Aaron Brzozowski
Apart from the fact that both are high-performance, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports coupes, it seems unlikely at a glance that the Aston Martin DB7 would share much in common with the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra. After all, one was a high-priced, luxurious offering from a storied and prestigious British marque, while the other was the most track-oriented model of a decidedly blue-collar automobile.
But as Chris Perkins of Road & Track discovered recently, the Aston Martin DB7 could be ordered with Tremec’s T-56 6-speed manual transmission – the same transmission that shipped in the 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R, and later, the 2003-’04 SVT Cobra. It’s a rather interesting factoid simply because the T-56, originally developed by Borg-Warner for the very first Dodge Viper back in 1992, was otherwise used almost exclusively in American cars – with the exception of a few models from Australia’s Holden and Ford Performance Vehicles brands.
Then again, as Mr. Perkins notes, Aston Martin was a Ford-controlled brand at the time, although Ford ownership doesn’t seem to have stopped Jaguar from sourcing its gearboxes elsewhere.
Beside the 2000 Mustang SVT Cobra R and 2003-’04 Cobra, the DB7’s T-56 transmission also connects the car to the likes of the 1993-’02 Chevrolet Camaro, the 1997-’07 Corvette, and the 1992-’07 Dodge Viper.
