Test drive: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1
The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is the latest in a line of high performance Mustangs that dates back to 1969 and very different than the brand's other "Mach" model, according to Fox News Autos Editor Gary Gastelu.
It is called a manual transmission, not a mani/pedi transmission, after all.
Ford has filed a patent for a new manual transmission that would make the clutch pedal optional. (Ford)
Ford has filed a patent for a manual transmission that has a clutch pedal you only have to use when you feel like it.
The design was first reported on by Muscle Cars & Trucks combines a conventional stick shift for changing gears with a pedal that's electronically connected to the clutch.
The design uses a clutch-by-wire system that can also be controlled by a computer. (Ford)
The driver has the option of either using the pedal to work the clutch via a by-wire connection, or just letting the computer sense when they move the stick and engaging it on its own.
Aside from the actuation of the clutch, the transmission is otherwise conventional. (Ford)
The operation is similar to the old Volkswagen Autostick, which used vacuum actuation but also incorporated a torque converter to allow a vehicle to idle at a standstill, while Ford's setup would just disengage the clutch.
The patent also envisions a shifter grip-operated clutch. (Ford)
The patent also describes a method where the clutch could be progressively controlled via a sensor built into the shifter handle grip.
The new design is different from the dual-clutch automated transmissions already used in many cars, including those from Hyundai, which recently introduced a version of its Venue subcompact SUV in India with a stick and electronic clutch, but no pedal to operate it with.
The market share for manual transmissions has all but dried up in the U.S. as automatics have overtaken them on performance and efficiency, but Ford still offers them in the Mustang and Bronco, mostly for the sake of entertainment.
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Although the brand plans to introduce an increasing number of all-electric models that don't need multi-gear transmissions, it's not done with internal combustion engines just yet and is expected to launch a new Mustang in 2024.