What do we know about the 2018?

[Bullitt]

Not really foolish. Yes, there are manual purists -- still a good many of them. When I bought this car people were all "I'm so glad you got the manual, that's a real muscle car!" Of course, I didn't give a f*ck, I got it for me, but whatever. The purists are a thing.

Here's the catch, though. Manual purists are a declining market. I mean how many in America even know how to drive stick? What, like 10%, tops? Mostly older folks, too. Add to that better straight line performance with these 8 and 10 speed autos, and performance at the track (with DSGs and other manual-shift trickery) starting to edge it out too... no, the writing is on the wall for the stick, my friend. It retains a certain cool nostalgia value for some people, and for others it's just fun to drive (that'd be me). But those folks are vanishing.

I don't know exactly when the stick will die. Maybe it keeps going in 2018 and 2020 for a bit longer. Maybe not. But the time will come when it will die, and you'll have to go conversion to get one. In the meantime, though, I do agree with the other guy here who posted that we'll probably see autos become the standard option soon, with manual as the no-cost option. That will be when the phase out begins.

I dunno, I wouldn't underestimate those purists. The stuff you're saying about the auto being faster, easier and more popular is what people have been saying for the past 50 years. Everyone thought automatics were the future back then too and here we are 50 years later with a good amount of Mustangs being manual still. I'm not sold on the total decline of the manual. If you look on YouTube there's tons of instructional videos on how to learn manual and they all have millions of views. I've already made one video about it and people are still asking for another one. I'm seeing a strong preference for manuals within the younger demographic of enthusiasts. I film car reviews and whenever I film a performance car, the first question people ask is "is it a manual?". If it isn't, it's not nearly as cool to them. Again, until the day comes when manual sales of the Mustang really start to take a nose dive I think Ford will continue to offer it simply because it's in their best interest financially to build cars people still want to buy.

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[Stormtrooper5.0]

If they stop offering manual trans in cars, ill buy a bus pass and a bicycle.
No Manual, No Thanks!

 

[15wile]

I dunno, I wouldn't underestimate those purists. The stuff you're saying about the auto being faster, easier and more popular is what people have been saying for the past 50 years.

And it's been a slow die off for manuals in those 50 years. We're coming up on the bitter end, my friend.

Everyone thought automatics were the future back then too and here we are 50 years later with a good amount of Mustangs being manual still.

Yeah, this is one of the last market segments with a strong manual presence in the states. They are more healthy in Europe, but still declining there too.

I'm not sold on the total decline of the manual. If you look on YouTube there's tons of instructional videos on how to learn manual and they all have millions of views. I've already made one video about it and people are still asking for another one.

That's a symptom of the decline, actually. It used to be that you learned on a friend's car, or your parents would teach you. Now, it's hard to find a friend or a parent who can drive stick and has access to a manual car for you to learn on. Youtubers and other Internet denizens stepped into the gap, of course, and I'm grateful for that -- that's how I learned. But you'd be surprised how few people are willing to risk the embarrassment and hassle of learning.

I'm seeing a strong preference for manuals within the younger demographic of enthusiasts.

I see a lot more automatics than manuals at the car shows these days. Oh, sure, the manual guys rib the auto drivers some. "Can't shift it yourself like a man, eh?" But then race time comes, and the auto driver wins. Hard to swallow that.

I film car reviews and whenever I film a performance car, the first question people ask is "is it a manual?". If it isn't, it's not nearly as cool to them.

I get that sometimes. Just the other day, I took my car in to have the oil changed, and the guys at the shop were enthused that it was an "old fashioned stick shift." Guess they don't see 'em much anymore. Car lovers will always have a soft spot for it. Doesn't mean it will remain financially viable forever, though.

Again, until the day comes when manual sales of the Mustang really start to take a nose dive I think Ford will continue to offer it simply because it's in their best interest financially to build cars people still want to buy.

A solid DSG would probably put the coffin nail in the car. Remember, just because a manufacturer may stop making the car in manual doesn't mean you can't get one. The aftermarket would probably take over. Indeed, I know a guy at the local meets who has a Crown Vic he souped up and converted to manual. I don't think stick will ever die completely, but I do suspect that eventually it will move into the aftermarket.

 

[ForTehNguyen]

i predict at a minimum engine updates and 10 speed auto like the F150 is getting for 2017

 

[timd38]

i predict at a minimum engine updates and 10 speed auto like the F150 is getting for 2017

I agree with you, but the V6 will be history.

 

[Bullitt]

A solid DSG would probably put the coffin nail in the car. Remember, just because a manufacturer may stop making the car in manual doesn't mean you can't get one. The aftermarket would probably take over. Indeed, I know a guy at the local meets who has a Crown Vic he souped up and converted to manual. I don't think stick will ever die completely, but I do suspect that eventually it will move into the aftermarket.

We can agree to disagree about what we think the future will bring. But I think if you polled current manual Mustang owners, I'd bet most would not gladly switch to a DSG at the drop of a hat like you think. Like the post above yours, the last Mustang made with a manual would be the last Mustang I'd own. 99.9% of people aren't going to even consider converting a car to manual, voiding the warranty on a brand new car in the process, and having a sloppy aftermarket solution that costs thousands lol.

 

[Spartan]

i predict at a minimum engine updates and 10 speed auto like the F150 is getting for 2017

Since the F-150 is getting it for this year, it means the transmission is being mass produced now...which is a good sign the Mustang will get it in the refresh.

 

[EXP Jawa]

If it got to the point were the car was no longer designed with a manual transmission offering in mind, converting one after the fact becomes a bit more complicated. One area that most probably don't give a lot of thought to is the dash structure for mounting & pivoting three pedals. Once you get into modifying that structure, you also effect the crash structure & performance. That might not be important to some, but it should be considered - and that might carry the sort of liability that an aftermarket company might not want. I recall reading about someone doing that with late model Crown Vics some time ago (I want to say it was Bondurant for instructor cars). It turned out to be a lot more involved than they bargained for.

Anyway, I still think its a moot discussion at this point. As I've said, I have high confidence that Ford will offer a manual transmission in Mustang for the foreseeable future. Not worried.

 

[15wile]

We can agree to disagree about what we think the future will bring. But I think if you polled current manual Mustang owners, I'd bet most would not gladly switch to a DSG at the drop of a hat like you think. Like the post above yours, the last Mustang made with a manual would be the last Mustang I'd own. 99.9% of people aren't going to even consider converting a car to manual, voiding the warranty on a brand new car in the process, and having a sloppy aftermarket solution that costs thousands lol.

We shall see. I doubt such a change would happen in '18 anyway. More likely that it would be next gen if it happens, not a refresh. Remember, though, it's not a matter of most drivers switching to DSG. Most buyers are already on automatic.

I couldn't find the sales breakdown at that level of granularity on a quick google search -- not sure if anyone here has them handy. But pretty sure most V6s and EBs are Auto, anecdotally. And the GT breakdown at the local mustang meets is probably 60/40 in favor of autos for 6th gen. This is among enthusiasts, mind you, not the general public, which probably has much lower adoption rates for manual trans. So if Ford decided to cut the manual, they wouldn't have to win over *every* enthusiast, only a sizable fraction of those that still drive stick.

As an aside, though, I do wish us GT owners had the Tremec the GT350 guys get, instead of the Getrag. I'm worried about the MT-82 holding the power I want to add.

 

[Marino]

If they did add DI it could bring the GT to around 470hp bringing it back into the fight with the SS. Combine that with some weight savings and a revised Performance Package and you have a milkshake.

 

[VinnAY]

Number one thing to address performance wise is how do you let the Camaro push 455 and not match it though I'm unclear how much more the 5.0 can really give, if it should be expected to keep pace with the 6.2L LT1.

 

[Zelek]

Number one thing to address performance wise is how do you let the Camaro push 455 and not match it though I'm unclear how much more the 5.0 can really give, if it should be expected to keep pace with the 6.2L LT1.

DI with higher compression does the trick. It will suffer when boosting though.

 

[EJS2016]

Increased displacement to 5.2L (317 cid) would help.

 

[15wile]

Increased displacement to 5.2L (317 cid) would help.

They have CPC version of the 5.2 as a crate motor. Makes you wonder...

 

[EJS2016]

Yes, it sure does...

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