MF Exclusive: The R60’s Interior Center Rail
As we recently have seen in all the Countryman photos, the center rail seen in the Beachcomber concept is coming completely intact for the R60. While it may initially seem gimmicky, the more we saw it, used it and thought about it, the more it started to make a lot of sense.
Here’s the idea; with the rail you can add and subtract different components depending on your needs. Want an armrest? Easy, snap it in and position where needed. Need an iPhone holder? MINI will surely have that covered. What about different devices? Again the beauty of the system is that MINI can offer a array of options depending on what you need. They even see the aftermarket stepping in and offering all sorts of accessories for things we can’t even imagine.
But enough writing about it. Click play above to hear our interview with Gert Hildebrand and his team actually talk about the concept that will come to market with the R60.
Check back tomorrow for more on the center rail and for a way to win an ultra-exclusive copy of the new MINI Design book autographed by Gert Hildebrand.
<p>I like the rail concept, fairly easy to add a second armrest for the rear seat passengers, or slide yours out of the way.</p>
<p>A great base concept and very well done by MINI Design. Still perfect that its in the R60 since I have no use for armrests and cup holders. My task in the car is to drive, its not to sip a latte or do anything else that distracts me from driving. Still I am sure lots of passengers are going to like something like this. I can almost see one issue in the chaos that is not abnormal with kids “mom/dad were is my cupholder” lol</p>
<p>This one is for the contest. How about a third seat that snaps into the rear… or maybe a child seat on a serious note.</p>
<p>It would make a cool Camera mount location for filming track days or MINI events..</p>
<p>I’m curious how the rail will work/look in a Countryman with the rear bench seat option. Hope the passenger in the middle seat doesn’t have the straddle the rail.</p>
<p>I’d like a workstation/tray. Something that’ll support, and possibly provide power to, a laptop.</p>
<p>I will concede that the rail may offer unique storage solutions with various attachments. However, if hauling odds and ends trumps hauling people, I think the priorities are mixed-up.</p>
<p>I want to see the European version with the bench seat option. I, too, wonder if the rail would be eliminated if the bench seat option is chosen.</p>
<p>If I cant spec a U.S. MINI with a bench seat, sans rail, or at least retrofit a bench seat and remove the rail without destroying the interior, I won’t be purchasing this vehicle.</p>
<p>Save those ideas. We’ll be launching the contest tomorrow!</p>
<p>The rail is a great idea and WILL be copied in future by other manufacturers. But MINI has the enthusiast owner base, quirky character, and aftermarket support to make it work well. I see it as analogous to Apple providing the SDK for the iPhone and the App Store for even small developers to contribute to and be compensated for their creativity – a whole ecosystem has resulted that strengthened the original product. Congratulations to the team for this visionary design detail making it to production!!</p>
<p>Great design, but at least in my city, anything like the sunglass case would invite a break in.</p>
<p>Dear MINI, please make a retrofit for the rest of the MINI’s…I love the idea and would really make the interior of the MINI easier to customize and would allow for some ultra cool aftermarket solutions…</p>
<p>Does the rail include a power bus or any provisions to easily run wiring?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Does the rail include a power bus or any provisions to easily run wiring?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yes it does have access to a power outlet.</p>
<p>Interesting to see an idea perhaps taken from a whole different industry, the “Pickatinny or Weaver Rail” system for the military applied here. Kudos to that and even better, if it’s a source of rattles the item can quickly be located and thrown out the window. Brilliant:)</p>
<p>While this might be a great idea for putting your gadgets, I see problems with access to the driver’s side of the backseat. If my kids have to go in the backseat from the sidewalk (the right passenger’s side), then one of them would have to clamber over the center rail. I can imagine how hard it would be for anyone (kids or adults) to do that. I wonder if that rail can be lifted or or slid out of the way?</p>
<p>Interesting, I’m in the middle of contemplating getting a Nespresso Citiz pod capsule espresso maker, and it looks to me that you could attach that to the central rail, plus the frother that is sold separately – connect them to the power outlet, and you could make lattes on the go! (while the car is stationary, of course….)</p>
<p>The concept of individualized rear seats and the central rail makes the Countryman an alternative to an executive car, don’t you think?</p>
<p>Good point about other manufacturers copying the idea. I hope BMW/MINI was able somehow to patent the design.</p>
<p>I would imagine that Toyota designers are already working overtime copying the idea to put into their cars.</p>
<p>My idea for the center rail would be a selection of Fisher-Price toys for the kiddies to play with….maybe like a little racetrack or something like that. The Fisher-Price idea would tie in nicely to all the nasty comments in the past about the MINI’s center stack too!!</p>
<p>This idea is great and all but it assumes a neat and organized “passanger”?</p>
<p>Your lucky the Countryman has all those airbags because if your going to be distracted by latte machines, laptops and racetracks your going to need them.</p>
<p>It’s a car people, concentrate on driving.</p>
<p>What a distinctive design reference from the Crossman to the Beachcomber concept and now emphasized in the Mini countryman or what its name is still unknown. While the slated bar not only makes practical use of the space and lighted interior the rail is within its self the Mini consumer. Can be customized and altered to fit one style. The rail also gives differnet manufacturers the oppurtunity to develop many new accessories. while the back of the Mini sport activity vehicle is empty the center rail can offer arm rest add ins to support the riders in the back. Looking at the crossman can show on the rail what’s to come.
The interior has a BMW equality to it mainly the 5 series GT , slendered seating position which offers optimal comfort. The vehicle has the panoramic roof like the GT with and both feature a trunk divider behind the seats. This makes it aparent the vehicle were designed hand in hand. Breakthrough in the rail are the comforts the driver gets from the dash and the riders in the back have something to be occupied with and ultamatley it can be a center console to hold a Mini visual entertainment system. The Mini SAV has made a mark with its interior design traits.</p>
<p>RJ-</p>
<p>That’s funny. Fisher-Price toys would be great! MINI could just remove the seats altogether and let the kids crawl around on the floor…</p>
<p>I am just glad I got the two MINI Beachcomber pins on the jackets there wearing. I guess I have a chance on the book too.lol</p>
<p>I don’t like the rail system one bit. I’m thinking rail system delete kits will be sold out. If the Euro version of the R60 have 3 seats rear and the US has only two, then make some quirky MINI folding center armrest/cup holder thingy. The rail system is a gimmick that I see will go the way of “your door is ajar” warnings.</p>
<p>so does that mean that the Euro versions don’t have this rail system?</p>
<p>In some European markets MINI will offer a three seat bench (as they currently do with the Clubman). In that situation the rail system would end just after the two front seats.</p>
<p>Speaking of European versions…if we cannot get a bench retrofit on the US-destined Countryman, Gabe, do you know if there are plans for European delivery? Is the rear section of the rail removable for those who have no interest in it?</p>
<p>Considering that most new cars today don’t consider or provide very limited mounting places for our gadgets, resorting to illegal (in CA) windshield mounts, I like the rail. Kind of like inverted track lighting for the car. Because it feeds power and audio(I assume) it will make integration of my toys much easier and cleaner. Even if they were just used as power/audio taps, it means that my passengers could “inject” their iPhone music just by docking it in the rail instead of disturbing the driver…etc.</p>
<p>Oh and the individually adjustable seats reminded me of BMW’s Gran Turismo SUV….</p>
<p>…Chrysler did something similar with an overhead rail system on the Caravan. This refines it… I think it’s definitely more usable on the floor.</p>
<p>Looks good! I hope it’s not lit as bright as it shows in the press photos, though, because that would be awful distracting.</p>
<p>That’s what they are attempting to try and do, but in the end I suppose people can solely remember that they’re driving a Toyota that’s doubtless unsafe, not a unit created on a bound date, during a certain plant with a Denso pedal, but not a CTS pedal. Oh my how the mighty have fallen. I knew in this day and age of reckoning would come, but I had no plan it’d be this huge.</p>