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New Ford Bronco To Get A 7-Speed Manual Gearbox

I’m extremely annoyed that the new Ford Bronco won’t be coming to dealerships on the English side of the pond. Because one, it looks incredible, and two, I want to see some proper SUVs on the English roads instead of the embarrassing Vauxhall Mokka.

But if you are thinking of purchasing the new nostalgia oozing Bronco, here’s a rumour for you:

According to reports from Jalopnik, the new Ford 4×4 could come from the factory with a manual 7-speed gearbox – a rare manual set up found in cars such as the Porsche 911 and Chevy Corvette – over their standard 10-speed efficient auto ‘box. The transmission will be made by Getrag who is already partnered with Ford and currently create setups for the Mustang.

This new transmission will be called the MT-88, so is more than likely going to be an improved version of the current MT-82 which is used alongside the 2.7-litre Ecoboost V6. Does this mean then that the Bronco will also wield this mighty turbocharged power plant? More than likely, yes.

Jalopnik checked out the LinkedIn profiles of Getrag employees which showed that they have been working on a gearbox for three years dubbed internally as the 6/7MTI550 with the base version being a 6-speed. The higher specced 7-speed is said to be going into the Bronco. This also fits with previous numbering schemes for the current Mustang gearbox which was dubbed the 6MTI500 internally before it was put on the market.

The new 7-speed can handle 405lb-ft of torque according to a Getrag spec sheet, which matches the 2.7-litre output. The spec sheet also hints at an AWD setup for this gearbox.

With manual ‘boxes quickly dissipating from the roads, it’s great to see more manuals being produced. Especially for the American market. Maybe there’s hope yet.

Alex Harrington

Alex started racing at a young age so certainly knows his way around a car and a track. He can just about put a sentence together too, which helps. He has a great interest in the latest models, but would throw all of his money at a rusty old French classic and a 300ZX. Contact: [email protected]

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