[BlaqWhole]

So early this morning I had a chance to finally drive the HC after it sitting for the entire time I was in Nebraska. Of course the battery was dead. So I tried to charge it but the charger immediately indicated that the battery was completely gone. So I got a new AutoZone battery and threw it in. Initially the HC did some funky stuff like trying to surge forward even tho I had the clutch pressed...the shifter would not come out of 1st until it actually started...then once it started it was in regular Challenger mode (no SRT pages, blue screen instead of red, etc). So I let it sit and collect itself and then drove it this morning. In the right gear it should be able to beat the Shelby but definitely not the ZL1 as they both currently sit. Which is funny...that a 2020 GT500 is my slowest car, lol. Well actually my 18 GT is the slowest but I'm not comparing it at this time.

In comparison of the 3 they each have unique features that are not present on the others. Examples are PDR, HUD, and fully motorized seats...motorized adjustable telescoping steering wheel, blind spot illumination AND chime on the HC...DCT on the Shelby.

The Shelby is easiest to get in and out of due to the roominess and not having such a long door like the HC has. The display is easy to navigate thru. The toggles makes things even easier and racier. The subwoofer is a nice touch and it sounds just as good as the HC. The audio in the ZL1 doesn't sound horrible but it would have been nice if a subwoofer was added as standard. So again it comes down to splitting hairs on which one you prefer.

[BlaqWhole]

Man this thing loves gas. I feel like the gauge is always on E.

One other slight annoyance. When using the factory GPS while on the phone, every indicator (voice or chime) resets the phone volume to the default setting which is 18. So if you make a call and turn the call volume up to 22, then every time you get to a point where the GPS is giving you instructions it resets the call volume back to 18. The only way around it is to shut off all sound and voice prompts. It might be a fault with mine because I don't remember that happening in my 18 GT. And it definitely doesn't happen in my HC or the ZL1. I'm gonna call Ford and see if this is a glitch or something.

[L99BEN]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

Man this thing loves gas. I feel like the gauge is always on E.

One other slight annoyance. When using the factory GPS while on the phone, every indicator (voice or chime) resets the phone volume to the default setting which is 18. So if you make a call and turn the call volume up to 22, then every time you get to a point where the GPS is giving you instructions it resets the call volume back to 18. The only way around it is to shut off all sound and voice prompts. It might be a fault with mine because I don't remember that happening in my 18 GT. And it definitely doesn't happen in my HC or the ZL1. I'm gonna call Ford and see if this is a glitch or something.

Yeah the MPG's are pretty bad, even worse than my Redeye was somehow.
I average about 12mpg and combined with the small gas tank you end up at the gas station regularly for sure. The range gets worse the more fun you have...There is even a member on the GT500 forums that regularly tracks his and gets the gas light on even after filling up (based on the range guestimator)!! I dont daily mine so the mpg thing isn't an issue for me.
I dont have an answer for your other issue unfortunately, Ive never experienced that.

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

I'll try that at some point. For now I just enjoy driving it in Sport and letting the trans do it's thing on it's own.

I can see why you'd be happy with an A10/torque converter trans if only driving like an auto, as would I; but, I cant stress enough, the DCT experience is mostly about driving manually with the paddles, whether in manual or auto mode. Auto slowly reacts and doesn't downshift to the lowest gear for optimal performance. I am the opposite and rarely drive the gt500 like an auto. But hey, we all have our own ways to enjoy and drive our cars of course, which I can respect as well.

Another thing to try is in Drag mode setting the launch control rpm to 2200 rpm the street while keeping the steering wheel straight to experience the "power shifts".

[Idaho2018GTPremium]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

In comparison of the 3 they each have unique features that are not present on the others. Examples are PDR, HUD, and fully motorized seats...motorized adjustable telescoping steering wheel, blind spot illumination AND chime on the HC...DCT on the Shelby.

The Shelby is easiest to get in and out of due to the roominess and not having such a long door like the HC has. The display is easy to navigate thru. The toggles makes things even easier and racier. The subwoofer is a nice touch and it sounds just as good as the HC. The audio in the ZL1 doesn't sound horrible but it would have been nice if a subwoofer was added as standard. So again it comes down to splitting hairs on which one you prefer.

Regarding the BOSE audio in the ZL1 - I have heard rumors that GM updated it for '21 (or possibly '20) and that it sounds better in the newer cars. To that end, it sounds good enough overall and produces enough bass that I don't feel it needs a dedicated subwoofer in the trunk for my tastes. The door and I think rear deck speakers (or maybe the B pillar speakers, I can't remember) are dedicated bass speakers. I like bass, though not car shaking bass, and I keep it at +4 (on a -10 to +10 scale). The spatial separation and midrange quality is pretty good for an OEM system IMO. My only complaint would be the treble can get a little harsh if dialed too high in the EQ, since it does not have dedicated tweeters. Keeping it set to +2 prevents the harshness and helps smooth it out, while still providing enough treble.

I like how the BOSE sound tuning discretely boosts the bass automatically at low volumes; most cars don't have that feature and the bass disappears at low volumes, but in my ZL1 there's adequate bass even at low volumes.

Overall, I'm really happy w/ the OEM sound system in my ZL1.

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by L99BEN

Yeah the MPG's are pretty bad, even worse than my Redeye was somehow.
I average about 12mpg and combined with the small gas tank you end up at the gas station regularly for sure. The range gets worse the more fun you have...There is even a member on the GT500 forums that regularly tracks his and gets the gas light on even after filling up (based on the range guestimator)!! I dont daily mine so the mpg thing isn't an issue for me.
I dont have an answer for your other issue unfortunately, Ive never experienced that.

I figure I'll keep it to short(er) distances so it might not feel as bad. But on the plus side it makes me realize just how well the HC is at sipping gas on long highway stretches. I never thought I would feel that the HC is the "economy" vehicle in my fleet, lol. But it is.

As far as the GPS thing, once I get the hub replaced (remember I had 3 studs that popped out back in September a day before I went to Nebraska) I'm gonna take it up the road and use the Nav to see if it happens. If so then I guess it is normal. If not then it is most likely some kind of glitch. We'll see.

Originally Posted by L99BEN

I can see why you'd be happy with an A10/torque converter trans if only driving like an auto, as would I; but, I cant stress enough, the DCT experience is mostly about driving manually with the paddles, whether in manual or auto mode. Auto slowly reacts and doesn't downshift to the lowest gear for optimal performance. I am the opposite and rarely drive the gt500 like an auto. But hey, we all have our own ways to enjoy and drive our cars of course, which I can respect as well.

Another thing to try is in Drag mode setting the launch control rpm to 2200 rpm the street while keeping the steering wheel straight to experience the "power shifts".

I just think that overall the A10 is the best performance trans available at this time. Even if I use the paddles, exactly how much faster is the DCT shifting over the ZL1's A10? The A10 in the ZL1 is instant shifts. I can't imagine the DCT shifting significantly faster or fast enough that it would be the determining factor in a race. I'm just not a fan.

To me it's the same thing but because it is on Supercars and Hypercars people just act like it's better for no other reason. Just like this whole DOHC nonsense. I don't see any advantage to these two items other than those bell bottom tight jean wearing Euro guys who think that because something appears on a $400,000 race car that 99% of the population will never see and most likely couldn't care less about that it somehow means something when a severely dumbed down generic version of it happens to appear in a $0,000 car they can afford even tho it most likely shares nothing with it's super expensive counterpart other than nomenclature. Like " Oh hey I got a DCT in my car"..."oh you do? I thought they only came in Ferraris"..."nope, I got one too"...meanwhile their car ain't even on the same Galactic comparison to those cars...but hey, it's a "DCT". SMH.

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by Idaho2018GTPremium

Regarding the BOSE audio in the ZL1 - I have heard rumors that GM updated it for '21 (or possibly '20) and that it sounds better in the newer cars.

Or perhaps Bose upgraded their speakers and GM got the benefit of the updated speakers in the newer ZL1s. They probably do sound much better. When you think about it, 2017 to 2020/21 is a good 3 years and audio components can drastically change in that time.

Originally Posted by Idaho2018GTPremium

To that end, it sounds good enough overall and produces enough bass that I don't feel it needs a dedicated subwoofer in the trunk for my tastes. The door and I think rear deck speakers (or maybe the B pillar speakers, I can't remember) are dedicated bass speakers. I like bass, though not car shaking bass, and I keep it at +4 (on a -10 to +10 scale). The spatial separation and midrange quality is pretty good for an OEM system IMO. My only complaint would be the treble can get a little harsh if dialed too high in the EQ, since it does not have dedicated tweeters. Keeping it set to +2 prevents the harshness and helps smooth it out, while still providing enough treble.

I like how the BOSE sound tuning discretely boosts the bass automatically at low volumes; most cars don't have that feature and the bass disappears at low volumes, but in my ZL1 there's adequate bass even at low volumes.

Overall, I'm really happy w/ the OEM sound system in my ZL1.

Yes the system in the ZL1 does sound good...but that is just outside of comparisons. When you compare it directly with the sound from the HC with the HK setup and the Mustang's subwoofer, it does indeed seem lacking. It is a noticeable difference going from the GT500 and HC to the ZL1.

[L99BEN]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

I just think that overall the A10 is the best performance trans available at this time. Even if I use the paddles, exactly how much faster is the DCT shifting over the ZL1's A10? The A10 in the ZL1 is instant shifts. I can't imagine the DCT shifting significantly faster or fast enough that it would be the determining factor in a race. I'm just not a fan.

To clarify about the DCT and what I find superior over the A10 is actual paddle response; not the actual shift speed. When I manually up or downshift via the paddles, I want the immediate response and control. The A10 is decent but still gives a delay to user inputs, the DCT is pretty much immediate (when up to operating temp), almost like a video game. Being one that prefers manual this response and control is a big deal to me and where the DCT shines.

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by L99BEN

To clarify about the DCT and what I find superior over the A10 is actual paddle response; not the actual shift speed. When I manually up or downshift via the paddles, I want the immediate response and control. The A10 is decent but still gives a delay to user inputs, the DCT is pretty much immediate (when up to operating temp), almost like a video game. Being one that prefers manual this response and control is a big deal to me and where the DCT shines.

Someone should hack the paddles and invert the sense of the switch so it activates on button release and not on button press.

That way the computer would begin setting up the shift the millisecond your finger starts moving the paddle, and by the time it "clicks" into end position, the shift (usually taking 200-ish milliseconds) would have been executed, your senses fooled

[minn19]

Originally Posted by L99BEN

To clarify about the DCT and what I find superior over the A10 is actual paddle response; not the actual shift speed. When I manually up or downshift via the paddles, I want the immediate response and control. The A10 is decent but still gives a delay to user inputs, the DCT is pretty much immediate (when up to operating temp), almost like a video game. Being one that prefers manual this response and control is a big deal to me and where the DCT shines.

I’m sure this is in my head, but part of it might be the cheap plastic paddles. I don’t have a ton of time with the A10 yet but it is really really good. I still don’t think it is on par with BMW DCTs and of course Porsche’s PDKs. Maybe it is and it’s all in my head, but the metal paddles definitely feel more satisfying to use. I’ve been looking for full metal replacements and I’m surprised there isn’t any that I’ve found yet. I’ve seen a ton of those stick on ones to the existing paddles, but I’d rather have a full metal replacement part.

[SHessler]

To me the big advantage the DCT has over the A10 is it will not generate the heat load on the track.

Street driving? Maybe no functional difference.

[L99BEN]

Originally Posted by SHessler

To me the big advantage the DCT has over the A10 is it will not generate the heat load on the track.

Street driving? Maybe no functional difference.

The DCT paddles immediately respond to inputs vs the delay with the A10 paddles. That immediate response provides the more connected experience.
I'd still rather have a manual over the DCT if was available

[Martinjlm]

I was just looking at the floor plan for the New York Auto Show that opens with Press Days next Wednesday. This ought to be interesting...

[BlaqWhole]

I just think the A10 is an all around better trans and I can't see any difference on the track or off it that makes the DCT superior. But that's just me.

Looking at different performance shops and what they offer it seems that it is pretty easy to get these cars to 850+ RWHP with just boltons. In fact it would seem that 850s is the standard. Which I gotta say is impressive. the GT for around $12K can hit 700s safely...maybe a little more. But for that same price these Shelbys can hit close to 900s.

[L99BEN]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

Looking at different performance shops and what they offer it seems that it is pretty easy to get these cars to 850+ RWHP with just boltons. In fact it would seem that 850s is the standard. Which I gotta say is impressive. the GT for around $12K can hit 700s safely...maybe a little more. But for that same price these Shelbys can hit close to 900s.

Blaq -
Already thinking about modding?
Palm Beach Dyno seems to have the tuning dialed in for the Shelby.
I haven't researched it a ton however, there may be better shops out there.

Stock for stock and mod for mod the GT500 is clearly the straight-line (especially highway roll racing) king out of these 3 cars especially top end by a sizeable amount.
If you dont believe it, go on YouTube and search "can i be frank" or "auto glory" and you will see tons vids of stock and modded 20+ GT500's punching well above its weight gapping modded and stock cars. Very clean and fair real world highway roll racing mostly starting at 60mph. The results even surprise me as a Shelby owner.
Like I said before I'm much more into straight-line performance.

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

I just think the A10 is an all around better trans and I can't see any difference on the track or off it that makes the DCT superior. But that's just me.

At the end of the day which is better is mostly subjective. There are technical reasons the DCT is supposedly better but unlikely you and I can discern the tangible differences (as you mentioned earlier). You'd have to install the DCT in the ZL1 and the A10 in the GT500 with pro drivers to prove which is truly better. The biggest ding for me about the DCT is how expensive it is if something breaks and you are modded without warranty.

For me the A10 didn't seem particularly any more impressive than the A8 in the Hellcat either; but, the DCT immediately impressed me and was more fun to operate particularly the paddle response and the way the shifts feel even.
I guess if you don't care about that stuff I can see your standpoint.
I never track my cars and mostly go by sotp and fun factor as my judgment gauge. At the end of the day it's how it all comes together and how it feels on the street for me.