Captain's chair-style armrest
 

I need an armrest. I hate the big bulky OEM and others on the market.

What I WANT is one that's "captain's chair" style that flips up and down and is connected to the seat. I have no idea how I would go about doing this or what I would connect it to.

Has anyone dismantled a MINI driver's seat and can remember if there is something that one of these could be attached to?

If you look at the pics of the seat guts on realoem.com you will see that there is a metal frame in the seat back. A good interior shop could do this for you. It may cost a chunk of change but it will be custom work with a custom price tag. They could get an arm rest from another car, re-cover it and fab it into your seat.

Good luck to you!