The Ricardo transaxle does come in the '06 Ford GT. The new GTs being raced now use a variation of the 'Dual-Clutch' design such as is used in the latest Porsches. The shift time is measured in milliseconds since one gear is connecting at the same time that the numerically nigher gear is disconnecting.
As a side note, there is one such Porsche running in the 8s at over 160 that is still using the factory trans. The race-team tech told me that they have re-programmed it but it's mechanically stock. They've undoubtedly raised the line pressure and changed the shift points. The Porsche weighs close to 3500 lbs.
The '06 Ford GT was designed as a 'continuation' vehicle and was intended as 'road'-driven. Jay's use at the one Drag Week is probably the most serious drag-racing that's taken place, although two of them were run at the first meet at Maxton in '07, as land speed cars.
An aftermarket version was run by a Husband-Wife team, (the only such team on record) at LeMans several years later. The Robertsons placed third in class at that time. They did so without outside sponsors, spending their own money. Such cars are now available in any stage of construction from the Superlite division of RCR. They're called a GT-R in recognition of the Robertson effort. The Doran-built cars run by the Robertsons had some degree of additional streamlining/alteration such as somewhat-pronounced flares to contain larger tires, but they are easily recognized as '06 Ford GTs.
As, I'm sure you know, the factory '06 GTs use a 5.4 litre version of the latest Mustang four-cam. But the engine bay is large enough to take about any V-8 engine. Hmmmm...
KS
