BMW Shift Knobs, Shift Boots, & Shift Handles for BMW 3 Series E46 (1999-2005)

Customize your E46 with this illuminated shift knob and leather boot directly from BMW. This will help give your interior a sportier look and feel.

Genuine BMW Shift Lever Covering Leather Illuminated - M-Sport/6-Gang
This item fits the following BMW Chassis:
E46 M3,E46
 

The ULTIMATE shifter upgrade for your BMW! Experience more precise throws, less shift lever travel, and an all-around transformation in your shifting experience.

For dozens of years, enthusiasts have critiqued the imprecise and vague feeling of BMW manual transmissions. Plagued with long throws, fore and aft play in gear, and a generally loose feeling, your OEM BMW shifter leaves much to be desired. While most standard carrier-mount short throw shifter kits will aid in reducing throw length and eliminating side-to-side play in gear, some enthusiasts long for a hardcore, race-inspired shifter that completely removes play and excessive throw length. At Turner Motorsport we share the same desire and set out to offer the ULTIMATE upgrade with this Performance Chassis Mount Short Shifter.

WHY UPGRADE?

Factory BMW shifter assemblies are complex by nature. The main component of this assembly is the shift carrier, a cast aluminum piece positioned inside the transmission tunnel that incorporates bushings at both ends for mounting. Like most factory parts, these bushings are designed to reduce NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) transmission to the cabin. To the spirited driver, however, these bushings translate to flex and vagueness in the shift lever. Moreover, because this carrier is mounted to both the transmission and the body, the entire shifter assembly will "float" with the driveline, further increasing the vague and imprecise feeling of your shifter.

Our Performance Chassis Mount Short Shifter removes the shift carrier assembly entirely—removing any prospect of flex caused by bushings or driveline movement. By contrast, this chassis mount shifter offers a drastic reduction in shift lever travel, vagueness, and side-to-side play. An elevated base allows for moving the fulcrum point upwards, resulting in a much shorter and more precise throw. Shift times are further reduced by a tall, "rally style" shift lever, used to aid in leverage while also bringing the lever closer to the steering wheel. Our design incorporates a proprietary centering spring design, which is adjustable for increasing or decreasing self-centering force. In short, this design eliminates all the drawbacks of your factory BMW shifter, translating to more control, greater precision, shorter throws, and faster shift times.

FEATURES & BENEFITS

Reduced Throw: Modified shifter geometry and heightened fulcrum point translate to a shorter shift lever throw
Improved Shifter Feel: Eliminating the shift carrier and associated bushings drastically reduces "slop" and side-to-side play in the shift lever
Increased Precision: Mounting the shifter to the chassis allows for little to no variation in gear selection
Universal Fitment: Fits many BMW chassis with the provided base plate and hardware (see "Fits These Cars" for exact fitment information)
DESIGN

6061 aluminum, 4130 steel, and 316 stainless steel construction
A type-II black anodized finish
Adjustable self-centering spring
"Rally Style" shift lever
Spherical bearing pivot with maintenance-free brass insert
Product Development:

Our Chassis Mount Shifters are designed, engineered, tested and quality inspected by our Research and Development team at Turner. Nothing but the highest level of precision and quality through leading-edge product development technology including FARO laser scanning for reverse engineering and quality inspection, SolidWorks 3D CAD modeling, rapid prototyping utilizing our in-house 3D printer and rigorous long term product testing.

This is the OE shifter for the E46 325xi and the 330xi (up to 03/2003) and the E36 Z3 1.9 and 2.5.

The shift lever out of the Z3 1.9 delivers a smooth and quiet shift without the notchiness and effort of aftermarket short shift kits. The Z3 shifter in the E30 is approximately 20% shorter than the original E30 shifter - less reduction than a full short shift kit but the perfect compromise between stock and aftermarket. We have installed multiple shift levers in the E30 but the Z3 1.9 feels the best to us. The shift knob height is reduced by about 1/4". This is the Genuine BMW Z3 1.9 shift lever and a direct fit to 6/86-1992 E30 318i/is, 325e/es, and 325i/is.

E30 install note: there is a bowl-shaped vibration damper mounted with the transmission flex disc (guibo). This damper needs to be removed or you need to bend the stock selector rod so it will clear. Most E30s already have the vibration damper removed so don't be surprised if it's not there. If you do choose to remove it, this would be the perfect time to replace the flex disc. On some 325e models the flex disc is a larger diameter and the selector rod will need to be bent to clear it.

This item fits the following BMWs:
1990-1992 E30 BMW 318i 318is 318ic
6/1986-1992 E30 BMW 325e 325es 325i 325ic 325is