Buyer Beware: Chrome BMW Roundel Manual Shift Knob. Thumbs Down!

[Double Nick]

I wanted to add a little pizaaz to my manual shifter. I love chrome and thought the shift knob listed in the 1 Series Accessories Catalog would fill the bill. Wrongo.

Two Major Issues: #1 Heat retention. Unbelievable. Bad. Please note I had a Whalen chrome knob on my MINI MCS and it never got this hot and retained the heat as long as the BMW knob. Even evenings. If I drive for awhile. Go to dinner--the knob retains heat from the drivetrain. No sun involved. That never happened with my Whalen. Also the chrome knob is about 1 1/4"--which feels a little too small for me.

#2 Removing the OEM knob--the chrome knob doesn't hook up to the boot at the base of the shift knob. The oem has a plastic piece that fits and connects. No such luck with the chrome Roundel shift knob. Remember this is a BMW "engineered" part.


I am very disappointed. I have contacted Doug Whalen (Whalen Machines, Inc.) and am going to have a billiard ball knob made for my car. I had a #3 billard ball knob(2 1/4") for my Red MCS and had no heat(of course no metal) or fitment issues.

I know my fellow addicts were probably all lined up to get this shift knob. Save your money. Nick

[BSM 135i]

post pics of the bmw knob

[rcracer_tx]

[oneintheory]

....haha.

[Double Nick]

Technically challenged. I don't have the camera, etc to show a picture. One can access it by checking out the 1 Series accessories catalog. In your minds eye picture a chrome shift knob with the dimension I mentioned with a small roundel on top of the knob.

I am not sure that if I had the capability to show a picture that the thermal properties would be portrayed. I guess some of you high tech folks may have radiant heat dectors built into your digital cameras.

The point of the post was to give you my opinion of a an authorized BMW accessory that if given away free--would not be worth it. Nick