Perfection might be a wee bit extreme as a descriptor, but certainly a whole heck of a lot closer to it than its younger brothers. Sorry, a MINI just wouldn't be a MINI without the center line speedo display independent of whether or not it makes ergonomic sense (yes, I rely on the digital readout on the tach but I wouldn't buy one without a center speedo). That said, it's layout and scale in 1st Gen made much more sense and was much more connected in design heritage than today's obtrusive "pizza pan" with all of its wasted real estate. I hate all of the cheap plastic, the horrid controls with their "mickey mouse" look, and the additional wasted space on the 2nd Gen center stack. (Sadly, these design guys seem to be still cashing paychecks, to wit: the Openometer and the Mission Control.) I like understated monochrome orange gauge lighting. The alphanumerics on the 1st Gen gauges look much classier. Real gauges ought to be standard. I'm racking my brain for things that I like better about the R56 interior. Right leg space for the driver is certainly one. Uhhhh....... Gosh, come to think of it maybe the R53 interior is closer to perfection than I first thought...
Funny thing, I visited a new MINI dealership in the area and sat in my first R53. I'm pretty well versed with the R56 but for some odd reason I found the R53 to be a bit less cluttered in the center stack area, but I wasn't a fan of some of the dials by the e-brake. I say that to say that I can now understand how some of the members here with R53's refuse to sit in/own/acknowledge the R56, although I'm not sure if the interior styling is enough to make me pass up a good deal on an R56. Just my .02. Completely unrelated side note: Why are the majority of the CPO R53's on MINI's website without Xenons? Who skimps on headlights?
Maybe I used 'perfection' because I've owned my car for over 7 years, and practically drive nothing else. It is just so comfortable and familiar. I get frustrated in other cars that do not have a center speedo. It's a pretty foreign idea to me to have to look behind the steering wheel for your speed. My MINI does not have the digital speed readout, it didn't exist back then. When I drive other cars, I look to center for my speed, find there is no speedo, and then look behind the wheel - nearly every time, it is so ingrained. I also get irked by cars that do not have the clock up above the mirror like my MINI.