Ford is Open to a Manual Mustang GT500

The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is just about perfect.

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’s one slight problem with it, though. There’s only one transmission on offer and it’s a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic with paddle shifters. Mustang fans famously love a three-pedal setup, so this came as a bit of a shocker to some enthusiasts, but all hope is not lost.

ALSO SEE: What You Should Know About the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500’s Supercharged V8

Speaking to Road & Track, Ford Performance chief engineer Carl Widman indicated the automaker was open to building a manual GT500 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 told the publication 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 hasn’t actually said how much torque the GT500 makes, though, but we’re assuming it’s quite a lot if it couldn’t source a strong enough manual or torque converter automatic.

Strength wasn’t the only reason Ford opted for the paddle-shifted Tremec box. A quick-shifting DCT is faster than a manual both around a 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 a six-speed manual, though, Ford. Just saying.

A version of this story first appeared on AllFordMustangs.com