Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn says its 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 is the most powerful street-legal Ford ever built with its 760-horsepower V-8 engine and 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. It goes on sale this fall starting at $73,995.
Equipped with the 5.2-liter supercharged V-8, along with the new Tremec TR-9070 DCT transmission, the Mustang Shelby GT500 can accelerate from zero to 100 mph and back to zero again in 10.6 seconds thanks to the largest front brakes of any domestic sports coupe (16.5-inch rotors) and available carbon fiber wheels, each clad in a Ford Performance-spec Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tire.
“The range of brute-force drag acceleration, seamless road shifts, and amazingly smooth shifts on the track further highlights how the soul of the Shelby GT500 is elevated in our most advanced Mustang ever,” says Ed Krenz, chief program engineer for Ford Performance. “Effortlessly handling the 760 horsepower is our segment-first Tremec dual-clutch transmission, with an advanced control system that enhances GT500’s five drive modes to deliver a driving experience once reserved only for exotic supercars.”
Applying 625 ft.-lb. of torque to the pavement effectively requires a transmission and driveline that can do more than just handle a massive amount of power, according to Ford Performance engineers, who collaborated with Tremec to design a gearbox that offers maximum driver control with fast shifting and greater performance across a wide spectrum of driving environments.
“In many ways, this is like having two transmissions in one,” says Pat Morgan, powertrain manager for Ford Performance. “On one hand, it enables performance at the outer reaches of straight-line quickness with minimal torque interruption yet provides an incredible amount of finesse and control in track environments for maximum stability and predictability at the limits of lateral acceleration.”
To firmly and smoothly deliver torque, the TR-9070 DCT dual-clutch transmission has a wet clutch system with five friction plates in the odd-gear pack for a total of 155 square inches of surface area. In the even-gear pack, six friction plates provide 136 square inches of surface area. Transmission fluid is applied to the clutch surfaces only during thermal events for optimal cooling and minimal parasitic loss.
The 2020 Shelby GT500 has five drive modes that range from Normal to Track, that further instantly changes the car’s personality from a moderated “normal” car to a “track” racecar with more aggressive throttle responsiveness and gear selections. The system changes nearly every aspect of the car’s behavior, including ride dampening, stability control, antilock brake modulation and steering feel – even the sound and instrument panel change.
“Every aspect of the Shelby GT500 driving experience changes with the mode – be that the throttle responsiveness and snap of the shifts you feel in the seat of your pants, or the ‘pop and burble’ of the exhaust in performance modes. It’s a full multisensory visceral experience,” says Morgan.
