We know a decent amount about the next Shelby GT500. It will make at least 700 horsepower, said by some to come from a supercharged 5.2 liter V8, capable of hauling the pony car beyond the 200 miles per hour hurdle. Aft of the engine, not much else is known about the GT500’s drivetrain. Some speculated that the Ford Mustang’s new 10-speed automatic could link engine and driving wheels, but a new report suggests there to be a three-pedal option for the car.
Spy shots of a Ford Mustang test mule—said to be a Shelby GT500—were published on Friday by Ford Authority, in which a not-particularly-PRNDLy gear shift is depicted rising from a sheet of cloth meant to veil interior details—not a shift boot. The publication says that the transmission will be a 6-speed Tremec TR-6060, which was used in the previous generation of Shelby GT500. Tremec’s TR-6060, according to a company specs sheet, is stout enough to withstand 650 pound-feet of input torque in its most durable form, which may prove the weak link in the Shelby’s drivetrain, unless Ford pays for stronger gearing.
Only six-speed Tremec manual transmissions are available for the Mustang Shelby GT350 and GT350R, despite rumors of an optional dual-clutch unit making its way into the Shelby. The use of the 10-speed automatic may not be possible in the GT500, which will trounce the GT’s torque output.
The Drive reached out to Ford Performance for comment upon the sighting, but none has yet been returned.
As a high-horsepower, track-oriented pony car, the Mustang Shelby GT500’s main competition will be the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, whose lead engineer wants to see his creation lap the ‘Ring in under 7 minutes. Ford doesn’t need to make the GT500 compete with the likes of Dodge’s Hellcat and Demon—it ended the drag strip argument with the new 8-second Cobrajet.