Why Mustang Fans Should Embrace the New GT500’s Dual Clutch
We point out all of these industry and segment firsts to show that with Ford being the first to use a dual clutch transmission in a modern muscle car, this might not be the terrible mistake that the critics insist. Much like the critics who didn’t like the move to fuel injection or the move to an overhead camshaft design, the critics of the GT500 dual clutch gearbox could effectively be criticizing Ford for rolling out another piece of automotive innovation. When you consider the success of the dual clutch transmissions being used by BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini and other European performance brands, it is hard to question the decision to equip the new Shelby Mustang with the latest in transmission technology.
Superior Performance
Even if you don’t love dual clutch transmission technology, critics should keep in mind that this could be the next step in the evolution of the American performance car market. In much the same way that the Mustang made fuel injection the norm or how the modern F-150 is proving that you can build a sturdy truck with an aluminum body, the new GT500 could usher in a new age in American performance–one where the top models have a dual clutch gearbox.
Even if that isn’t the case and dual clutch transmissions continue to be reserved for only a few American vehicles. There is no question that the choice to only offer the DCT is based on the desire to offer the best performance possible. Both the Camaro ZL1 and the Challenger Hellcat are offered with an automatic or manual transmission and, unlike the muscle cars of the 1960s, the self-shifting cars are significantly faster.
Not only do the modern automatic transmissions shift far-quicker than most manual transmission drivers, but today’s automatics don’t rob nearly as much power as they did in the 1960s. The typical fluid-driven automatic, like the one used in the Hellcat Challenger, offers quick, smooth shifts without any power loss between gears while also making the launch a whole lot easier, making the self-shifting Dodge nearly a second quicker in the quarter mile than the same basic car with a manual transmission.
The 2020 Shelby GT500 will benefit from similar quick shifts, but if other dual clutch gearboxes are any indication, the Mustang transmission will get from gear-to-gear more quickly than a traditional automatic while also eating up less power between the engine and the wheels.
In short, modern performance cars are almost always quicker with their automatic transmission option and in going with the dual clutch, the new GT500 should have a massive advantage over any manually-shifted muscle car.
Superior Sales
Next, while this may not matter to someone who dislikes the decision to go only with a dual clutch transmission in the 2020 Shelby GT500 Mustang, cars with automatic transmissions sell considerably better than manual models. When you look at models like the Camaro ZL1, the Corvette Z06, the Corvette ZR1 and the Hellcat Challenger, the vast majority of buyers pick the automatic, as it is the better-performing drivetrain layout while also making for a better daily driver. That overall appeal of the automatic leads to stronger new car sales, but the automatic in the GT500 will also make it an easier sell in the used car market.
That may not matter to you but it matters to Ford, and with the take rate of manual transmissions being so low, it makes sense to stick with an automatic-only layout.
Never Say Never
Finally, while there is no manual transmission offered for the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 right now, we had a chance to speak with representatives from the Motor Company at the Detroit debut and at a private media preview a month before Motor City reveal. When asked about the availability of a manual transmission, the representatives don’t say that it isn’t offer and won’t be offered, they simply point out that the car is being introduced with only the dual clutch automatic.
That doesn’t guarantee that there is a manual transmission coming to the GT500 lineup, but it is interesting that the folks from Ford won’t come right out and say that the manual won’t be offered in the future. For example, there are people who want to see a Hellcat Charger with a manual transmission, but the Dodge team has said time and time again that there will never be a manual gearbox in the current Charger.
The fact that folks from Ford won’t give us an outright “no” lends some hope to a three-pedal GT500 coming in the future. If the package sells well enough to warrant future model years and if the company sees enough demand, perhaps there will be a manually-shifted GT500 down the road but for now, buyers can only pick that DCT.
Fortunately, the new Tremec dual clutch will almost surely lead to the best possible performance numbers in the real world, making the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 a tough battle for anything on the road or the track. We won’t read stories about GT500s losing to slower, less-powerful cars because the driver missed a shift or hit the wrong gear, but we are sure to read plenty of stories about the 760-horsepower Shelby stomping all sorts of competitors.
Photos: Ford Motor Co.
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