This is just another possible option I wanted to throw out there. I used to own a BMW performance intake and hated the paper filter part of it. I will most likely get one again soon though and modify it a bit to my liking (not just the filter). If the AFE doesn't fit then I'll have AEM build me a custom filter. Hopefully someone can test this out or contact AFE and see how flexible it is.
As for cleaning it, they clean up well. The flow rate is at least double that of a standard paper filter.