?The Mustang fans at Borgman Ford are super-excited to share a glimpse of the all-new, 2020 Shelby GT500! Borgman had already been serving Grand Rapids and West Michigan fair and square deals when the first Shelby Cobra roared onto the scene in 1962. Who knew that 57 years later, Ford would be unleashing its powerful 760-horsepower great-grand-daughter on Michigan Mustang fans.
The brand new, powerful, and street legal Shelby Mustang GT500 embodies world-class muscle and powertrain technologies to perform at the supercar levels. It’s control strategies, advanced drive modes, and the 7-speed clutch transmission all deliver this car which performs more uniquely than any other domestic sports coupe.
The Shelby’s 760-horsepower 5.2-liter V8 engine is by far the most supercharged, torque- and power-dense in the entire world. There is 625 ft.-lb. of torque pushed through a Tremec® TR-9070 DCT 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, it achieves 0-100-0 in 10.6 seconds which also gives thanks to the enormous front brakes of any domestic sports coupe (16.5-inch rotors) and the carbon fiber wheels. These are each encompassed in Ford Performance-spec Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.
Ford’s Performance chief program engineer, Ed Krenz, said, “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. 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.”
The Dual-Clutch Transmission:
When you apply 625 ft.-lb. of torque to the pavement, it requires a transmission and driveline that can do way more than just handling that power. While collaborating with Tremec, Ford’s Performance engineers were able to design a gearbox that offers full driving control with incredibly fast shifting. This offers better performance among a vast array of driving environments. The solution found by the team is the Tremec TR-9070 DCT 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Pat Morgan, Ford Performance powertrain manager, said “In many ways, this is like having two transmissions in one. 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.”
“Contrary to popular belief, fast shifts do not always equate to better road performance. In every driving situation, we emulated what professional drivers do, whether it’s a smooth, precise heel-and-toe shift of a professional track driver or a much more forceful powershift like drag racers. We’ve designed the perfect shift every time.” said Morgan.
Adding Some Character:
The all-new 2020 Shelby GT500 will contain 5 drive modes that will in turn help the driver experience with a flick of the console mounted mode switch. In doing so, this takes the character of the car to total track master! Having more aggressive throttle responsiveness and gear selections, but also changing the behavior – stability control, antilock brake modulation, ride dampening and steering feel.
In selecting to be either in track or drag mode, this will continue to change the personality of the Shelby. Gears will change to use “over-torque” shifts for consistent power delivery for the maximum quickness to straight-line. This shift is quite similar to powershifts that give an extra torque hit between upshifts. However, taking the Shelby GT500 into a turn will allow the transmission to compensate and then provide smooth, quick and seamless shifts that minimize driveline disturbances.
“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,” said Morgan.