Author: Team TREMEC

At the 2022 Cadillac Attack event, we spotted a relative unicorn in the CTS-V universe. In the field of competitors, there was a CTS-V wagon with the factory manual transmission! A CTS-V wagon is unusual enough to see, but one with a factory TREMEC TR-6060 6-speed is like catching sight of Big Foot riding on the Loch Ness Monster’s back. The CTS wagon was available for the 2010-14 model years, and was a bold move for Cadillac, since at a time, the concept of a station wagon was virtually extinct in the American market, unlike in Europe. This 2013 stick wagon was one of only 500 made for the model year.

The TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout is back for another season of shift-your-own-gears excitement! TREMEC and the NMRA want 2022 to be the best season yet for True Street racers and stick shift enthusiasts. 

“Following the success of the 2021 NMRA season and the TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout series, we can’t wait to see the action and entertainment the Stick Shift Shootout gives us this year,” said Steve Wolcott, NMRA President and CEO.  “Fueled by the popularity of the True Street class, we always have a diverse group of stick-shift competitors. At all three events in 2021 – Bradenton, Norwalk and Bowling Green –there were racing twists and surprises that showed us how great this class is, and how the overall fastest car is never assured a victory. All competitors have a legit chance to win, regardless of their average e.t.”

Nick Filippides and his company American Racing Headers are no strangers to building vehicles that redefine what it means to think outside the box. They built a Hellcat-powered Toyota Prius with a TREMEC Magnum 6-speed transmission that stunned people at the 2017 SEMA Show. Their follow-up to that build – a 1964 Rambler American – is built to turn heads and blow the doors of the competition on the drag strip.

The Jeep Wrangler is an iconic off-road vehicle. But through the years, the various models haven’t always had the best manual transmissions. For example, the Jeep YJ (1987-1995 model years) and Jeep TJ (1997-2006) lacked a decent First gear ratio, and owners found the transmissions to be less durable once larger tires and weight were added to the Jeep, including heavier axles and other off-road equipment. The factory NSG370 6-speed transmission found in the Jeep JK (2007-2018) was better, but there was still room for improvement in the eyes of Wrangler enthusiasts. The superior First gear ratio and incredible strength of the TREMEC TR-4050 5-speed manual transmission has made it a desirable upgrade not only for the Jeep Wrangler, but also many other light trucks and 4x4 SUVs.