No it is just an indentation and I don't think anyone has figured out why that is there.I believe it was either brought up early on in this thread or another one with no real answer as to what purpose it serves.

Ugh. That's the only thing that really annoys me about my MINI. It's just this indentation that roughly keeps the same shape as the ledge it's cut from. It'd be great if it was a full slot for maps or a CD or something.

i always thought it was for a road map...or regular sized envelopes

I figured it was for an umbrella. I thought maybe there was a special one made by mini the would "clip" in to that indent. ??

There is a Mini umbrella but it mounts in place of the netting on the tunnel side of the passenger floor board.

Maybe there some euro accessory that fits in there?

I saw a great pic a while back of someone that had taken off the antenna for a car wash and placed it in the side pocket storage area. That notch is just the right place so the antenna stays put and doesn't roll around. I think there's a whole thread just for the notch question.

Well, I'd love to get a definitive answer. The design seems too intentional to not have a purpose.

The funny thing is that even the MAs don't seem to know. Odd.

Speaking of which, what does everybody use that netting thing for anyway? It's not mentioned in the manual. I know you could probably use it for anything, but it's so unique, I figured it's there for a specific purpose.

i have a 3 port cig hub there for my accessories.

That's where I keep my Altoids tin.

It's great for holding snacks while on long road trips.

Works well for extra CDs - the CD holder (and I use the term loosely ) in front of the gearlever only holds 4 or 5 and any extras go in the netting.

I had a Mercedes-Benz C230K, the hatchback they made for a few years. That car had a similar net on the passenger side of the transmission tunnel. I've been in c-class sedans that had the net there as well.

My guess is that it's just a traditional place for whatever, a holder from before the days of multiple cup holders and such. When my car was delivered a "MINI idiosyncrasies" pamphlet was tucked in there. I'm thinking I should use it for easy map access for the navigator during rally driving... when I get around to rally driving, that is.

Don't know about unique (my 1992 Protege had one, so does my wife's old Mercedes) but I put an old road map of my great grandfathers in there... it's gotta be from the thirties, but hey, it looks cool.

Being raised on Honda's, I've never been exposed to "the net". So, it's new to me. I'll find some use for it.

I put my bumbershoot there

Well, I heard "the net" is something like a series of tubes...

The net is pretty common on Euro cars, although not always in a "net" form. I use it all the time on trips to hold maps, CDs, water bottles and such, and locally to hold my trash bag.

BTW, when I had my check-out on the car, my MA specifically suggested that I use one of the boot's side nets to hold milk jugs. I found he was absolutely correct. It's a good thing he said that. You see, on the way from the grocery store, there are these curves...

I keep my SPF 30 in the net. Very useful.

I have the iPod USB hookup and the cable is just long enough to put the iPod there. When it's in a case it's not really noticable either

I had to look that one up. Never heard an umbrella called a bumbershoot before.

Here's the manufacturer maybe they'll explain it's purpose.
Magna Closures

Me neither - brolly perhaps.
My umbrella lives in the side netting in the boot, as in between the two layers - much handier than the net in the footwell.