to focus on higher margin vehicles. I would much rather them build what people are buying and has high margin, than something that I personally prefer but makes no money.

I don't disagree that Ford should build more of what people buy more of. That's sound business. But; when you abandon certain groups of people, especially in passion driven products, the risk of alienating that group can & will lose customers. If they want to do an automatic, fine. Just don't make it automatic only.

 

I think NASCAR has a lesson here. They abandoned their core group to chase after the "fastest growing market". Now they're looking to sell the series.

 

I don't like where Ford is going. I think it will bite them in the end. I could be wrong though.

 

It is possible that I a dinosaur. Hell, it may even be probable. It is the passion of dinosaurs, like me, that made Mustang what it is.

 

Oh well.

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I don't disagree that Ford should build more of what people buy more of. That's sound business. But; when you abandon certain groups of people, especially in passion driven products, the risk of alienating that group can & will lose customers. If they want to do an automatic, fine. Just don't make it automatic only.

I agree 100%.

This is not your average buyer wanting a shopping trolley with auto trans ,A/C and a sun roof.

 

The people buying GT500 are mostly full on enthusiasts that like both autos and manuals,

to ignore one group for the sake of saving money and simplicity of ordering is a serious mistake.

and I believe that Ford is now overcompensating for a lack of DCT option in GT350.

Edited by jpd80
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The manual only GT500 buyer is an incredibly tiny market segment. I’d be willing to bet that more buyers would buy the DCT version than a pure manual version.

 

It’s perfectly fine to say I prefer a manual or I won’t buy a DCT, but don’t try to extrapolate that to other buyers or to the general market.

 

You can’t get a manual Ford GT either. Why isn’t that an issue?

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......

 

The people buying GT500 are mostly full on enthusiasts that like both autos and manuals,

to ignore one group for the sake of saving money and simplicity of ordering is a serious mistake.

and I believe that Ford is now overcompensating for a lack of DCT option in GT350.

 

I think you forgot one key ingredient....performance. The truth is the DCT will wipe the floor in all performance aspects compared to the manual, especially with this much HP. Unless you are maybe a true race driver, you will not be able to keep up with the DCT (shifts are faster, rev matching), even then that is expecting the driver to not be human and screw up a shift or not screw up a heel toe. Is the GT500 a performance car? Yes it is. I am assuming due to cost, they had to pick one. Why would they not pick the one with the best performance? I am sure they could have offered a manual but why? Performance is worse and it adds unnecessary cost to the car. Just to satisfy a shrinking pool of auto enthusiast? I am pretty sure everyone can drive the DCT.

 

This is starting to sound like the Panther mafia argument. People hate change but change is constant. I am sure we'll hear this again in a few years when the NG Mustang hybrid has better performance than the V8.

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