All About The T-56 Six-Speed Manual Transmission (And Which Cars Use It)

The T-56 six-speed manual transmission has had a very interesting history. Originally made by BorgWarner and appearing first in the 1992 Dodge Viper with its special V10 engine, the T-56 showed up next in GM's 1993 Firebird Trans Am and Camaro Z28 F-body pony cars — as an antidote to problems with the existing T-5 five-speed. The T-5 was small and easy to package in a variety of vehicles, but it was torque-limited to 330 lb-ft at a time when a new horsepower war was getting started in Detroit. The new T-56 six-speed was the solution, with its ability to handle 450 lb-ft of torque without any issues. 

By the mid-1990s, BorgWarner realized that the manual transmission business was not getting any larger and it saw greater future opportunities in the transfer case business, which was growing steadily along with increasing consumer interest in all-wheel drive SUVs and crossovers. Tremec – a notable tier-one supplier of manual transmissions – acquired BorgWarner's transmission business in December 1996, of which the T-56 was a part. 

Tremec became the manufacturer of the T-56 manual and has steadily improved it over time. Due to the T-56's flexibility and versatility, it has become not only a popular manual transmission choice for vehicle manufacturers, but also a favorite among engine swappers and restorers in the aftermarket.

In addition to the Viper and the most powerful Firebirds and Camaros, many high-performance cars from a variety of manufacturers have made versions of the T-56 their six-speed manual transmission of choice. These include the Ford Cobra R Mustang, the C5 and C6 Corvettes, the Cadillac CTS-V, the Pontiac GTO — that was essentially a rebadged Holden, the Dodge Ram SRT-10 pickup – which also had the Viper engine, and Aston Martin – which had a special model with paddle shifters.

The T-56 transmission has six speeds, the top two of which are overdrives. It was built using an aluminum case, bellhousing, and extension housing. The T-56 uses an internal single-rail shift system and advanced synchronizer technology, with tapered roller bearings on its shafts for better durability and shifting feel. Reverse gear is synchronized for easier operation and the specified lubricant is synthetic automatic transmission fluid. The T-56 also incorporates a skip-shift feature, which only operates at very light throttle positions and shifts the transmission from first to fourth gear to reduce emissions.

As good as the T-56 was, consumer needs and manufacturer's requirements change over time. Tremec revealed the TR-6060 six-speed manual transmission in 2007, in response to demands from manufacturers for a manual that could handle even more torque and do it with better shift quality. The Tremec TR-6060 first appeared in the 2007 Ford Shelby GT500. By 2008, the TR-6060 had replaced the T-56 for nearly all performance applications, becoming the preferred performance transmission for the industry.

The Tremec TR-6060 — and the Tremec Magnum, which is the same transmission but designed for the aftermarket – is able to handle 700 lb-ft of torque and weighs only 135 pounds before being filled with fluid. It features new synchronizers, larger gears and bearings, and improved shifting hardware. This results in crisper shifting, with shorter, more precise, and very low-effort throws. The TR-6060 is a worthy successor to the T-56, designed for the higher horsepower and torque demands of today's powerful sports sedans, coupes, and roadsters.