Salty, epic tear down, but I wish you had PM'ed me. From the looks of your last two pics I think you could have used my DIY and saved huge pain. Basically you go thru the trunk and can push the bottom compartment within the center console forward to get to the cables. Although being upside down at one point in my trunk was challenging
http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=497843
Congrats on removing the center console door, its a major Indiana Jones and the temple of doom puzzle, even with the BMW instructions. Yours are a good bit clearer.
Have fun in the twisties
Bruce