Manoli Katakis 
While the automaker remains quiet on the all-important 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 0-60 time, a more extreme 0-100-0 mph time has been revealed: a screaming 10.6 seconds. Main contributors to this number are the super sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, the new Tremec TR-9070 DCT 7-speed dual-clutch transmission that can shift in 80 milliseconds, 16.5 inch front rotors (the largest of any muscle car currently on sale), and of course, 760 crank horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque from the GT500’s awesome 5.2L supercharged V8 engine.
After making its way through the DCT, the engine’s output is transmitted to the 3.73:1 Torsen limited-slip independent rear suspension via a super lightweight carbon fiber driveshaft. The 2020 GT500 also features larger halfshafts and a redesigned rear suspension hub to handle all of that power.
The Tremec TR-9070 is the first-ever dual-clutch transmission in a production Ford Mustang. The seven-speed unit features 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. Seven non-sequential helical forward gears with advanced triple cone synchros are carefully matched to the engine’s torque curve and are pre-selected by an electro-hydraulic shift mechanism using low-leak solenoids. In sport mode, full-throttle upshifts are as quick as 80 milliseconds.
Like all modern performance vehicles, shift points and clutch modulation are optimized by lines and lines of computer code. The system in the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 simultaneously reads dozens of vehicle and environmental factors – including engine and transmission rpm, current driver input and g forces, and clutch and shift fork positions – to pre-select and engage the optimum shift for every driving situation. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters are direct-wired to the transmission to avoid CAN-bus vehicle communication system delays and initiate shifts as fast as 130 milliseconds, further enhancing responsiveness and connected feel.
