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The Ford Mustang GT’s Six-Speed Manual Transmission Is New-And-Improved For 2018

While Ford’s all-new 10-speed automatic transmission landing in the updated, 2018 Ford Mustang has been the subject of some number of news articles, little has been written about the Getrag-supplied 6-speed manual option. Perhaps this is because it’s the very same manual transmission that’s served the Mustang ever since the debut of the first-generation 5.0L Coyote V8 for 2011, back when the pony car was still in its “S-197” phase.

But just as the Coyote has since moved on, inheriting dual-injection and the 5.2L Voodoo’s advanced, plasma-sprayed cylinder bore liners, the Getrag MT82 has also undergone a bit of innovating.

For 2018, the Ford Mustang GT’s MT82 gets brand-new gear ratios to make full use of the more-potent, 460-horsepower Coyote V8. It’s dubbed the “MT82-D4” for its direct-drive fourth gear (the version in the outgoing Mustang GT had a direct-drive fifth), and its duality of overdrive gears ought to help bring down engine speed during highway cruising. (Despite this, the EPA’s fuel economy ratings for the Ford Mustang GT manual have not budged relative to 2017.)

Responding to customer criticism about shifts sometimes being hard to execute, Ford has also taken the liberty of changing out the MT82-D4’s synchromesh rings, revising the cone angles and tooth geometry to help slide into gears a bit easier. The clutch on the newest Ford Mustang GT has been overhauled, as well, making use of a new twin-disk setup to increase the torque limit while decreasing the amount of effort required to depress the pedal. EcoBoost models don’t get that clutch setup, but they have received a new diaphragm spring and cover, which again raises torque capacity while improving pedal feel.

Mating with the twin-disk clutch in GT models is a new dual-mass flywheel, which should work to dampen violent changes in torque and rotational speed.

When taken together, all of this means the newly-revamped, 2018 Ford Mustang GT ought to deliver smoother, quicker shifts with easier clutch operation, all while taking some of the harshness out of the driveline. Stay tuned to hear our thoughts on how all this new equipment improves the driving experience, when we release our first-drive review of the refreshed Mustang GT next week.

Aaron Brzozowski is a writer and motoring enthusiast from Detroit with an affinity for '80s German steel. He is not active on the Twitter these days, but you may send him a courier pigeon.

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Comments

  1. Well that’s not a good move at all for a performance vehicle. Sounds like they widened out the ratios for MPG. A real performance car would have 6th direct and close ratios.

    Reply
    1. …and you would be doing nothing but shifting gears. This is a street car, not an F1 screamer. For streetable performance you’d want the first three gears relatively close together and then a gap to fourth (direct) with two overdrive gears for cruising on the highway. On the street you’ll be mostly using the first four gears anyway. On the track you’d want first, second and third close together for powering out of slower corners. This gets the revs up quickly and keeps the engine in the power band. Then you have a big gap to fourth for the straightaways. I’d wager on most road courses you’d likely never use fifth gear.

      Reply

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