I've just moved up to an '06 MCS from an '03. The passenger side has the hand hold over the window. This was not on the '03.

Whenever my wife gets in the car she whacks her head on the hand hold! This wasn't an issue in the '03.

Do your passengers have this problem? Do any of the online MINI suppliers sell a Passenger Hand Hold Head Protector? A nice, thick, gel-like cover device would do the trick, and keep the hand hold functional.

Business opportunity???

=R=

 

And I was thinking this was about a MINI trip to a rock concert...

You might try lowering the passenger seat, just in case the height of the seat is what's keeping her noggin in banging range.
MINI had a handle cover they were marketing under their sorta kidding only not really motormate.com infomercial site. It's the 'Moto-go Grip.' Ridiculously expensive at $20, but cheaper than the flowers you'll be buying wifey if she keeps whacking her head.

 

I was just thinking about the Motormate grips as a solution - thanks Eric; glad to see they still exist!
$20 is not quite so bad when you see it includes shipping.

I suspect you could probably remove the handle if it is really problematic; the dealership likely can supply some blanking plates to cover the holes in the headliner ...

 

The MOTORmate grips are good, and as my MINI is a Checkmate, they're all the better (checkered pattern and all).

I'm not planning on removing the hand hold, and I don't think the dealers will actually remove the suckers.

So, good thinking! Thanks.

Uh oh - I just checked - SOLD OUT!

Oh well.

=R=

 

I've had two people hit their heads and one of them accidentally whacked it with their hand too.

 

Don't have my mini yet, but removing that handle will be the first mod... even if it it means leaving open holes for a while. My husband is 6'5" and that handle sits just above eye level for him. I don't even want to think about how badly he could be hurt by that bloody handle if we were in a side-impact collision.

 

If you were ever in a side-impact collision that was likely to result in injury, your MINIs side impact airbags would protect him from the handle as well as from the accident!