Can i fit a CLS63 console shifter to a CLS350?
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Can i fit a CLS63 console shifter to a CLS350?
I am planning to buy a 4 door CLS350 but the column shifter drives me crazy. I love the rest of the car but that column shifter really really disgusts me. Is there any way to change that column shifter to console shifter (like replacing it with a CLS63 shifter.). If this is Impossible, I'll have to buy the more expensive 640d Gran Coupe.
I know cls63 uses a modified version of 7G tronic transmission called MCT. And TCU's are obviously different. But I guess they use the same infrastructure called "vgs3". I know that this wouldn't be a plug & play but can i reprogram the original TCU to work with a cls63 shifter?
As a last resort (Other then replacing whole transmission and ecu's), I am guessing making some bridge module that translates cls63 center shifter CAN codes to column shifter CAN codes would work. This is last resort bc, that may add a delay in gear selection. And may not be reliable as much.
I can never understand why would an engineer make a gran coupe sports car with a column shifter. I would love to buy this car without hesitation if it didn't have a column shifter (despite its very old multimedia system). Lately the HMI designers became a joke
I know cls63 uses a modified version of 7G tronic transmission called MCT. And TCU's are obviously different. But I guess they use the same infrastructure called "vgs3". I know that this wouldn't be a plug & play but can i reprogram the original TCU to work with a cls63 shifter?
As a last resort (Other then replacing whole transmission and ecu's), I am guessing making some bridge module that translates cls63 center shifter CAN codes to column shifter CAN codes would work. This is last resort bc, that may add a delay in gear selection. And may not be reliable as much.
I can never understand why would an engineer make a gran coupe sports car with a column shifter. I would love to buy this car without hesitation if it didn't have a column shifter (despite its very old multimedia system). Lately the HMI designers became a joke
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Joined: Nov 2018
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From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
As far as I know, the gear selector in the old 7-speed transmissions isn't connected via the CAN bus, so you'd be looking a rewiring the car as you need a different harness to get the connection to the center console. The 9-speed in newer models is completely CAN bus based, which is also why it shifts faster in manual mode with no perceptible delay, at least as far as the AMG 9-speed MCT is concerned.
I gotta say, I don't get your issue, though. The column gear selector rocks in my opinion. All the shifting can be done w/o taking your hands off the steering wheel and it's not like you are touching it all the time. It's quicker than any gear selector in the center console when making a 3 point turn. Takes only one finger to go between D, R and then D again. P is a convenient press of a button at the end of the stalk. Manual gear shifting is done via the paddles anyway, although manually shifting in a 350 is terrible due to the lag of the transmission.
TBH, when I was initially looking at getting an AMG, the column shifter did make me hesitate, because up to that point I only had cars with the shifter in the center console and I drove manual transmissions for most of my life. But this completely changed once I actually owned the car. Since gear selectors these days are nothing but a fancy electronic switch, making them take up a huge amount of space in the center console is frankly quite dumb. That space is more useful for storage or to place other controls such as the Infotainment controls and buttons for the drive mode and chassis related functions. Other brands have gone to silly stubs or slider buttons in the center console to change gears. Out of all those the column shifter MB uses is much better.
I gotta say, I don't get your issue, though. The column gear selector rocks in my opinion. All the shifting can be done w/o taking your hands off the steering wheel and it's not like you are touching it all the time. It's quicker than any gear selector in the center console when making a 3 point turn. Takes only one finger to go between D, R and then D again. P is a convenient press of a button at the end of the stalk. Manual gear shifting is done via the paddles anyway, although manually shifting in a 350 is terrible due to the lag of the transmission.
TBH, when I was initially looking at getting an AMG, the column shifter did make me hesitate, because up to that point I only had cars with the shifter in the center console and I drove manual transmissions for most of my life. But this completely changed once I actually owned the car. Since gear selectors these days are nothing but a fancy electronic switch, making them take up a huge amount of space in the center console is frankly quite dumb. That space is more useful for storage or to place other controls such as the Infotainment controls and buttons for the drive mode and chassis related functions. Other brands have gone to silly stubs or slider buttons in the center console to change gears. Out of all those the column shifter MB uses is much better.
Last edited by superswiss; Mar 28, 2026 at 05:57 PM.
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As far as I know, the gear selector in the old 7-speed transmissions isn't connected via the CAN bus, so you'd be looking a rewiring the car as you need a different harness to get the connection to the center console. The 9-speed in newer models is completely CAN bus based, which is also why it shifts faster in manual mode with no perceptible delay, at least as far as the AMG 9-speed MCT is concerned.
I gotta say, I don't get your issue, though. The column gear selector rocks in my opinion. All the shifting can be done w/o taking your hands off the steering wheel and it's not like you are touching it all the time. It's quicker than any gear selector in the center console when making a 3 point turn. Takes only one finger to go between D, R and then D again. P is a convenient press of a button at the end of the stalk. Manual gear shifting is done via the paddles anyway, although manually shifting in a 350 is terrible due to the lag of the transmission.
TBH, when I was initially looking at getting an AMG, the column shifter did make me hesitate, because up to that point I only had cars with the shifter in the center console and I drove manual transmissions for most of my life. But this completely changed once I actually owned the car. Since gear selectors these days are nothing but a fancy electronic switch, making them take up a huge amount of space in the center console is frankly quite dumb. That space is more useful for storage or to place other controls such as the Infotainment controls and buttons for the drive mode and chassis related functions. Other brands have gone to silly stubs or slider buttons in the center console to change gears. Out of all those the column shifter MB uses is much better.
I gotta say, I don't get your issue, though. The column gear selector rocks in my opinion. All the shifting can be done w/o taking your hands off the steering wheel and it's not like you are touching it all the time. It's quicker than any gear selector in the center console when making a 3 point turn. Takes only one finger to go between D, R and then D again. P is a convenient press of a button at the end of the stalk. Manual gear shifting is done via the paddles anyway, although manually shifting in a 350 is terrible due to the lag of the transmission.
TBH, when I was initially looking at getting an AMG, the column shifter did make me hesitate, because up to that point I only had cars with the shifter in the center console and I drove manual transmissions for most of my life. But this completely changed once I actually owned the car. Since gear selectors these days are nothing but a fancy electronic switch, making them take up a huge amount of space in the center console is frankly quite dumb. That space is more useful for storage or to place other controls such as the Infotainment controls and buttons for the drive mode and chassis related functions. Other brands have gone to silly stubs or slider buttons in the center console to change gears. Out of all those the column shifter MB uses is much better.
I hope that I can manage the wire harnesses. As far as I learned through web, column shifter cable connects to a main dashboard (?) panel and the cls63's shifter connects directly to some kind of ecu. If thats the case I don't think I can pull this off by some reprogramming and connecting wires. I don't wanna do some lame job with connecting it via some bridge module. Since cls63's are very expensive, those beautiful rear lights will stay in my dreams I guess.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,398
Likes: 5,324
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
You have a point, but if practicality was what mattered, I wouldn't want to buy a gran coupe. Having only recently gotten used to automatics after moving from manual transmissions, I wouldn't want to drive a car like this so much like a tool to travel. The consequences of making such compromises are leads to buying a Tesla. As those who drive these cars know very well, such beautiful machines are not efficient in practical or economic terms. So I have a philosophical hatred towards such innovations.
I hope that I can manage the wire harnesses. As far as I learned through web, column shifter cable connects to a main dashboard (?) panel and the cls63's shifter connects directly to some kind of ecu. If thats the case I don't think I can pull this off by some reprogramming and connecting wires. I don't wanna do some lame job with connecting it via some bridge module. Since cls63's are very expensive, those beautiful rear lights will stay in my dreams I guess.
I hope that I can manage the wire harnesses. As far as I learned through web, column shifter cable connects to a main dashboard (?) panel and the cls63's shifter connects directly to some kind of ecu. If thats the case I don't think I can pull this off by some reprogramming and connecting wires. I don't wanna do some lame job with connecting it via some bridge module. Since cls63's are very expensive, those beautiful rear lights will stay in my dreams I guess.
Last edited by superswiss; Mar 29, 2026 at 12:06 AM.
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cls550 c218, s500 w221
I recall reading through some of the forums, and someone was attempting a similar retrofit. If I recall correctly, they mentioned that a DRVU unit was required for that purpose, and that's where the discussion ended. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any information about the DRVU retrofit so far.
Also - the center console is different for AMG cars, so you would need that in addition to everything else. It's not worth going that route on a 350 as far as I'm concerned.
Also - the center console is different for AMG cars, so you would need that in addition to everything else. It's not worth going that route on a 350 as far as I'm concerned.
