Have been having trouble pulling down the knee panel on my late build (9/06) R50.

On my previous 2005 R53's, the knee panel pulled down with moderate force, however on this car it is significantly more difficult! I tried quite hard yesterday until I heard a small cracking noise, and for obvious reasons gave up. Does anyone know if the knee panels on late 2006 R50/R53s mount differently?

Thanks!

 

Are you talking about the panel below the steering wheel? I have a late '06 R50 as well, and it does in fact pull out and hangs on a hinge of sorts at the back/bottom above the pedals. It took quite a lot of force to yank it out, and it did make some weird noises. I've removed it a few times and nothing ever broke.

I just gripped the front at the cut-out for the steering wheel column and pulled out/downward as hard as possible.

 

Thanks Danny! Ok, I will try it again - I was afraid to break it.

 

Update: well, it came off! Unfortunately I pulled it hard enough to remove it entirely from its hinges :-/

 

That's normal, it just pivots on the hinge, it isn't supposed to be attached.

 

Good to know, thanks!

 

No problem!

Interesting that you went from a few R53's to an R50... any particular reason? Are you missing that supercharger?

 

To be honest, for some stupid reason I sold my last R53 and bought a 2006 Kia Rio5. While driving the Rio, however, I gained an appreciation for drivability and fuel economy of a NA engine, and really enjoyed being able to ring out the engine and go through the gears without being dangerous on public roads.

I then started looking at MINIs again, and realized how much I liked the R50.

Compared to my two previous R53's, it seems like everything a MINI should be, in my opinion - a well balanced package of style, performance, utility, and economy.

I actually prefer this R50 over my previous R53s - the R50 seems to handle the road better, has a more comfortable ride without sacrificing noticeable performance, and seems to be overall more "driveable." I also believe it has a more aesthetically pleasing and elegant styling to it overall. I found the R53's to be a bit more pretentious (exhaust noises, supercharger whine, etc.) and a little too erratic / tweaked out both in terms of handling and power delivery (less so with the modded R53).

It seems to me like the R50 is the more "natural" car, "at peace" with itself so to speak. While the R53 is more like a MINI on espresso, almost too hyper in terms of aesthetics and driving dynamics.

But overall, for me it came down to more enjoyable driving dynamics on public roads, and a more understated/elegant styling to the R50!

I posted my feelings on a post in "1st gear," some of whic was restated here (https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ner-again.html).

How about you, why the R50 and not an R53/R56?

 

I'd say I agree with all of what you said there. When I bought the car I didn't know anything about the brand, just really enjoyed the test drive at a used car lot and bought it on an impulse. I had been looking at Mustangs, actually.

Later on I did test drive an '08 R56S. It was quick but I didn't feel like it was substantially faster. I drove a 2010 Clubbie S as a loaner that felt faster, but I attributed that mostly to the gearing on the auto. Quite fast off the line and overall a nice car. With both it seemed like it was "too easy" to go fast once you were moving, but not as "punchy" as the higher compression R50 at lower speeds. I too enjoy having to row the gears and wind it up to get the power out. It seems like it requires more skill and driver input to get the performance out of it.

I later took a 2003 R53 out for a spin and wasn't overly impressed with the speed differential in that, either. Felt like a dog around town and not much different on the back roads/highways.

The biggest edge that the R50 has in my mind is it feels much more tossable (which should be a word.) through the bends. It feels very light on it's feet, so to speak, and that makes for a fun drive.

 

A wise man once said it is much more fun to driver a lower HP car hard than a higher HP car lightly!
Heck, I remember driving my old 89' CRX HF (a true 45-50 MPG car from the factory) like a madman...winding it up, and going, with great handling....and if I was just a tiny bit careful, no flashing lights in the rear mirror!!

 

Agreed that the R50 is more "tossable" (which is definitely a word). I also agree that the acceleration of the R53 is not a class above the R50, and actually prefer the "punchiness" of the little NA iron block over the supercharged variation. Around town you can really feel the drain the supercharger puts on the motor. The only downside to the R50 was the midlands and the cvt transmission, obviously, which is why I opted for the gertrag in the later year builds.

I've also driven an R56 justa and didn't notice much of a difference in acceleration, as well as a Countryman S (don't even get me started on that clutch). Wasn't impressed enough with either to want to switch from an R50.

I also like the somewhat rarity of a manual transmission R50, considering most 1st gen MINIs sold in North America were R53s, and most of the R50s came with a CVT because they were the only automatic option available at the time.

 

The CRX HF was a great car! In a sense, the most boring car I've driven on the road was my dad's Corvette Z06 (except for the occasional WOT on an onramp), because you simply can't use 1/2 of the car's potential without putting yourself and those around you in danger.