Well guys, I've done a bit of searching and the few threads I've come across don't seem to help. I've had the bloody OEM arm rest nigh on two years, and it's gone from a minor annoyance to somewhat of a taint now. All instructions I find are for installing an aftermarket rest, not uninstalling an OEM one. I just started taking bolts and bits off the arm rest, and then using brute strength to rip the thing off anyway that I could. There's no other bolts or screws I see that could undo it, and on top of that, it's started doing that much hated "pop open at the slightest bit of pressure" routine on me. It's as if they built the car around the arm rest! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Here is a link to the official MINI instructions on installing the factory armrest, including removing the old one. Note that some of the steps refer to other procedures, but it is not too difficult to figure out those elements.