The 2020 Shelby GT500's 750bhp drivetrain details revealed

As the most powerful street-legal Ford ever built, the all new Mustang Shelby GT500 harnesses world-class muscle and powertrain technologies to attain supercar levels of performance. Its first-in-class seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, race-bred control strategies and advanced drive modes deliver a car that performs unlike any other domestic sports coupe.

Its 750bhp, 5.2-litre V8 engine is the most power- and torque-dense supercharged V8 in the world. With 847Nm of torque funneled through a Tremec TR-9070 DCT seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the Shelby GT500 achieves a zero to 161km/h to zero in 10.6 seconds, thanks also to the largest front brakes of any domestic sports coupe, with 16.5-inch rotors, and available carbon fibre wheels, each wrapped in Ford Performance-spec Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.

To firmly and smoothly deliver that torque, the TR-9070 DCT dual-clutch transmission has a novel wet clutch system with five friction plates in the odd-gear pack for a total of 1,000sqcm of surface area. In the even-gear pack, six friction plates provide 877sqcm 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 electrohydraulic shift mechanism using energy-efficient low-leak solenoids that can execute shifts as quick as 80 milliseconds in sport mode.

The 2020 Shelby GT500 has five drive modes that further enhance the driver experience with a flick of the console mounted mode switch. It instantly changes the car's personality from a moderated 'normal' car to a 'track' master 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.

Power output is transmitted to the 3.73:1 Torsen limited-slip independent rear suspension via a carbon fibre driveshaft for reduced rotational mass and torsional distortion, plus larger halfshafts and a redesigned rear suspension hub for added strength.