[AndrewC1989]

Originally Posted by redbeer

If the mod is plug and play, does it mean that the option 'Sport Transmission' is kinda fake? Meaning that the transmission itself is the same and it only adds the better looking shifter and flappy paddles behind the steering wheel?

Yes and no.

Physically, the sport auto and standard transmissions are identical. The sport auto package however adds different (more aggressive) shifting behavior through the use of different software. This is good news for those of us who didn't get the sport auto option from the factory because it means you can easily code the option in. The software changes will make shifts faster in the sport and manual shifting modes, and will add in the sport+ driving mode and launch control features.

Besides the software changes I mentioned above, If your car has the sport auto option from factory then you'll also see some physical changes as well. Sport auto cars will get a different shift knob and paddle shifters, in addition to a slightly different looking instrument cluster. I'm not 100% sure, but there could also be some other minor differences in terms of the interior trim, however that may be more related to your car's trim level (base, luxury, sport, msport). It's hard to say because there are regional differences in the things that come standard with certain packages and the things that are optional extras. What maybe standard with one package in the USA may not be in Europe.

So can the sport auto software be added independently of the hardware and vice versa? Yes. If your car didn't get sport auto from factory you can retrofit everything a la carte, meaning you can add the coding without the new knob, add the knob without the coding, skip adding the paddles but add everything else, etc. In that sense, changing the shift knob by itself is a purely cosmetic endeavor, and is not a mandatory step in making your transmission more sporty. It's just a nice touch.

[Imjeff420]

Gotta say your new car looks hella fire congrats man hope you treat her well

[_baz]

Originally Posted by AndrewC1989

Yes and no.

Physically, the sport auto and standard transmissions are identical. The sport auto package however adds different (more aggressive) shifting behavior through the use of different software. This is good news for those of us who didn't get the sport auto option from the factory because it means you can easily code the option in. The software changes will make shifts faster in the sport and manual shifting modes, and will add in the sport+ driving mode and launch control features.

Besides the software changes I mentioned above, If your car has the sport auto option from factory then you'll also see some physical changes within your car as well. Sport auto cars will get a different shift knob and paddle shifters, in addition to a slightly different looking instrument cluster. I'm not 100% sure, but there could also be some other minor differences in terms of the interior trim, however that may be more related to your car's trim level (base, luxury, sport, msport). It's hard to say because there are regional differences in the things that come standard with certain packages and the things that are optional extras. What maybe standard with one package in the USA may not be in Europe.

So can the sport auto software be added independently of the hardware and vice versa? Yes. If your car didn't get sport auto from factory you can retrofit everything a la carte, meaning you can add the coding without the new knob, add the knob without the coding, skip adding the paddles but add everything else, etc. In that sense, changing the shift knob by itself is a purely cosmetic endeavor, and is not a mandatory step in making your transmission more sporty. It's just a nice touch.

Mine (UK M sport plus) has the paddles plus the old gear selector (probably because 330e ?)

I have the option of sport plus if I press the sport button twice which then gives more aggressive shifts and turns traction control "off" at least the TC light illuminates, I think it's still on and not fully off unless I press the TC button and hold it ?

Still managed to get it to slide a little in a wet empty car park in sport + but I may have had assistance as it was pretty easy to handle and correct with steering input

[_baz]

Originally Posted by Imjeff420

Gotta say your new car looks hella fire congrats man hope you treat her well

Thanks Jeff 👍🏼

[AndrewC1989]

Originally Posted by _baz

Mine (UK M sport plus) has the paddles plus the old gear selector (probably because 330e ?)

I have the option of sport plus if I press the sport button twice which then gives more aggressive shifts and turns traction control "off" at least the TC light illuminates, I think it's still on and not fully off unless I press the TC button and hold it ?

Still managed to get it to slide a little in a wet empty car park in sport + but I may have had assistance as it was pretty easy to handle and correct with steering input

TC is in dynamic mode when you're in sport+, meaning it's partially enabled. Have to press and hold TC button for several seconds to fully disable.

From what I can tell, US spec 330e's also didn't get the 2TB gear selector, even if the car was optioned with the M Sport package. Not sure if it was an optional extra or if bmw just felt that because it's a hybrid it doesn't need to look/feel as sporty? Usually, if you get the M sport package you get the sport auto transmission and the 2TB gear selector as standard. Odd thing to cheap out on.

[_baz]

Minor update. The AliExpress part came in and actually had the M logo on it despite advertising as plain black. But never mind, looks better than the scratched original item

[Gumiiis]

Originally Posted by _baz

Few recent pics

Nice car

[Tallest]

Sorry I got to say this but AliExpress part is as bad as Rolex fakes from 1990s.

Just study it.

M/ S (M too close to /)
Dash connecting R and N is jammed into R, but correctly spaced between N and D!
Letters P, R and P on the button all have different style to them (as if on purpose?!)

Im all for small touches to improve cars and also have made errors, but here someone has to say "step away from aliExpress".



as youtube says, keep it classy, keep it OEM.

[AndrewC1989]

Originally Posted by Tallest

Sorry I got to say this but AliExpress part is as bad as Rolex fakes from 1990s.

Just study it.

M/ S (M too close to /)
Dash connecting R and N is jammed into R, but correctly spaced between N and D!
Letters P, R and P on the button all have different style to them (as if on purpose?!)

Im all for small touches to improve cars and also have made errors, but here someone has to say "step away from aliExpress".



as youtube says, keep it classy, keep it OEM.

I agree 1000% but unfortunately you can't buy the OEM sticker by itself, so you either have to spend $130 getting one as part of a shift knob repair kit, or you have to go ghetto.

[_baz]

Ghetto its going to have to be.
For £6 I can live with it.

[_baz]

Originally Posted by Tallest

as youtube says, keep it classy, keep it OEM.

I should change my number plate from "OEM" to "ALI"

[_baz]

Big thanks to @wibbles for fixing the idrive after a my trip to the dealer a couple of weeks ago.

New steering rack installed under warranty but in the process they messed up the coding due to me forgetting to revert back to OEM before dropping it off to them.

CarPlay and nav back working as it should.

[_baz]

Productive evening. Fitted the gear selector (needed to chop off a plastic tab that was fouling the connector for the e drive button but a pretty straight forward upgrade) also made a start on the boot build for my air install. Still need to trim the wood with carpet but not looking too bad so far.

[_baz]

Routed the USB cable for the 3P controller and carpeted the wood. Turns out my plan of routing the cable under the centre idrive controller dial and by the gear selector was just more complicated than it needed to be, I pulled the cable back out and tucked up under the plastic cover by the passenger seat and up behind the centre console where there was already a hole which I needed to enlarge a little.

[tturedraider]

Cool mods. Car looks great. Just curious - why did you want the air suspension?

[_baz]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Cool mods. Car looks great. Just curious - why did you want the air suspension?

Thanks man.

Air suspension is just something that I've always done. Love the look of super low cars but can't be doing with dealing with the hassle of speed bumps and steep driveways etc.

This will be the 7th car I've bagged over the years.

My friends have low cars. I photograph low and stanced cars and have been doing it for over a decade now, I like it, some say I've ruined plenty of perfectly good cars lol

Added pics of my previous builds.

[Randy Johnson]

Originally Posted by Tallest

Sorry I got to say this but AliExpress part is as bad as Rolex fakes from 1990s.

Just study it.

M/ S (M too close to /)
Dash connecting R and N is jammed into R, but correctly spaced between N and D!
Letters P, R and P on the button all have different style to them (as if on purpose?!)

Im all for small touches to improve cars and also have made errors, but here someone has to say "step away from aliExpress".



as youtube says, keep it classy, keep it OEM.

Wow someone is very picky.

[zarique84]

nice pics...awesome

[Tallest]

Originally Posted by Randy Johnson

Wow someone is very picky.

OP agreed with me and was cool about it. Only you got offended it seems. No one needed your defence, you can chill.

[AndrewC1989]

Originally Posted by _baz

I like it, some say I've ruined plenty of perfectly good cars lol

Added pics of my previous builds.

Love the style, we have similar taste

Just because a car is bagged doesn't mean it can't be classy or tasteful. I think excessive camber is what most people take issue with.

[_baz]

Originally Posted by AndrewC1989

Love the style, we have similar taste

Just because a car is bagged doesn't mean it can't be classy or tasteful. I think excessive camber is what most people take issue with.

Thanks man, I try to be as subtle and tasteful as possible, in the OEM+ kind of style. I do have my eye on some split forged wheels which I'm going to have to save very hard for over the winter ready for next spring. Working out the correct widths and offsets so they sit just right and will most likely test fit my mates OZ Futura once I've fitted the bags to get a baseline to work with.

[F30_320D_UK]

Gear selector is a nice touch. Also dig the iDrive + CarPlay upgrade. I have poverty spec iDrive on my 13 plate, so can't get CarPlay unless i swap it out.

Air install is going to look sick once the car has more of the low!

Also, previous rides are all super neat. Audi wagon takes the cake imo