Please don't misunderstand me - I'm all in favor of the TRD shifter you posted about. No rationalization necessary. In fact, your post prompted me to search around for a good price on that shifter and I found the all black version - and ordered it. I was just making fun of those who expect TRD accessories to dramatically (by magic?) enhance performance. My back of the envelope calculation of the HP gains I've realized with my TRD wheels, TRD red Start/Stop button, TRD emergency brake cover, etc. is about 50HP! (yes, just kidding).
Thanks for your OP about the shifter - looking forward to receiving my black version Friday.