Skip to main content

The Ford Mustang Mach 1 may show up in 2018 along with a 10-speed automatic gearbox

2016 Ford Mustang
Image used with permission by copyright holder
There’s a gag associated with the iconic Mustang vs. Charger chase scene in Steve McQueen’s Bullitt. The story goes that the sound editing for the titular character’s pony car seems to have around 10 upshifts in a row, with some counting more. We may look back and chuckle at this cinematic goof, but no one could’ve predicted the once laughable notion of a Mustang with a 10-speed transmission would one day end up becoming a reality.

According to Automotive News, the latest-generation Ford Mustang is already set up for some significant upgrades in 2018, including a new transmission and a return of the Mach 1 nameplate. The transmission rumor has been floating around for a while now, but it gains a little more substance now that it has a date attached to it, as well as being packaged with other details.

2012-ford-mustang-boss-302-1-md
The 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca Image used with permission by copyright holder

Naturally, the rumored 10-speed will be an automatic, which will most likely see some action in the F-150 first and there’s even talk that it’ll find its way in whatever Lincoln Motor Co. is cooking up.

As for the Mach 1, this will be the first time a Mustang will bear the name since 2004. The previous generation certainly saw its share of variants, bringing back a few classic badges, but the most notable one was the return of the Boss 302. This popular edition saw time on track as the 302R customer race car and the street-legal 302 and 302 Laguna Seca, the latter of which was track-day-focused street car. Its 444 horsepower output from the 5.0-liter V8 under the hood made it the nimble sibling to the more powerful Shelby GT500, but a step above the standard GT, both in output and handling.

If the Mach 1 is this generation’s Boss 302, then we already can’t wait.

Alexander Kalogianni
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Alex K is an automotive writer based in New York. When not at his keyboard or behind the wheel of a car, Alex spends a lot of…
Most Ford Mustang Mach-E reservation holders go for extended-range battery
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E and 2020 Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is one of the most anticipated new cars of the upcoming year. Treated to a glitzy unveiling at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, the First Edition of the new electric car sold out in a matter of days. Now we have more information on what the first production cars will look like, and when they will arrive.

The Mach-E First Edition was listed as sold out on Ford's website by the end of November -- shortly after order books opened November 18. Ford finally confirmed that reservations for the First Edition are full, without saying how many First Edition cars it plans to build. Customers can still place reservations for other models. However, as the name implies, First Edition models will roll off the assembly line and into customers' driveways first.

Read more
Ford could build its next Mustang-inspired electric car on Volkswagen bones
Ford Mustang Mach E front view

Ford is eager to capitalize on the Mustang Mach-E's popularity by releasing a smaller, more affordable model in the coming years. While development work is on-going, company sources hinted the yet-unnamed car will use Volkswagen parts.

Decision-makers on both sides of the Atlantic are already plotting ways to expand the Mustang family beyond the well-known two-door model and the aforementioned Mach-E crossover, according to Murat Gueler, Ford's chief designer. "Yes, we have already talked about expansion, to some sort of family," he confirmed to British magazine Auto Express.

Read more
The Ford Mustang could ditch its V8 and eventually go fully electric
ford mustang lithium electric muscle car concept shown at sema 2019

Previous

Next

Read more