Moza Racing ‘s catalog is quite comprehensive, with a range clearly divided into 3 parts: entry-level, mid-range and top-of-the-range. This can be seen mainly in the bases, flywheels and cranksets, with peripherals for every rider, according to level and budget of course.

As for the rest of Moza’s range, well, the manufacturer doesn’t have many years’ experience in the industry, so we don’t end up with very many products. But then, it’s the same for virtually every other manufacturer of sim-racing peripherals. Let’s take shifters as an example. Moza offers just one, as does Fanatec, and so does Thrustmaster. There are, of course, a few exceptions, but they can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Speaking of shifters, Moza’s shifter goes by the sweet name of HGP, and it incorporates a number of technologies straight out of the racing world, such as the auto-blip throttle, which helps you avoid heel-toe wear when shifting gears. In what follows, I’m going to introduce you to this shifter, tell you about its strengths and weaknesses, and give you my opinion on it.

Key features and shifter technology

• All-aluminum construction
• 7-speed manual gearbox with reverse
• Safety mechanism for reverse and ^7th gear
• Auto-blip downshift system
• 15-bit angle sensor
• Replaceable shifter knob
• USB and RJ11 connection
• PC-compatible with Moza and third-party bases
• Integrated dust protection system

HGP Shifter design

For the design of the HGP, Moza must have drawn a great deal of inspiration from the gearshifts of Supers Cars in the style of Lamborghini, Ferrari or Audi. The result is an H Pattern grid with slots for each gear, and it’s truly sublime. This effect is further enhanced by a highly mechanical gearshift, as we’ll see below.

This shifter is all black, with just the brand logo on the back and the gear labels on the top. It’s sober, beautiful and has a rather boxy shape. It does resemble the Fanatec Shifter SQ V1.5but the HGP still manages to stand out from its direct competitor.

Customized assembly

This is where we see why this shifter is so much cheaper than the Fanatec one. The HGP can only be mounted from below, either directly onto a chassis, or via the Moza Table Clamp, which is sold separately. The operation is child’s play to carry out: just 4 screws and you’re done. You can adjust the screw location, but it only slides on one side.

One of the major shortcomings of this shifter is its mounting to sim-racing setups. Admittedly, the bottom mount is pretty standard and should satisfy most riders with a chassis, but those using a table or desk as a setup will be more than penalized with it, and the reason is that this shifter will end up very high to use. But hey, compromises had to be made to display a very aggressive price.

Gearshift manufacture and finishing

The HGP’s structure is made entirely of aluminum, with a meticulous finish. The entire cabinet, apart from the top and bottom plates, is made from a single piece of aluminum, giving it breathtaking looks and excellent rigidity.

The two plates are screwed to the cabinet with a minimal gap between them, reinforcing the premium feel of this peripheral. And it’s topped off with a beautiful matte black paint finish. However, I’ve had some feedback that it’s a tad fragile when in contact with other metal parts. I didn’t notice any scratches on my unit, but I’d still advise you to take care when installing the HGP on your setup.

Getting to grips with the shifter

Well, apart from the unique bottom mounting, the HGP is very easy to handle. The knob is interchangeable, just like on a real car. Moza supplies the round one with the HGP, but offers 2 others in its catalog of sim-racing accessories.

Gear shifting is excellent, with well-spaced gears, unlike Fanatec’s shifter where the gears are all stuck together. Here, with the grid, it’s virtually impossible to miss a gear. What’s more, reverse gear and ^7th gear can only be shifted by pressing the gearshift, just like on Volkswagens, Audis and other makes of car. So, no more accidental gear changes, and I think it’s really nice to have this kind of safety mechanism.

Sensations during play

I’ll pass over the in-game feel of Moza Racing’s HGP. As I mentioned above, this shifter is H Pattern only, with 7 gears and a reverse. On the top of the HGP, there’s a Super Car-style grid that prevents you from going wrong when shifting gears, and the gears are fairly well spaced out, so there’s no problem there.

In terms of feel, it’s pure pleasure. Gears will require a certain amount of force on your part to engage them, which frankly gives the HGP an excellent feel in hand. You feel and hear the metallic “clunk” as you shift into gear, and it’s downright ecstatic. Each gear engages with force, and when you shift from 3 to 4, for example, you’ll need a little conviction to disengage 3, a little resistance in neutral, and more conviction to engage 4. Basically, it’s like a sports car or an R8 with a mech gearbox. You name it, it’s happy.

Moza, for its HGP, has integrated an interesting auto-blip function that slightly increases engine speed to match the RPMs as you shift gears. This feature is found on the Hyundai i30 N, for example, and it’s nice to have it in sim-racing. The only drawback is that auto-blip only works with the Moza Racing ecosystem, and not on all cars either.

And finally, one of the HGP’s major shortcomings is that it’s only available in H pattern mode; this means it’s a mechanical gearbox, and can’t be switched to sequential, which is frankly a missed opportunity for Moza.

HGP Shifter compatibility

This shifter is compatible with all Moza chainstays, as well as those of other brands, thanks to both RJ11 and USB connections. For sim-racing titles, you won’t have any problems at all, as the HGP will be supported by all those available on the market.

Shift lever value for money

Moza’s shifter is sold at €159, without the accessories that go with it; I’m talking about the Table Clamp and the shift knobs. At €160, its value for money is pretty good I must say, largely due to its very premium construction and cool features, notably the auto-blip.

My verdict on Moza’s HGP Shifter

So, what’s my verdict on the HGP? Well, it’s a good product at a reasonable price. The build quality is excellent, compatibility with all setups is a big plus, and the HGP’s cool features make it a good choice.

However, the lack of a sequential mode will give more than one pause, and the auto-blip is useful for beginners, but pro-raceors will disable it straight away. And let’s not forget the limitations imposed by bottom-mount only.

Who is this shifter ideal for? Well, I’d say beginners and sim-racing enthusiasts looking for an H Pattern shifter only. The design is sublime, as is the build quality, and the price is really attractive. I only hope that Moza will offer a sequential mode with an HGP V2, so that pros can also adopt this shifter.