The word of the day is “knob.” Knobs are virtually everywhere. In fact, if you’re reading this in a car, there’s a good chance you’re literally surrounded by knobs right this very moment. Knobs come in various shapes and sizes, dictated by their application. Some are small and discreet, others are larger and more prominent. Some, in cars like the BMW 5-Series and Mazda 3, have even been used to control entire infotainment systems.
Of all the knobs you can find in the modern car, the driving enthusiast cares the most about just one: the shift knob. Below, we check out 10 contenders for the coolest factory shift knobs ever, with a focus primarily on machinery priced within reach of the motoring masses.
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2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt
White Cue Ball Shift Knob
2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt
Engine
5.0-liter Coyote V8 gas NA
Power
475 hp
Torque
420 lb-ft
Drive
RWD
Transmission
6-Speed Manual
Top Speed
163 mph
Imagine you’re a secret agent keen to travel by Ford Mustang. You’d want a potent V8 for quick getaways, but dialed-down looks that don’t shout for attention. The solution is the Ford Mustang Bullitt. This variant emerges from time to time, most recently in 2019. Under the hood, there’s a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 that revs to the moon, driving the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Right in the middle of the center console, there’s a white cue-ball shifter, just like the famous Hollywood movie car after which it’s named.
Base Trim Engine
5.0L V8 Gas
Base Trim Transmission
6-Speed Manual
Base Trim Drivetrain
Rear-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
480 hp
Base Trim Torque
420 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm
Fuel Economy
14/23 MPG
Infotainment & Features
10 /10
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Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
3D Printed Shifter Medallion
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Specifications
Engine
6.2-liter V8 gas supercharged
Power
668 hp
Torque
569 lb-ft
Drive
RWD
Transmission
6-speed manual
0-60 mph (approx)
3.4 seconds
The CT5-V Blackwing is a Cadillac that’s built to conquer. Beneath its aggressive exterior are some of the most advanced motorsports-derived handling and suspension technologies on the road. Behind the grille, a hand-built 6.2-liter V8 with a supercharger is autographed by its maker, and independently certified to deliver 668 horsepower. Choose the six-speed manual gearbox, and customers get a three-pedal experience alongside what’s likely the industry’s first use of a 3D-printed shifter medallion. The gear pattern is displayed against a textured underlay for some visual drama, and the metal finish is a subtle nod to the use of lightweight aluminum elsewhere throughout the car.
2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8
Pistol Grip
2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8
Engine
6.1-liter V8 gas NA
Power
425 hp
Torque
420 lb-ft
Drive
RWD
Transmission
6-speed manual
0-60 mph (approx)
4.8 seconds
Knob experts may try to argue that this one isn’t even technically a knob at all, since it’s not a rounded shape. Still, we can’t skip it. When the Dodge Challenger range returned in 2009, it conveyed an aggressive, bold attitude that helped Dodge lay the foundation for future decades of success. Not only could you order one of two V8 engine options, but there was also a six-speed manual gearbox. Not just any shifter would do, and the pistol-grip style was selected. It was tall, beefy, and had a solid design. The handle angled slightly towards the driver, with notches that positioned the thumb and pointer as if on a pistol. This was perfect for ripping through the gears like a puppy through Christmas-morning wrapping paper.
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Honda S2000
Billet Aluminum
2001 Honda S2000
Engine
2.0-liter inline four-cylinder gas na
Max Power
240 hp
Max Torque
153 lb-ft
Drive
RWD
Transmission
6-speed manual
0-60 mph (approx)
5.9 seconds
The Honda S2000 Roadster was engineered with a keen focus on lightweight performance and handling, while giving drivers a taste of a Formula One engine’s power curve. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder wasn’t big on torque, but it did rev to 9,000 RPM, as indicated by a dramatic digital tachometer. Controlling it, there was a six-speed manual transmission on all models, with what’s highly regarded as one of the best shift actions in the game. The shifter used on the S2000 from its 2000 model year launch through the end of 2003 was a solid, machined piece of billet aluminum, nodding to the use of this lightweight material elsewhere in the car.
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8th Gen Honda Civic Si
6-Speed Short Throw
2008 Honda Civic Si Specifications
Engine
2.0-liter inline four-cylinder gas NA
Power
197 hp
Torque
139 lb-ft
Drive
FWD
Transmission
6-speed manual
0-60 mph (approx)
6.8 seconds
The Honda Civic Si entered its eighth generation in 2008, complete with new looks, new handling, and a screaming four-cylinder K20 engine that could reach 8,000 RPM. This was one of the last affordable high-revving screamer engines on the market, and connected to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. The shifter, with a compact aluminum design, called the S2000 to mind. This shifter had a short and lightweight throw and emerged through a relatively small opening in the console.
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2004 Porsche Carrera GT
High-Mounted Shifter With A Beechwood Knob
2004 Porsche Carrera GT Specifications
Engine
5.7-liter V10 gas NA
Power
604 hp
Torque
435 lb-ft
Drive
RWD
Transmission
6-speed manual
0-60 mph (approx)
3.5 seconds
Closely check out the photos, and you can notice a few interesting things about the Porsche Carrera GT’s shift knob. First, it puts a wood-finished surface in the middle of a car that’s otherwise constructed of exotic metals and leather. That’s pretty bold. The thing is, the beechwood shift knob is lighter than metal or plastic and nods to the use of wood as a heat-insulating, weight-reducing material from Porsche’s racing past. The high mounting position of the shifter adds some cool factor, too. Notice it’s near the steering wheel, not down beside the driver’s leg. The layout reduces the time spent shifting because the distance between the driver’s hand and the knob is shorter.
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Volkswagen GTI
The Golf Ball
2021 Volkswagen GTI Specifications
Engine
2.0-liter inline four-cylinder gas turbo
Power
228 hp
Torque
258 lb-ft
Drive
FWD
Transmission
6-speed manual
0-60 mph (approx)
6.5 seconds
In 1964, Gunhild Liljequist was hired to Volkswagen’s department of Fabrics and Colors at the age of 28. Formerly working as a porcelain painter and candy-box designer, one of her first duties was to give the original Golf GTI some distinctive flair with the use of textile design elements. The result was the tartan seat pattern and golf-ball style gear shifter. “Black was sporty, but I also wanted color and quality,” Liljequist said. The shift knob? “That was a completely spontaneous idea!” Liljequist explained. “I just expressed my sporting and golf associations out loud: ‘how about a golf ball as the gear knob?’” The rest, as they say, is hot hatch history.
Audi R8
Gated Manual
2008 Audi R8 Specifications
Engine
4.2-liter V8 gas NA
Power
420 hp
Torque
371 lb-ft
Drive
AWD
Transmission
6-speed manual
0-60 mph (approx)
4.4 seconds
Here’s another take on the billet aluminum shifter, complete with its cold, mechanical, and heavyweight feel in the driver’s hand. The Audi R8 originally came with V8 and, shortly later, V10 power. Driver’s had the choice of two pedals or three. Both automatic and manual transmissions used an open or gated shifter design, along with a machined aluminum shift knob on top of an aluminum trim plate below. The R8’s shift knob is impressively machined and detailed with a pattern that calls meshing gears to mind. Don’t miss the ‘clink, clink’ sound, your reward for every upshift and downshift.
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Mazda RX-8
Rotor-Shaped
2008 Mazda RX-8 Specs
Engine
1.3-liter rotary gas NA
Power
232 hp
Torque
159 lb-ft
Drive
RWD
Transmission
6-speed manual
0-60 mph (approx)
6.3 seconds
The Mazda RX-8 was a sports car largely defined by its engine. It was not a piston-based unit, but rather an application of the rotary combustion engine. At the core of this engine is a rotor that has a shape similar to a rounded-off, bloated triangle. This shape defined the RX-8’s engine and was used as a sort of styling Easter egg elsewhere in the car’s design, including on the seat inserts of selected models. Look closely, and you can even notice the rotor shape applied subtly to the RX-8’s shift knob.
Spyker C8
Exposed Linkage
2000 Spyker C8 Specifications
Engine
4.2 liter V8 gas NA
Power
400 hp
Torque
354 lb-ft
Drive
RWD
Transmission
6-speed manual
0-60 mph (approx)
4.5 seconds
This one’s a fan favorite. Over the years, various cars from Spyker have become famous for their exposed mechanical shifter linkage, a signature styling centerpiece of these rare exotics. The shift knob itself is a relatively simple and smooth metal design. Still, it integrates into the surroundings in a way that reveals the inner workings of the shifter linkage in a beautiful and truly unique way. Inspired by the controls of historical aircraft cockpits, the exposed linkage was connected to a Getrag six-speed manual transmission.
Sources: Volkswagen, Cadillac, Porsche
