There are two options....ECA and DAD. One is actual metal, the other painted plastic.

For those with the metal head (it's actually less costly an option than the other one), if you leave the car out much, is the shifter **** too hot to the touch?

I saw this recently at a dealership where the car had been sitting, and never realized how hot that sucker might be. Not enough to burn flesh, but damn hotter than alumalook, which is the likely reason it's offered on the more costly option that way.

 

Don't know about the Porche handle, but I had an aluminum ball shifter in my Firebird, and on a hot day I had to use a hand towel in order to be able to shift gears.
Once the AC cooled the interior it was fine.

I got to the point where I had 2 handles so that during the summer months I used the leather, and the rest of the year the Aluminum one.

 

lots of us here in seattle have the true aluminum one. but then again, we are in the city of rain! no worries about too much sunshine here!
everyone that has it, loves it. it doesn't break down and need replacing like the painted or leather ones!

best of luck choosing and happy driving!

 

very hot Eric. in a hot day it's kinda hard to shift.

 

I have the true alum in my Boxster and it does get pretty warm in there on some days. Bigger issue to me though is that its pretty soft material and I have to remember to take off my college ring when driving. My shifter has some dents in it and its not like I was slamming my hand on the shifter or anything, just normal light driving and it'd mark the aluminum.

 

Eric,

I just got the aluminum shift ****/ebrake handle in mine. I haven't noticed any issues with the aluminum section getting too hot to touch yet. But then again it's like Jody says, we get lots of rain/cloudy days. I also have tinted windows and I always wear leather driving gloves when I drive.

 

The tru alu one has slits in it, which give it a more art deco/modern look....
Anyone have pics?
My dad has it in his but I am in London (car is in Dubai) so can't help on the photo front

 

LOL - just realized you were discussing temp. vs. style...

will get back to you onthat since Dubai does get damn hot

 

it gets really hot in the summer, and really cold in the winter.
I had a full SS shifter from UCC in my E46 M3 in Vancouver.
The shifter gets really hot in the summer, but it feels so good.

take a look at UCC site, the shifter is good half LB of steel.

 

i have a AC schitzer one in my car, and when the windows are closed, and warm out, it gets reallllllly hot, and i mean realllly hott.
as soon as you open the windows, and few mins later its fine, but if you were to leave the top open like in my case, same temp like 90 or above, it gets warm but not hot.

 

I have some cool driving gloves in the FS section

 

It will burn your hand off if it's real aluminum. My MINI has a small aluminum ring around the top of the shift ball and I shift with the shaft when it's real hot...can't imagine how nasty an all aluminum one gets...if it's really hot, I usually just throw a short sock over it, but that causes misshifts if you aren't careful.

 

any pictures?

 

I have great pictures of both the ECA & DAD options but can't seem to upload them. Always says there is a problem. If you pm me with email address, I wll send them. Or if somebody can explain why I am having the problem I will post them.

 

Thanks for sending the pics! Here they are:

ECA = $1035 shifter/handbrake option, real aluminum, not painted plastic




DAD = $1680 shifter/handbrake option (painted alumalook, not real aluminum)