In previous threads I had mentioned I was developing some over-sized paddle shifters for Jaguar/Land Rover vehicles. Well I have finally received the aluminum prototypes and I want to see what kind of interest there is in this design.

My target price is $300. As you can see below these are not a finished prototype. I'm still working through the production possibilities, but ideally i'd like to have them polished and anodized, potentially in different colors such as red, black, silver, etc. Similar to the finish of a standard carabiner.










Now as far as the usability and function of these paddle shifters go; I designed them to be as much as a visual modification as a functional one. That being said, the area at the very top of the paddle isn't easy to function because it crosses over the pivot point of the shifter. The usable area of the shifter is outlined below by the red box. If you go beyond this area it will still function, but it is more difficult to activate and you sense a little deflection in the plastic portion due to increased force required to activate the shift. I'm not planning on making a change here because I like the look.



Let me know your thoughts and if there is interest I'll find a place to have these made, either by printing or having a mold cast. The exact tolerances are relatively important, so it may take some time.

 

Considering theres absolutely no other aluminum in the interior of the car, I think a carbon fiber set matching the interior trim would be mouthwatering.

If not that, just a contrasting racing red may be interesting.

 

I would be interested in a set depending on the colors. Kind of looking for a red to match the exterior or interior stitching. The only negative thing I can think of is that at night the stick ones light up where these will not. If you had a way to make them light up it would be fantastic.

 

Carbon fiber is a completely different process, and one that quite frankly I don't have the knowledge to successfully pull off. Racing red is definitely a possibility.


So I thought about this, the lighting part, as the paddles I bought for the design work had the +/- light up; but my stock f type paddles do not have the light at all, so this would only be an issue for some. Also, the $600 aluminum red set jaguar offers doesn't include the light either, so I figured I wouldn't be hurting too many people by leaving it out. That function would be incredibly complicated to include with an aluminum paddle shifter.

 

i would be in for a set.