Which Ford Mustang variant was the first to use a dual-clutch transmission?

The 2020 Shelby GT500 was the first Ford Mustang variant to use a dual-clutch transmission. Its Tremec TR-9070 seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox was developed for the supercharged GT500.

Unlike a conventional automatic, a dual-clutch transmission uses separate clutches for alternating gear sets. One clutch handles odd-numbered gears and the other handles even-numbered gears, allowing the next gear to be selected before the shift occurs. That arrangement helps produce very quick gear changes while maintaining power delivery.

The 2020 GT500 paired the transmission with a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 rated at 760 horsepower. Ford offered the car only with the dual-clutch automatic; unlike the earlier GT350 and 2013–2014 GT500, it was not available with a manual gearbox.

The transmission is easy to confuse with the Mustang’s other automatic options, including the ten-speed automatic used in regular GT models. Those were conventional torque-converter automatics. The GT500’s seven-speed Tremec DCT was a major break from earlier Mustang performance variants and helped optimize acceleration on both road and track.