Ford’s desert-racing F-150 Raptor pickup is getting a new 10-speed automatic transmission for 2017. Turns out, the Mustang might get that same gearbox for 2018.
A Ford dealer recently discovered a new Mustang transmission option on their system, codenamed 10R80, according to Mustang6g6.
Although the new transmission doesn’t have a model or engine tied to it in the dropdown, it could well be mated to any one of the ‘Stang’s engines — from the new turbocharged four-cylinder to one of the pony’s potent V8s.
Since it’s going in the Raptor — and the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, it should be mentioned — we know the 10-er can handle lots of torque. That means it could be bolted into the high-performance Shelby GT350R, for example.
Ford and Chevy co-developed and are implementing 10-speeds into their model lines for fuel efficiency, plain and simple. Buyers still want fast-like-lightning American pony cars. At the same time, carmakers have to hit increasingly stringent federal fuel economy standards. Adding a ton of gears to a transmission keeps engine RPM low and fuel consumption equally low.
That said, this is a short-term fix for the fuel efficiency issue. In the longterm, Ford and others will have to hybridize and electrify more models in order to hit future mile-per-gallon standards. Would a hybrid Mustang be sacrilege? To some, perhaps. No matter, though, because it’ll still be fast.
The Ford Mustang is an American automobile manufactured by Ford. It was originally based on the platform of the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car.
The original 1962 Ford Mustang I two-seater concept car had evolved into the 1963 Mustang II four-seater concept car which Ford used to pretest how the public would take interest in the first production Mustang. The 1963 Mustang II concept car was designed with a variation of the production model’s front and rear ends with a roof that was 2.7 inches shorter.
Introduced early on April 17, 1964, and thus dubbed as a “1964½” by Mustang fans, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker’s most successful launch since the Model A. The Mustang has undergone several transformations to its current sixth generation.
The Mustang created the “pony car” class of American automobiles, affordable sporty coupes with long hoods and short rear decks and gave rise to competitors such as the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, AMC Javelin, Chrysler’s revamped Plymouth Barracuda, and the first generation Dodge Challenger.
The Mustang is also credited for inspiring the designs of coupés such as the Toyota Celica and Ford Capri, which were imported to the United States.