Do any mustang now or in future have the semi-automatic transmission? Like a manual without clutch (you just press + or - to shift) similar to BMW dual clutch and porsche triptronic etc?

 

No word of a Mustang scale dual clutch tranny. Ford/Volvo is apparently working on one at the smaller FWD end of the scale though.

Would be nice as apparently, zinging around the Nurburgring, the '09 Porche 911 with its 7-speed DSG lapped something like a whopping 8 seconds faster than a stick shift 911.

 

Ford already has the technology now. It's called "Powershift". I'd venture that we will see it in the near future on a lot of Ford's cars. DSG's are more efficient.

 

Unfortunately, I can't remember the source, but I had read recently that the 2010 or 2011 Mustang will offer the dual-clutch PowerShift transmission. It's the only reason I'm considering the next GT for my recreational vehicle, as it has to be drivable by the wife in order for the purchase to get "approved!" I sure hope it's true. All I can remember is that I felt it was a very reliable source. I think they want it as fast as possible, since it supposedly will offer improvements in fuel efficiency over a "real" automatic. It's already in use in European Fords. It was developed with Getrag, and there are multiple versions of the transmission depending on the torque each model is designed and engineered to handle. I'm hoping that Ford will be smart enough to see to it that the Mustang GT version of the tranny can handle plenty of extra torque on top of what the GT comes with from the factory, as many people will want to increase the performance of their Mustangs, myself included.

 

I'd be all over the PowerShift if it was offered...
As much as I like a tried/true manual....

 

Didn't the Lincoln LS V8 have something similar to that?

Isn't the new Challenger SRT8 using a semi-automatic?

 

Twin clutch automated manual transmissions started with VW's DSG, a relatively recent invention. It's a true manual transmission with automatic shift mode, and vastly better than most, if not all, automatics with manual shift modes. I don't believe there's much of anything special about the automatic in the Challenger SRT8, and it's definitely not a twin-clutch. The LS automatic was just an ordinary auto as well (initially the V6 was offered with a Getrag 5-speed manual, which I test drove and liked, but had wished the V8 offered the manual).

 

Just read that the Challenger SRT8 uses an Autostick, which is very similar to the semi-auto trans used by VW.

As for the LS V8, I recall riding in my buddy's LS and it had some kind of quick shift automatic.
Anybody know the details on that?

 

That Autostick is quite different in design and functionality than DSG, TC-SST (Evo), and the upcoming PowerShift. Autostick is essentially useless on a racetrack, while the twin-clutch manuals are generally far better than traditional manual transmissions. Again, what the LS had was a true automatic, and also, quite useless on a track.

 

I will have to do more research. All I have ever had were 5 speed manuals and regular automatics.
Motor Trend did say that taking the Challenger SRT8 down the track was easy, and they could run 0-60 in 4.7 all day long.

All I know is that if its going to be expensive, count Ford out!

 

The autostick is simply an automatic transmission that allows the driver to make the shifting decisions. It still has all of the power sapping slip of a traditional automatic.

The DSG is a manual transmission with 2 clutches. The clutches and gear changes operate automatically, but internally the transmission is basically a manual. If you test drive a VW with DSG you will be able to tell the difference from an Autostick vehicle very quickly.

 

Explain why the Mustang GT auto and manual have virtually the same acceleration times.

 

same tranny and same available ratios (optional). all you're losing with the auto is some slip time with the torque converter (which i've found is very negligable but can become anoying).

 

A DSG transmission with launch control would be really neat technology for the Mustang. Porsche recently added a DSG transmission to the 911 and tested the car at the Nurburgring. The DSG equipped car was 7 seconds faster.

 

So you still have to some-what operate the car like a standard transmission right? Using a clutch pedal and shifter? Or only the shifter? Or is it 50/50 depending on what gear you are in and your RPM/Speed?

 

Clutchless manual
With sequential gear shifting.

Think of it like a traditional automatic...it shifts on its own...
but when you want to change your own gears, you either have a flicks shift, or paddles shifters... and you can change the gears. (much like a triptonic automatic)

While they may operate the same, the underneath is completely different.

Triptonic/SelectShift... automatic tranny with Torq converter.
DSG/PowerShift... manual tranny with computer controlled clutches
Incredibley fast shifts.

 

Different gearing? I don't know. But the fact remains that a traditional automatic (and that includes Autosticks) cannot put the power down like a manual due to the nature of their design. There is slip in there, there has to be or the car would stall at a stop.

A DSG equipped GT should be significantly faster than a manual equipped one. And the 0-60 times should be rock solid repeatable all day long.

Just look at the difference in the VW GTI, which has a DSG for it's automatic.

EDIT: 0-60 mph (Manual/Automatic) 7.2 seconds / 6.9 seconds
http://www.vw.com/gti/completespecs/en/us/#/show_all

 

Yeah, the dual-clutch type trannies (DCTs), by whatever name each manufacturer uses, are more efficient than traditional torque-converter and planetary-gear automatics yet faster and easier to drive than traditional single clutch and wiggle-stick manuals. The shift times for the DCTs are getting down to around .250 seconds whereas a completed shift in a traditional manual might realistically take at least .5 seconds by a very good driver.

Figure three shifts for a 1/4 mile run and the manual is spending .75 seconds more than the DCT not delivering power to the wheels and thus, not accelerating. Now this calculation is somewhat idealized, but not by very much, so you can see the potential free (in terms of no extra hp or fuel consumption) performance gains that could be realized by these thangs. And away from the rather simplistic format of a drag strip, i.e., road course racing and even more, real world roads, DCTs have an even greater advantage in terms of seamless power delivery and driver control.

While perhaps not quite as smooth as the very best slushboxes in daily driving, these are a very new technology and are being refined at a very fast rate. And they certainly offer all the driving ease, in traffic and the daily grind, of slushboxes when they are in full auto mode.

My guess is that in the not too distant future, these may very well supplant current manual and slushbox trannies with single DCT type trannies for whatever applications.

A somewhat interesting hybrid, if you will, is Mercedes tranny in their AMG SL 6.3, which essentially takes their standard 7-speed autobox but replaces the torque converter with an automated multiplate clutch. Seems to work pretty well in fact and may represent a transitional approach to eek out the vast current investment and production infrastructure in slushbox autoboxes.

 

Sounds pretty good, although I think it takes away some of the fun.

 

The dual-clutch auto-manuals also tend to shift faster, and more importantly, usually (but not always--see the auto in the BMW 1 and 3 Series) give you much better control over the transmission in manual mode. Usually they, for example, will hold a gear forever, banging into the rev limiter all day long if that's what you want. The TC-SST in the Mitsubishi Evolution MR is probably the best one in the world currently. They are usually far more appropriate for track days, which is largely why I'm looking for a third, recreational, car. I'm afraid to take my daily driver to the track....