The Ford Mustang 10-Speed Transmission Hits Dealership Computers

Since it was announced that the 2017 Ford F150 Raptor and the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 would both feature a version of the 10-speed automatic transmission which was developed jointly between FoMoCo and GM, it has been expected that the Ford Mustang would also get this 10-speed gearbox. It seems perfectly logical that if the Ford/GM 10-speed is a good fit for the F150 Raptor and the Camaro ZL1, it would also be good fit for the Ford Mustang, but there has never been any concrete evidence that the new 10-speed automatic would be offered in the Mustang – until now.

Leave it to the folks at Mustang6g.com to find the first real proof of the 10-speed automatic coming to the Ford Mustang and according to their crew, it is coming for the 2018 model year.

Mustang6g Unearths the 10-Speed Mustang
The first bit of official-ish information that suggests that the new Ford Mustang will be getting a 10-speed automatic comes from Microcrat, the computer database system that Ford dealerships use to locate parts. In that system, under the “transmission” dropdown for the 2015+ Ford Mustang, the final option is “10 SPEED AUTO TRANSMISSION (10R80)”. That is, of course, the same transmission which will be offered for all 2017 Ford F150 pickups with the premium 3.5L EcoBoost V6.

Now, the listing of the 10-speed transmission in Microcat doesn’t officially confirm the fact that this gearbox will be offered in the Ford Mustang. I mean, there is a chance that the person who entered that option into the system made a mistake, but when you take into consideration that fact that the arrival of the 10-speed transmission was rumored to arrive in the Mustang – this is solid reinforcement for the rumors and the insider information.

When is the 10-Speed Coming?
The “problem” with this information coming from Microcat is that there is no additional information, so we don’t know when the new transmission will come to the Ford Mustang option list. The folks on Mustang6g believe that it will hit dealers for the 2018 model year and I agree.

Figure that Ford Motor Company and General Motors designed the new 10-speed automatic transmission jointly, so they each had to benefit from the program. The 2017 Ford F150 will be the first truck to feature the 10-speed gearbox while the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will be the first car. This rollout gives each company a brief advantage over the other in the two different segments, with the F150 grabbing the class exclusive title over the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra while the Camaro holds the class exclusive claim over the Ford Mustang during the 2017 model year.

However, with the new 10-speed obviously being ready for both half ton truck use and performance car use, it seems unlikely that the Silverado, the Sierra and the Mustang won’t soon get this new transmission. I suspect that the F150 will be the only truck to offer the 10-speed for 2017 while the Camaro is the only car to offer the 10-speed for 2017, but for 2018, I fully expect to see this transmission in the option list of several more vehicles.

In addition to the Ford Mustang, I expect to see the 10-speed automatic in the Chevrolet Silverado, the Chevrolet Corvette and the GMC Sierra during the 2018 or 2019 model year.

In short, if the dealership parts locator system is to be trusted, the Ford Mustang will soon be offered with the 10-speed automatic – we just don’t know when.

Source: Mustang6g.com