This is the classic 901 racing gearbox shift pattern, also called “dog leg”. Many air-cooled 911 racing cars used this layout because it kept first gear away from the rest. The flat six was the most well-known for this. 5th gear (or the top gear) was in line with 4th, which made it very practical on the race track. Racing drivers loved it because it meant they four useful gears were at hand, while first was safely stowed away with reverse. Modern gearboxes don’t look like this any more. The transmission in a modern race car is different in the sense that it has more gears and the pattern is not of the dog leg type. This gear knob iPhone 5 cover is for classic air-cooled lovers, or those with fond memories of the old dog-leg transmission.