A company can invest plenty of money testing products in a controlled environment, but that will never duplicate how the products are used in the field. Raybestos Powertrain wanted to make sure its GPZ friction clutch plates for the 10R80 transmission could deal with serious abuse, so the company teamed up with SunCoast Performance and Leticia Hughes Racing for product development purposes.

The 10R80 transmission was developed thanks to a joint venture between Ford and GM. This transmission is unique thanks to how it applies power during acceleration to improve performance while enhancing fuel efficiency at speeds over 60 mph. Raybestos Powertrain wanted to help high-performance enthusiasts get the most out of their 10R80 transmission, so the company decided to develop a GPZ friction clutch pack for it.

Leticia Hughes and her team have been working with SunCoast Performance to push the boundaries of what a 10R80 transmission can do. Hughes ran a 9.55 while naturally-aspirated, and recently went a personal best of 8.69 in her Whipple Supercharged 2018 Mustang GT that uses a 10R80 transmission

Nick Truncone from Raybestos Powertrain explains why the company has partnered with SunCoast Performance and Leticia Hughes Racing to further develop its 10R80 products.

“The Leticia Hughes Racing team, like Raybestos Powertrain, is dedicated to pushing the limits of the 10R80 platform. Working with the Leticia Hughes Racing team has provided Raybestos Powertrain with the ability to test different friction materials and groove patterns in the 10R80 transmission itself and the 10R80 torque converter. We have also received race-used parts back from Leticia’s team to be able to assess how our friction materials are handling abuse within the transmission.”

Raybestos Powertrain has used the real-time data and used parts it has received from Hughes for development purposes. This process has allowed Raybestos Powertrain to create extra capacity clutch packs that add to the 10R80’s performance and durability.

“Raybestos Powertrain GPZ friction clutch plates greatly increase transmission performance and durability. This state-of-the-art friction material far exceeds OE material to withstand high stress, high temperatures and repeated cycling. GPZ’s outstanding performance benefits are perfect for heavy-duty vehicles and high-stress driving. Testing of GPZ revolutionary friction material shows that it outperforms OE materials by as much as 20%. The GPZ material has withstood over 1600 horsepower in a 10R80 transmission,” Truncone says.

If you want to learn more about the GPZ friction clutch plates Raybestos Powertrain offers for the 10R80 transmission you can visit the company’s website right here.