We’ve heard rumors that dual clutch transmissions are finally going to make their way into domestic muscle cars like the Mustang and Corvette, and an employee newsletter from a supplier may confirm that high-powered variants of both cars will share versions of the same gearbox.

Pictured above: 2020 Shelby GT500

There has been lots of speculation about the mid-engine Corvette and one of the rumors has stated that it could go dual-clutch only and ditch the manual transmission. The upcoming Mustang GT500 was rumored to be dual-clutch since mules were spotted with fast shifting transmissions and now, with its release this morning, that swap to a DCT has been confirmed.

There are multiple dual-clutch transmission on the market that can handle a high amount of torque but the Corvette and the Mustang have traditionally avoided using exotic gearboxes. Speculation has been that they both might use the new DCT that is being developed by Tremec. This type of partnership makes sense as Tremec has traditionally supplied manual transmission for both vehicles.

A recently revealed employee newsletter for a Tremec supplier shows that our speculation could be correct. The transmissions that are illustrated in the supplier newsletter are the Tremec TR-7007 and TR-9007 DCTs. Originally sent in late 2017, the newsletter stated that Tremec contacted the supplier, Fassler, in early 2016 regarding a new project called “GM-DCT.” That would be GM's first dual clutch transmission and could support up to 664 lb-ft of torque.

Tremec

The newsletter notes that the transmission was developed in Belgium, with manufacturing in Querétaro, Mexico and final assembly in the US. The supplier says it will provide gear honing machines to Tremec in order to hone all 23 gears, shafts, and wheels that will be going into this transmission. The contract for this gear honing machine was awarded in June of 2017, and the first machine was to be delivered in January, 2018 at which time Tremec started pilot production.

That was not the end of the story. Tremec sent an additional order for more machines in late summer 2017, since they had received a new project dubbed “Ford-DCT.” The newsletter states that they had to modify two more honing machines since the new Ford transmission would be a variant of the GM DCT and use similar parts. The newsletter speculated that the two vehicles to receive these new DCTs would be the Mustang Shelby GT350 and the mid-engine Corvette.

Although they speculate that the DCT will end up in the GT350, we now know that it will definitely be in the GT500. All of this information leads us to the likely scenario of the Mustang GT500 and the mid-engine Corvette sharing the TR-9007 dual clutch transmission as that variant would support the massive torque.

In addition to industry sources and the newsletter above, social media profiles for Tremec employee in Querétaro show that they have been working on gears for a new dual clutch transmission that they list as being for a General Motors & Ford platform.

Now we know that the GT500 has the gearbox. We'll just have to wait to find out what Chevy will put in the mid-engine Corvette. Of course, that means they'll have to confirm that they’re building it. We hope to find out more later this year.

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