The manual vs. automatic rivalry rages on and the comparison between the two has never been hotter! Credit Ford for fanning the flames with the awesome 5R55S (2005-2010 Mustang GT) and 6R80 (2011 5.0L Mustang) automatic transmissions as they have gone toe-to-toe on the drag strip with stick-shift equipped Mustangs.
I admit it, my 2007 Mustang has an automatic transmission and I like it. There, I’ve said it and I am not ashamed one bit! In fact, I am not alone in being impressed with the 5R55S as MM&FF Editor and die-hard stick-shift racer Evan Smith has stated on many equations he likes racing his wife’s auto-equipped ’07 Stang. Another stick-shift-or-die guy is noted NMRA racer and shop owner Justin Burcham and he digs the latest auto cars too. In fact, I’ve even quoted Justin in a magazine article as saying that if he had to own an auto-equipped Mustang it would be one with a 5R55S slush-box.
Hey everyone, this is Mike Galimi and the AmericanMuscle.com guys have asked me to post regular blogs about stuff going down in the wild world of Mustangs. Please check back regularly as I will be posting various information, experiences, videos, pictures, and everything cool in our hobby on a regular basis.
Is Going Fast Too Easy?
I think I am ready to part ways with my supercharged 2007 Mustang GT. It runs mid-11s and getting there was far too easy. But I think I am ready to part ways with it in order to make room for a 2011 Mustang GT. The reason is simple, the new 5.0L is even easier to make run 11s, and ultimately 10s, than my supercharged Three-Valve. Not to mention all of the creature comfort upgrades between the two model years. After covering the AmericanMuscle.com 2011 Mustang GT for Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords December 2010 issue, I saw how easy it was to run fast.
Since that article hit newsstands, the car has gone a best of 11.90 at 118 and they haven’t even hit with a shot of juice from the Zex kit that’s onboard. The speed is just 1.5 mph shy of where my supercharged Three-Valve car runs. The shop car’s track life is about to get quicker as there are rumors running around the AmericanMuscle.com compound that a supercharger is waiting to be bolted on this winter. Once that happens, 10-second times are sure to be reality.
It seems every new Mustang makes achieving certain performance benchmarks that much easier. We went from 14-second stock cars to 13-second ones, and now the 2011 Mustang GT can run 12s with the right driver and weather conditions off the showroom floor. The AmericanMuscle.com car was the first 2011 I drove and I loved it, smooth, comfortable and soon to be a 10-second player.
So, is it too easy to go fast? Tell me how you got your car to tear it up at the track…
I admit it, my 2007 Mustang has an automatic transmission and I like it. There, I’ve said it and I am not ashamed one bit! In fact, I am not alone in being impressed with the 5R55S as MM&FF Editor and die-hard stick-shift racer Evan Smith has stated on many equations he likes racing his wife’s auto-equipped ’07 Stang. Another stick-shift-or-die guy is noted NMRA racer and shop owner Justin Burcham and he digs the latest auto cars too. In fact, I’ve even quoted Justin in a magazine article as saying that if he had to own an auto-equipped Mustang it would be one with a 5R55S slush-box.
