The high performance derivative of the prodigious pony car was only offered with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission from factory but now you can get a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 with a 6-speed manual conversion… if you live somewhere near the American state of Illinois.
This is not a factory option unfortunately, but aftermarket American V8 performance specialists HPJ Performance have completed a manual Ford Mustang Shelby proof of concept and are now offering a 6-speed manual conversion on the standard 567 kW brute.
As standard, the 5.2-liter Predator V8 powered GT500 is good for 850 N.m so any gearbox conversion used would have to be equally capable of transferring the angry American stallions exclusively to the rear wheels.
HPJ states that the 6-speed manual for the pony car that is on offer is capable of withstanding up to 880 kW of twin-turbo power from their most obscene performance upgrade. At $35,500, it comes with an equally obscene price tag too which will have your bank thinking you have bought a brand new muscle car after the transaction has cleared.
But more on the actual hardware: the main component is a Tremec T-56 Magnum XL double-overdrive six-speed which connects to the supercharged V8 by an SFI safety-approved bell housing and flywheel. On the inside is a six-speed ball Tremec shifter and OEM Ford pedal assembly that the driver can gleefully control.
We can imagine lots of bouncing off the rev limiter but it is a sweet sound that would probably invigorate anything within a kilometre radius. The clutch system will depend on the existing or pending upgrades done to each specific car.
With manual transmissions becoming a scarcity in such powerful performance orientated cars, the manual Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 may just be an American auto aficionado’s dream come true. Read our review of the standard seven-speed dual-clutch automatic hooligan here.
