Why did they have to design the hand brake in such a way that makes the front half of the front rail system un-useable ?? So annoying!

It seems like it would be an easy 3rd party modification to replace the hand brake handle with a more "standard" handle that doesn't block the rail. I would throw my money at anyone that created a hand brake mod to give me that front rail use ! Seems MINI really screwed up in their design there.

 

+1

 

+2 (I'm not sure it's as daft as the useless rail concept though!)

 

Yeah the rail concept in general is silly and useless, but i can't even play with it b/c of the stupid hand brake!

That said the hand brake is cool looking (looks like a space ship thruster control).

 

MINI likes to be quirky. But, sometimes quirky gets in the way of egronomics.
The handbrake handle is okay by itself, but coupled with the front rail system, it's a design fail.
I agree that the whole center-rail system is basically useless. The clamping system to affix accessories to the rail is beyond complex (for no good reason).
Don't get me started on the huge, center speedometer. Does anyone monitor their speed with it?

 

When the tiny display in the tachometer gets taken over by icons and other such so that it doesn't display the speed, I use the big speedometer to get an idea of the actual numbers, yes. Otherwise, not so much...

Then again, sometimes there's someone else in the right seat who helps me be aware of the big dial readings...and she can do it painfully...
uch:

 

I think the emergency brake design is ridiculous on the Countryman. Why didn't Mini stick with the nice neat brake on the other models.

The rail system is a joke but has the one redeeming value of interior lighting at night.

I actually like the big speedo. But mine has Mini connected and the LCD screen makes the speedo kinda look like a retro juke box. It just needs the neon lighting around the perimeter!