Here is your first installation and review of the highly anticipated 2015 MGW
Race Spec Shifter for the 2015 Mustang, courtesy of our friends at
Hypermotive Performance and MGW.
When Hypermotive got the
opportunity to test out the new MGW Race Spec shifter in its 2015 Mustang GT,
they wasted no time getting it installed and putting it through its paces. Here
are their impressions after spending the last 3 weeks with the
shifter:
"When you think of MGW, you probably think of that perfect
shift; the shift that gives you an advantage at the track, strip, or on the
street. And the new MGW Race Spec shifter definitely lives up to the MGW name.
Even though Ford improved the stock shifter in the S550, it still has a lot of
the same shortcomings the other MT-82 shifter had; finding the right gear,
second to third shifts, and just an overall sloppy feel as to be expected with a
stock setup. Now, you can leave all that behind, because MGW has you
covered.
When you are in the market for a shifter, you want something
that is comfortable, goes into the gear you want without a second thought, will
not lock you out of a gear, and reduces the throw. The new MGW accomplishes all
that with precision and grace. It is a great shifter for every type of driving
whether you have a daily driver or a full blow racecar. I have really enjoyed
the S550 so far with all the new improvements, but this new MGW shifter takes
the driving experience to the next level. I honestly have not found a negative
thing to say about it. The new Race Spec gets it amazing precision and feel from
the removal of unnecessary moving parts. In the stock shifter, the factory
linkage arm has a lot of moving parts, three joints to be exact. This causes
binding and missed shifts.
The Vice President of MGW, George, recognized
this as a fault and decided it could be done much better. The new MGW linkage
has no joints. It is a straight shot from output shaft into the shifter. This
completely eliminates the stock linkage issues. The factory support arm is
replaced with a 1 ½” solid billet aluminum, which properly supports the shifter.
The elimination of lateral movement or torque essentially allows for the perfect
shift. The factory shifter uses a pull up method for reverse. It utilizes a
plastic piece to lock out reverse, which is weak, and looks like it will wear
down eventually. MGW fix, back to push down lock out, but if you like the
Factory knob MGW has made spacer the lets you retain it. If you don’t like the
stock knob, MGW has a variety of knobs to choose from. The rear bracket for the
shifter is retained for one reason, NVH. This rear bracket has a soft bushing to
help absorb some of the vibrations that come off of the transmission and go
through the shifter. This prevents the vibrations from coming up the handle. It
has been engineered to work properly 100 percent of the time and by itself.
After 3 weeks of driving around using the new Race Spec in our 2015
Mustang GT, I have been able to experience all of the improvements MGW has made.
I have really put this shifter through its paces and have experienced zero
missed shifts in all types of driving conditions. NVH has been kept to a
minimum, and the shifter as a whole feels great. I just can’t say enough about
the quality of this shifter. The MGW Race Spec is the perfect shifter for the
MT-82. It elevates the driving experience to the next level and there is no need
for any additional brackets. They are simply obsolete! Here is the bottom line:
quality built, properly engineered, and it looks as good as it performs. If you
don’t believe me try it out for yourself, I know I am glad I did."
- Dan
Schaub, Hypermotive Performance
MGW tells us that the shifter will be
available early next year and will cost slightly more than their 2011-14 race
spec shifter (which was $487).
Stay tuned for more updates on pricing
and availability.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-dBxf6Uf_I
For any questions at all just let us know.