Ford developing dual-clutch ‘box for fastest Mustangs

Ford is believed to be secretly developing a dual-clutch automatic transmission for both the GT350 and the more extreme track-focused GT350R, according to new reports.

Currently both fast Mustangs come with just a six-speed manual gearbox but that could change, says Mustang6G.com, after the Ford fan-site unearthed confidential correspondence between the US car-maker and its dealers.

The Mustang blog hasn't yet published the documents detailing how the next GT350 and GT350R will shape up, but has shared information with car blog Jalopnik confirming, internally, that the fastest big Ford coupe will come with a dual-clutch gearbox.

The transmission, likely to have seven speeds, is thought to be a development of the gearbox fitted to the forthcoming Ford GT supercar.

Initially, it will be offered with both the Shelby GT350 and GT350R, but in the future it's likely the dual-clutch transmission will be used in other high-performance Mustang variants.

It's thought the need for the faster-shifting twin-clutch auto has come from enthusiasts who regularly use their car on the track and want a faster gearbox to help the Mustang compete (and keep up) with more exotic supercars made by Porsche, Ferrari and McLaren.

According to Mustang6G, the new dual-clutch gearbox will be offered alongside the current six-speed manual. Ford is keen to keep the manual on sale for third-pedal purists.

If confirmed, the new dual-clutch transmission is also certain to come with launch control and, potentially, a new side-slip control system similar to Ferrari's system of the same name. Side-slip helps, and maintains, slides. Think of it as a drift mode for rear-wheel drive vehicles.

Originally, Ford planned to offer the normally-aspirated 392kW/581Nm 5.2-litre V8-powered GT350 as a strictly limited-run high-performance model but, according to the documents, Ford will continue production throughout 2018.