6MT CAE + M-Perf Steering Wheel

[4DRS55]

Originally Posted by exo-shell

Even though it looks like a sequential, it goes through the gears the same way as a regular shifter. However, it does add a lock out for reverse gear, but you can adjust the setting to not have a lockout if you want. The short shifts are accomplished by changing the geometry of the shifter and selector rod; the entire assembly is replaced. The shifter is very very solid, zero flex, zero play, and super short shifts. Here's a video of me rowing through the gears.

Wow... love the way it clicks into gear. I now can see how this could improve the the feel. Thank you for sharing.

[tropicatango]

Originally Posted by exo-shell

Looks like a great SSK. The slop seems greatly reduced compared to the OEM shifter; very similar to my previous UUC SSK. I wonder what material they will use for the bushing and carrier. UUC uses all metal while Rogue Engineering uses a delrin bushing. Regardless, it's good to see more SSK options coming to market for this platform.

This is the ssk as described by autosolution in the email he sent me:

We do build an Ultra shifter for the F80. That shifter is very similar to our e92 shifter in that it does away with the pivot ball and relies instead on a bolt on cartridge. This has the effect of eliminating the pivot point wander that greatly contribute to the absence of precision in the BMW mechanism. As with all our Ultra kit the solid selector rod and chrome moly all important coupler are included and the whole mechanism is hand fitted for minimum clearance. Finally the selector rod and lever bends are stress relieved for longevity and the geometry of the mechanism is optimized.
>>>>
>>>> This result in a very repeatable and precise pattern. reduction ratio is in the 20% range depending on required ergonomics. Shifter is produced in very small quantities due to the time it takes to hand assemble and fit it

[mrmoua2u]

Ill pass on the shifter, but you go right ahead

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by tropicatango

This is the ssk as described by autosolution in the email he sent me:

We do build an Ultra shifter for the F80. That shifter is very similar to our e92 shifter in that it does away with the pivot ball and relies instead on a bolt on cartridge. This has the effect of eliminating the pivot point wander that greatly contribute to the absence of precision in the BMW mechanism. As with all our Ultra kit the solid selector rod and chrome moly all important coupler are included and the whole mechanism is hand fitted for minimum clearance. Finally the selector rod and lever bends are stress relieved for longevity and the geometry of the mechanism is optimized.
>>>>
>>>> This result in a very repeatable and precise pattern. reduction ratio is in the 20% range depending on required ergonomics. Shifter is produced in very small quantities due to the time it takes to hand assemble and fit it

Sounds very promising. Looking forward to your review when you get it.

[SCRPN]

This setup is awesome! I plan on running this shifter soon but my only concern is how the shift boot looks.
Do you have any pics of the inside of the shift boot where the shifter fits through? Did you have it restitched?

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by SCRPN

This setup is awesome! I plan on running this shifter soon but my only concern is how the shift boot looks.
Do you have any pics of the inside of the shift boot where the shifter fits through? Did you have it restitched?

My boot is tucked in like that because it's ripped at the tip. NOT because of the CAE shifter though. I replaced my shift knob a few years ago and I did a piss poor job of separating the boot from the OEM knob. If you do a good job of separating the OEM knob and boot, it'll slide over the CAE shifter with no problem.

[Capt Crunch]

How much was the install? Can you compare the shift feel to other cars (911, S2000, etc)?

[AlexNFH]

That shifter is the best mod I have done so far to my car and I have done quite a few.

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by Capt Crunch

How much was the install?

I'm pretty sure the install cost will depend on which shop you take it to. I had some issues on my initial install (shop will remain nameless). But Auto Talent fixed it.

I can tell you this. Unless the shop has experience installing this specific shifter, it'll be a full day of work. So estimate that to your preferred shop's hourly rate. This is not a cheap mod. The shifter itself is pretty expensive to begin with, so it takes a lot of commitment to go through with it. That being said, any good mechanic can do this install. It's mostly a one person job, but they will need an extra person at the end of the install for a few minutes to get everything lined up.

Originally Posted by Capt Crunch

Can you compare the shift feel to other cars (911, S2000, etc)?

I have on occasion driven a 996, 997 Carrera, 2 different 997 Turbos, and an S2k before, but that was many years ago. They weren't my cars so I didn't have good seat time in them. Honestly, I can't even recall what the F80 OEM shifter feels like since I swapped it out about a year and half ago.

I can tell you this though... The shifts on the CAE are precise with no play at all. None what so ever. It can't even be compared to a gated shifter because the throws are so much shorter and have zero play. It's all milled aluminum with the gaps between moving parts in the microns.

People throw around terms like "no slop" and "no play" when it comes to SSKs. Also, "zero body roll" gets thrown around a lot when it comes to suspension mods. These are all exaggerations. With the CAE shifter, it is not. There literally is no play.

Here are a couple more vids.

No slop.

Rowing through gears quickly.

[boss2k]

Originally Posted by exo-shell

Looks like a great SSK. The slop seems greatly reduced compared to the OEM shifter; very similar to my previous UUC SSK. I wonder what material they will use for the bushing and carrier. UUC uses all metal while Rogue Engineering uses a delrin bushing. Regardless, it's good to see more SSK options coming to market for this platform.

I like the height but dont see the throws short as it should be with a SSK. Eg 1-2 or 3-4 is still quite long , looks the same as my stock 18 m

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by boss2k

I like the height but dont see the throws short as it should be with a SSK. Eg 1-2 or 3-4 is still quite long , looks the same as my stock 18 m

My unscientific comparison.

CAE 1-2 throw



OEM 1-2 throw






For kicks, here's my UUC Short Shift Kit.



OEM shifter video sourced from Matt's Obsessed Garage youtube.

[boss2k]

Originally Posted by exo-shell

My unscientific comparison.

CAE 1-2 throw



OEM 1-2 throw






For kicks, here's my UUC Short Shift Kit.



OEM shifter video sourced from Matt's Obsessed Garage youtube.

My post with reference to throws was related to autosolutions ssk kit where i did not see much difference from stock. CAE throws are very short and crisp except dont like long handle knobs

thanks for the comparison

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by boss2k

My post with reference to throws was related to autosolutions ssk kit where i did not see much difference from stock. CAE throws are very short and crisp except dont like long handle knobs

thanks for the comparison

Oh right on. I misunderstood that you were referencing the Auto Solutions SSK. I agree that the throws look pretty long on that E9X Auto Solutions kit. But at least the slop is greatly reduced.

[Celestion]

Originally Posted by exo-shell

I'm pretty sure the install cost will depend on which shop you take it to. I had some issues on my initial install (shop will remain nameless). But Auto Talent fixed it.

I can tell you this. Unless the shop has experience installing this specific shifter, it'll be a full day of work. So estimate that to your preferred shop's hourly rate. This is not a cheap mod. The shifter itself is pretty expensive to begin with, so it takes a lot of commitment to go through with it. That being said, any good mechanic can do this install. It's mostly a one person job, but they will need an extra person at the end of the install for a few minutes to get everything lined up.



I have on occasion driven a 996, 997 Carrera, 2 different 997 Turbos, and an S2k before, but that was many years ago. They weren't my cars so I didn't have good seat time in them. Honestly, I can't even recall what the F80 OEM shifter feels like since I swapped it out about a year and half ago.

I can tell you this though... The shifts on the CAE are precise with no play at all. None what so ever. It can't even be compared to a gated shifter because the throws are so much shorter and have zero play. It's all milled aluminum with the gaps between moving parts in the microns.

People throw around terms like "no slop" and "no play" when it comes to SSKs. Also, "zero body roll" gets thrown around a lot when it comes to suspension mods. These are all exaggerations. With the CAE shifter, it is not. There literally is no play.

Here are a couple more vids.

No slop.

Rowing through gears quickly.

Any clips with the car in motion?

[adc]

Originally Posted by exo-shell

The F80/F82 version won't help you on an accidental money shift. The generic BMW CAE shifter has a "return to center" feature for 1st and 2nd gear, but for some reason, CAE decided to leave that feature it out. I was a little disappointed in that at first.

The reason I got the CAE Ultra Shifter was for the driving experience.

The suspension and things I touch inside the car are more important to me than everything else about the car. So one of the first mods I did to my F80 was to install a UUC short shift kit which I liked very very much. Throws were shorter and a lot of the slop was eliminated. The UUC is a good shifter.

When it came to the CAE shifter, I didn't even consider it on this car because I didn't want to be the first one to do it. But after DoctorFord installed the CAE BMW version on his M4, I chatted with him and I decided to pull the trigger. Around the same time, CAE released a model specific version for the M3/M4 and the M2, so that's what I ended up with.

That being said, I know this mod isn't for most people. There is some trimming involved to some plastic parts (nothing that can't be easily replaced), and more transmission whirring sounds becomes present in the cabin. But to me, that's a small trade off.

Looks like you don’t have to drop the exhaust for the CAE install - did you have to do it for the UUC?

[EvoFire]

x.shell Any chance you can repost the videos? They seem to have all died.

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

x.shell Any chance you can repost the videos? They seem to have all died.

Sorry, I think I deleted some of those videos a while ago. I managed to resurrect one of them though.

[tebbnsx]

Originally Posted by x.shell

Just wanted to share some pics of my current interior. Carbonstructure Anthracite Seats. CAE Ultra Shifter. M-Performance Steering Wheel V2.

Special thanks to AutoTalent for the installs.

That’s a Manly shift device.

[f80er]

Look like an extra lung butt plug.

[jpy1980]

Getting mine installed tomorrow!! FINALLY! Woohoo!

[erictrainer]

Awesome mod... looks like great improvement over stock! How much does one like this cost?

[jpy1980]

Originally Posted by erictrainer

Awesome mod... looks like great improvement over stock! How much does one like this cost?

Definitely not cheap but I hope it’ll be a marked improvement in the shifting feel!

Its about $1200 for the shifter and about $500 for the install.