Thanks JP

To say that I was impressed by the quality feel and performance of the, (I call it) Jinx Shifter V1 was an understatement. I mean I was hooked and fell in love with this little beauty from the first up-shift.

So when Jinx told me that he was in the process of updating and upgrading his shifter I was more than a little sceptical, I mean how can you improve on perfection right!
Well, Jinx had already made up a list of improvements and was well on the way to making them happen.

The first thing you notice about the new Jinx Shifter V2 is that it now no longer looks like it's hand built. Don't get me wrong the man himself still painstakingly assembles each and every one of his shifters by hand but he no longer has to sit there and hand cut all the pieces that go together to make up one of these shifters.

The most noticeable visual change is in the base plate and shifter, they're now made from CNC machined aluminium pieces and even further add to the realistic look of these shifters. What used to look good now really looks like a piece of sim porn designed to make even the most jaded sim-racer envious.

Jinx has also gone to the trouble of adding a replica Supercar style shifter knob which is a really neat touch for anyone purchasing one of these shifters for the first time.

Looks wasn't enough for Jinx, he wanted a quantum leap in performance and feel as well so off he went with his clip board and managed to wrangle a seat in an actual Supercar and although it wasn't moving he was able to feel how the shift action was and gain a better understanding of how to replicate that feel.

So armed with his new found knowledge Jinx went to work upgrading the inner workings of his shifter, different springs, tighter tolerances better detente to come up with what you now see in the Jinx Shifter V2.

I've been using the V2 for around 4 weeks now and all I can say is, wow! I thought my V1 was good but the V2 is really a huge leap forward.

The aluminium construction makes this shifter a light weight, weighing in at only 1.5 kg but there's nothing light about how this shifter works. The forward and rearward action is both solid and positive, you can actually feel a bit of a clunk as you move the shifter forward and backwards. You'd have to be Andre The Giant to mis-shift with this shifter, the action is so positive that you know you've selected the next gear, on time, every time.

Another great feature of this shifter is that you can adjust the feel of the shift action itself. It's just a matter of loosening or tightening the detente and you can have the shifter to your liking in seconds. I found the tension to be perfect right out of the box and haven't touched it since I've been using it.

So my thoughts on the Jinx Shifter V2?

Jinx has taken his method of hand manufacturing and given his customers more immersion by making his new shifter look even more like the real thing. He's taken a shifter that already felt great and made it feel better.

Has the Jinx Shifter V2 made me faster?

Maybe, I've done 4 races in the V8 Leagues that I'm involved with since acquiring the new V2 model and I've won all 4 of them but I don't think it's just that. The shift action has probably given me more confidence hence given me a little more consistency and that's probably paid off more than just made me faster.

Would I recommend a Jinx Shifter V2?

I absolutely loved Jinx's first offering and honestly, didn't think it could be improved upon. That was until I got the V2 installed in my rig. Jinx has managed to take his humble shifter to the next level and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this little beauty to anyone that's looking for a good quality sequential shifter. Add to that the price competitiveness of this product and the fact that the parts are manufactured and assembled in Australia makes the Jinx Shifter a no-brainer

Any negatives?

Not about the Jinx Shifter but I do have to give y'all a word of warning here. This is a robust piece of sim racing equipment designed to replicate the feel of a real V8 Supercar shifter and that means you'll be banging up and down on this prize piece of engineering without mercy. If you have a cheaply built sim chassis you might want to think about some reinforcing. Having said that, I've been using my Jinx Shifter like I hate it for over a year now, up, down, up, down, over and over and my 80/20 chassis hasn't even creaked.

Final thoughts?

If you're in the market for a decent sequential shifter go the extra mile, get a great sequential shifter, get a Jinx Shifter and you won't regret it.

Don't believe me? Ask around on some of the Aussie sim racing pages and see the results for yourself. Then get in touch with Jinx, he'll look after you.

Want to know more, check out Jinx here; https://www.facebook.com/jinxshifters/