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Since this is "The Definitive Short Throw Shifter Thread, Myths shattered, facts delivered" thread, I guess it's appropriate for me to post some of my own thoughts on the matter, even though they are largely just a matter of opinion and/or personal preference.
I personally find that the OEM S2000 shifter is nearly perfect. The only thing I didn't like about it at first was the slightly rubbery feel that it shares with just about every other modern car. It's not really a problem, but I like the feel of a good billet shifter, and am convinced that I can shift better and faster with improved feedback. Might all be in my head, but I like the feel of a shifter without any rubber and minimal slop, so I went with a billet shifter.
As for the short throws, I love them, but they have a downside in that they increase the chance of missing a gate without actually increasing the speed of shifts. I see the short throws as having a huge cool factor, while providing no real benefit, and at the same time increasing the chance of a money shift.
A perfect shifter for me would have 10% longer throws, and be as direct as my current AxialFlow billet shifter. Planning on trying a shift lever extension soon to see if I can raise the knob a little to get slightly longer throws. Higher will also fall to hand more readily from my usual 10-2 hand position on the steering wheel.
Anyway, before buying any short shifter, consider the potential downsides. The AxialFlow shifter may buzz, and any short shifter might increase the chance of missing a gate, because they all squeeze the gates closer together. Further, you can shift just as quickly with a long throw Lotus shifter as you can with the short throw S2000 shifter, so the "performance gains" of the short throw are all in the fun of shifting, and don't offer any real performance advantage.
I too prefer my shift knob be high, near the level of the steering wheel, but with a short throw. The S in near perfect stock. The 90-96 300zx and NSX are about right. This is a big reason why I didn't enjoy driving the VW r32 (for example) I just could not stand reaching down to the shifter.
This is exactly he idea behind a "short shifter" It is purely an ergonomic modification. For some of us, it "matches" better to our body shapes and types. For others, it does not. As the OP said, it will not make your car go faster, but it may make driving your car feel better. But if not, then not.
Mine is a bit tall for some peoples tast but, I like the control of having it close to the wheel. Most race cars have a tall shifter for better control
01-02-2008, 12:19 PM
