Test drove the 2011 GT 5.0 AUTO

[Ry_Trapp0]

christ guys, just wait till the tuners get ahold of them. there will be firmer shifting tunes galore! just like every other electronic auto.

I think it uses a wet clutch like a AMG benz?

nope, it's the 6R60 that's been used in fords pickups and SUVs for the past few years. AFAIK, the automated dual clutch transmissions are only for the FWDs(and front based AWDs), though i believe ford has a longitudinal dual clutch on the way.

 

[metaman]

I would totally want the auto. I have been driving a 6 speed 03 cobra for six years. I guess I am getting old or something. I just want to get in my car and be lazy now.

 

[bad2000z]

That's exactly how I feel lol ^^

 

[auto02]

i'll take the auto over a stick anyday!nothing a good converter can't fix!

 

[Driver72]

i'll take the auto over a stick anyday!nothing a good converter can't fix!

Except doing your own shifting, holding gears at redline if you desire, skip shifting like going from 6th to 3rd, or from 2nd to 5th, drifiting a corner while holding rpms at around 4000, clutch slipping 1st while going 20 mph to light up the rear tires for some burnout fun.
Auto can be fun, no doubt, but they need AT LEAST the ability to column shift (or better yet paddle shift) and need a sport mode to hold gears all the way up to redline so they won't "automatically" up or down shift when you DON'T want them too. The 11 Mustang GT has none of that, and a converter does not fix that either.
Best of both is a top notch Dual Clutch, but you still give up the ability (and to many additional fun of having to shift yourself and have that added control and involvement with your car.)

 

[Kn38ms]

IIRC the only manual gear access for the auto is 1, 2, 3, and D...

Me thinks a paddle may be offered next year.
Maybe Ford had no time to R&D a paddle the first year.
Keep in mind the 1st year C6 had a 4 speed auto console shift.
The following year he 5 speed paddle was in there.
Ford needed to get in the game quick with 5.0.
Who knows, maybe thats why we get the 123D mode the first year.

 

[monX]

Except doing your own shifting, holding gears at redline if you desire, skip shifting like going from 6th to 3rd, or from 2nd to 5th, drifiting a corner while holding rpms at around 4000, clutch slipping 1st while going 20 mph to light up the rear tires for some burnout fun.
Auto can be fun, no doubt, but they need AT LEAST the ability to column shift (or better yet paddle shift) and need a sport mode to hold gears all the way up to redline so they won't "automatically" up or down shift when you DON'T want them too. The 11 Mustang GT has none of that, and a converter does not fix that either.
Best of both is a top notch Dual Clutch, but you still give up the ability (and to many additional fun of having to shift yourself and have that added control and involvement with your car.)

Exactly. :beer:

 

[Driver72]

Oh I forgot, one other thing the auto would need as well and that's throttle blipping rev matching upon downshifts when in sport mode.
That was a pretty cool feature on my 335i's and loved that when canyon carving.
2011 model year performance car like the Mustang 5.0 coming with a plain jane old school automatic with not even a single updated technology on it to me is inexcusable.
The cost of a sport mode button or even paddle shifters would be pretty negligible overall. And they have to look at sales as well.
Had the auto had a sport mode button, paddle shifters and rev matching downshifts all of which probably would not cost Ford more than $300, I'm guessing at least 10-20% of manual buyers would of changed their minds and paid the additional money for the auto in that case, even if Ford passed on the additional $300 cost to the buyer in the way of increasing the automatic option by $300.

I'll be honest, had the auto had those features, and I very well would of gotten the auto myself as a manual in LA often sucks balls when in traffic. But an old school plain jane auto is just too boring.

 

[jimbob8915]

The squeeky wheel gets the oil. If enough people complain Ford will fix it...probably. I have been driving manual mustangs for 25 years and a nice auto with paddle shifting sounds good to me.

 

[bad2000z]

My main concern is that the car performs well at the drag strip. From what I hear so far it does :coolman: