Yahoo Autos EXCLUSIVE: Ford Planning Dual-Clutch Automatic for Mustang Shelby GT350
The amazing Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 and even-hotter GT350R have only been offered with a six-speed manual transmission since their 2016 debut, but that could soon change. We've heard a rumor that the GT350 will get an optional dual-clutch automatic transmission within the next few years, and we believe it's credible.
This info comes to us from the well-connected folks at Mustang6G.com, the online enthusiast forum that has accurately predicted a number of Mustang-related details long before they were officially announced. Mustang6G has evidence that the GT350 will get a dual-clutch transmission in the near future. Road & Track has seen this evidence and believes is accurate.
Mustang6G's evidence indicates that a dual-clutch transmission will be offered in upcoming GT350 models. A quick-shifting automatic gearbox with paddle shifters could improve the GT350's performance to better compete with other track-focused sports cars. Porsche, Ferrari, BMW and McLaren all use dual-clutch gearboxes for their most hardcore track-oriented offerings. The evidence presented by Mustang6G indicates that the six-speed manual, currently the only transmission available on the GT350 and GT350R, would remain.
When reached by Road & Track and questioned on the DCT rumor, a Ford spokesperson said only, "we don't speculate about future products."
It's unclear whether the GT350 would get a six- or seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The upcoming Ford GT has a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, but we have no way of knowing whether this car's transmission could be made to fit the Mustang.
This piece of information does not guarantee that a dual-clutch GT350 is coming. Ford may be having internal discussions about a possible DCT option for the Shelby, but that doesn't mean its arrival is imminent. Automakers ponder possibilities all the time, and plans for future products change frequently.
That said, Mustang6G has a proven track record of accuracy, and we believe Ford would be wise to take full advantage of the GT350's capabilities by offering it with an optional DCT. The manual-transmission GT350R won Road & Track's Performance Car of the Year title for 2016; with the performance enhancements a DCT would offer, the hottest Mustang could prove an even more formidable competitor to European exotics costing way more than the Ford's sub-$70,000 base price.
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