front cup holder!
 

So my lid on my front cupholder tore and it irks me to no end. There is one at the upull but I can't tell from the realoem diagram or not how to get at it. Does the upper trim just pull out being held in by clips? How does the shifter come off? I can figure it out by breaking things but that just makes me rage when the part I want is shattered by an idiot who just broke things to get what they want. I'm trying to save karma here for others who may need the shift boot and trim etc.

You can only get at this from the underside of the center trim piece and it's ridiculously complicated; hold in by 6 Torx screws. I'd remove the console; On either side: 1 screw at the front, one about midway (under the carpeted trim) and three of four at the rear (also under the carpeted trim piece). Gently pop the shift boot out and there are a couple of screws up there, another one underneath the hazard flasher switch and two or three more under the center storage bin. Prob 20 minutes to get it out.

The front of the console has three pins molded into it, you have to lift up and pull back to release it from the dash. Flip it over and you can remove the tambour cover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_YbNQFkgQ8

The tambours all tear, usually right at the front, it's just a matter of time/use.

ok wow, yeah it doesnt irk me THAT much lol. why in the world would bmw engineer it that way lol

Because BMW. :rofl: