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GT500 spied with automatic transmission


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Manuals Ive personally owned:

 

81 Accord

80 Escort

86 Integra

90 Ranger

95 Ranger

 

DCTs Ive driven (all on a track)

Porsche 911 Turbo

Porsche 911 GT3

Ferrari 458

Audi A8

 

 

I plan to buy a sports car at some point in the next few years. A few years ago I was dead set on a manual. I enjoy shifting gears. After driving the DCTs in auto mode and seeing how they respond and experiencing the new 10 speed auto in my F150, Im 50/50.

 

If I get a Mustang GT Id say Im 60/40 for the manual right now. But if its a Boxster Im leaning towards the PDK.

 

I dont think Ford will have any trouble selling every GT500 they can make with a DCT and it should be faster to boot. Thats the bottom line. Manual aficionados still have the GT350. Or buy a Mustang GT and slap a supercharger on it for 700 hp. And we all know that very few of the manual only crowd would actually buy a brand new GT500.

Porsches PDK is AMAZING!! when I rented a Macan with it, it was incredible and I loved every minute of it. The shifting was spot on for every single shift through the week I rented it. It shifted so quick it was faster then me blinking. Pure joy!!!

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I am assuming the testing of the manual didn't go well then because there was a gt500 roaming around Dearborn with a manual. It was posted online in a video.

I suspect that was only out there because the transmission they are planning on using wasnt ready for road testing yet.
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If true on auto only its time to end the shelby association with ford for good..ford mucked up shelby in 1968 and carroll at least had the balls to say FU ford and just end his involment with the 1969 model year...an auto only in the shelby heritage/lineage is just more asnine decisions made by some useless idiot(s) in dearborn...lets just end the shelby mustang for good..a shelby with no manual just is utter sacrilidge..FU ford on this decision...why not just eliminate mustangs from your mix you already got rid of all other cars...

Edited by snooter
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If true on auto only its time to end the shelby association with ford for good..ford mucked up shelby in 1968 and carroll at least had the balls to say FU ford and just end his involment with the 1969 model year...an auto only in the shelby heritage/lineage is just more asnine decisions made by some useless idiot(s) in dearborn...lets just end the shelby mustang for good..a shelby with no manual just is utter sacrilidge..FU ford on this decision...why not just eliminate mustangs from your mix you already got rid of all other cars...

Well a DCT isn’t an automatic so Ford is safe.....

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Not in manual mode.

 

The point is it doesnt have a torque converter or a planetary gear set.

The best way to describe a DCT is that it's a clutchless (or, more accurately, a clutchpedalless) manual transmission that the computer shifts for you.

 

It ain't what I want, but it's a damn sight better than a slushbox auto.

Edited by SoonerLS
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The best way to describe a DCT is that it's a clutchless (or, more accurately, a clutchpedalless) manual transmission that the computer shifts for you.

It ain't what I want, but it's a damn sight better than a slushbox auto.

It’s actually more like 2 manual transmissions mated together with a computer controlled clutch. That’s why it shifts so fast because it only has to move the input shaft from one side to the other where the next gear has been preselected.

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I have no skin on this game because I drive trucks, but Im curious about something. Of those of you who want the manual, how many of you would actually buy a GT500?

 

It seems to me that if this is the ultimate performance Mustang, then it's not surprising that it has the highest performance transmission in it.

 

I get your angst about the manual, because they are fun to drive. Ive had several in the past, but I cant say that I miss them on my trucks.

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No the point is if the computer shifts it it is automatic does not matter what the mechanics of it are.

It matters a lot if you’re claiming a performance advantage which is what started this conversation. If you’re just talking about the experience of shifting it yourself then you’re correct.

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I get it, the DCT is superior. But that's not the point. What gets me is the people who don't care about the manual thinking we should just shut up about the decline in options to get one and just be happy about it because it is old tech. Their almost glee in our pain. They don't understand the experience we enjoy. That's fine but why can't they accept that we enjoy the experience and have a little empathy for our loss. I think it is a little payback for some of the "not a real car if it is an auto" segment of the manual crowd. Some looked down on them for their choice then and are enjoying our pain now maybe.

 

I admit outside of winning the lottery I will never buy a new GT500, and if the performance is better with the DCT it makes sense. In today's auto world there will be obviously less choice. So it all makes sense for Ford, but that doesn't mean we have to like it or take it quietly without making our voices heard.

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You need empathy because ONE mustang model that you (and most of the others complaining) would never actually purchase doesn’t come with a manual, while all the other models that you might purchase still come with a manual? And the DCT not only offers better performance but probably higher ATPs and wider appeal?

 

Mmmmkay.

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For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would seek the ultimate performance Mustang then want it handicapped with a manual transmission. As others have said, if it is a fun driving experience you seek and a manual is necessary for that fun, it is available in other Mustangs that offer terrific handling and fun for MUCH less than the price of the GT 500. If I recall correctly the Bullet, PP2 equipped Mustang GTs and GT 350 are manual only. The improved manual in the regular GT is also a good option if straight line acceleration is secondary to having a clutch.

Edited by brucelinc
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The best way to describe a DCT is that it's a clutchless (or, more accurately, a clutchpedalless) manual transmission that the computer shifts for you.

 

It ain't what I want, but it's a damn sight better than a slushbox auto.

.

Referring to todays advanced automatic transmissions as a "slushbox" is a bit of a stretch...don't you think?

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For the life of me, I can't understand why anyone would seek the ultimate performance Mustang then want it handicapped with a manual transmission. As others have said, if it is a fun driving experience you seek and a manual is necessary for that fun, it is available in other Mustangs that offer terrific handling and fun for MUCH less than the price of the GT 500. If I recall correctly the Bullet, PP2 equipped Mustang GTs and GT 350 are manual only. The improved manual in the regular GT is also a good option if straight line acceleration is secondary to having a clutch.

I think Brucelinc has hit upon the most compelling reason why a high performance DCT makes so much sense. If one was going to spend that much money on a high performance vehicle, shouldn't it be state of art?

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They’re greatly improved but they still have a torque converter and they’re still pretty slushy by comparison to a manual or DCT.

^^^^This. The 6R80 in my truck is far and away the best auto transmission I've ever driven, but it's still not as good as a man transmission. I really notice it when I'm trying to back up to something where inches count (like hooking up to a trailer); with the 5-speed in my '91, I had a very direct connection and control over the driveline engagement. With the 6R80, it's whenever the fluids move enough magic to get the clutch packs to engage. It's a much more sloppy connection.

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^^^^This. The 6R80 in my truck is far and away the best auto transmission I've ever driven, but it's still not as good as a man transmission. I really notice it when I'm trying to back up to something where inches count (like hooking up to a trailer); with the 5-speed in my '91, I had a very direct connection and control over the driveline engagement. With the 6R80, it's whenever the fluids move enough magic to get the clutch packs to engage. It's a much more sloppy connection.

Took the words straight out of my mouth! There's nothing worse than manuevering a trailer with an auto transmission.

 

I fully get that the new powertrains with the 10 spd are magnitudes more capable than any truck Ford ever made with a manual transmission, but you give up the little things to get it. Those little things, combined with the fact that it's only 2 years from being eligible for an antique license plate (much cheaper to keep around as an extra vehicle) are why I still have my 95 F250.

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Obviously not.

.

I get the whole "I love my standard transmission" argument (I have a 1995 F-150 with a 300ci I-6 and 5 speed stick), but lets face it...they cannot beat an automatic in shifting precision and emissions regulations. They are not like the "slush-boxes" of yore...

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