Okay, I finally found one thing I absolutely hate on my MINI. The original cup holder, the one on the passenger side down column I have tried to find the fattest coffee travel mug available and it still flops around, forget about a bottle of water. Does anyone have any recommendations for an aftermarket one that they are happy with? Thanks,
For what its worth they went to the other extreme on the R56. It is so small that you have to find the smallest diameter mug to fit. It is a "MINI" after all......:confused5:
I have two MINIFini's - which work well. Used them for a couple of years. Only issue was that for car shows, I wanted to remove them - and that took a screwdriver and required me to polish some marks they left on the downtubes. I'm now using some gizmos I fabbed outta black PVC - that plug into the tiny cupholders and convert them into larger, better positioned holders that are easily removable. I kinda like them. I'll post photos when I become less lazy.
I never really had a problem with the function of the factory downtube cupholder except that a lot of passengers would bang it with their knee which would of course slosh whatever's in there onto the radio and climate controls. Still, I didn't like the looks of it and since removing it haven't really felt a need to have the ability to carry large drinks. Of course I don't drink coffee and try to avoid soda as much as possible. I say remove it and switch to drinks in old-fashioned glass bottles. I think there may be some environmental benefit to glass, I get a cool retro feel when drinking from a glass bottle, it's handy in a fight, and I think Ski actually tastes better in a glass bottle (for the two other people on here who even know what Ski is).
I think I will try the MINIFINI one, unless Paul's going to start mass producing, at least for the other Cool Blue owners
The MINIFINI was the original, original-equipment cupholder. Yours is the improved model! The MINIFINI works fine for half-liter water bottles and soda cans, but I wouldn't trust it not to spill anything from 7-Eleven.
The MiniMania cup holder was one of the first mods I made for my R56 S. Works fine and appears to be just a modification of the MINIFINI R53 holder.
My car never came with an extra cup holder like that. All the same though, since I never drink anything more than a can of cream soda that I keep in the back holder. Even then, it is extremely rare that I eat or drink in my car. Never transport food either.
I had a MINIFINI for a few years but it broke...the plastic failed and the holder fell off the down tube part. Before anyone asks no, I did not swivel the holder back and forth. I left it in the same place all the time and the slight pressure of something in the holder all the time trying to swivel due to nothing more than lateral motion was enough to fatigue the plastic. I have the newer version now and haven't had any trouble with it. Of course I never carry a drink without a screw top cap so nothing spills even if it moves around in the holder or the car bounces over something. I also almost never have a passenger to knock knees into it...maybe 250 miles with a passenger out of about 68K total miles driven. The only passenger who had a knee clearance problem was a DE instructor who was about 6'4".
I removed that awful cupholder shortly after buying my car, it was totally useless. Now I just don't drink anything in the car. If I absolutely must transport a bottle of water or something, I put it in the passenger cupholder behind the handbrake. The ones in the front are a waste of space as well.. can't fit anything in them!