mini brake wtf

i looked at a mini yesterday - stunned to find this thing has two
serious parking/emergency/hand brake issues:

1. the brake cable wasn't connected to one of the rear caliper lever
arms - apparently it's been like this since new since the brakes have
never been touched and there was no evidence of prior metal contact on
the arm.

2. even if it had been connected and working, you can't use the thing
anyway - there's a center console mounted over the brake handle that
prevents you pulling on the lever!!!

re #2, this completely blows my mind. yes, the console tilts up, but it
doesn't lock in the "up" position, you can't tilt it down if the lever
is applied, and keeping it up defeats the point of having it in the
first place. so, i don't know what bmw are thinking with this kind of
"design", but it sure doesn't have driver safety/driveability in mind.

and where are nhtsa safety qualification inspections on this? i think
it's only explainable by negligence or bribery. given that center
consoles are supposed to be popular and considered strong selling points
on modern cars and this is such an obvious "oversight", you have to
conclude that someone was "encouraged" to ignore the obvious and allow
cosmetic sales gimmickry to outweigh such a fundamental safety feature.
amazing and disgusting on both sides.


--
fact check required

On Friday, July 5, 2013 11:09:00 AM UTC-5, jim beam wrote:
> i looked at a mini yesterday - stunned to find this thing has two
>
> serious parking/emergency/hand brake issues:
>
>
>
> 1. the brake cable wasn't connected to one of the rear caliper lever
>
> arms - apparently it's been like this since new since the brakes have
>
> never been touched and there was no evidence of prior metal contact on
>
> the arm.
>
>
>
> 2. even if it had been connected and working, you can't use the thing
>
> anyway - there's a center console mounted over the brake handle that
>
> prevents you pulling on the lever!!!
>
>
>
> re #2, this completely blows my mind. yes, the console tilts up, but it
>
> doesn't lock in the "up" position, you can't tilt it down if the lever
>
> is applied, and keeping it up defeats the point of having it in the
>
> first place. so, i don't know what bmw are thinking with this kind of
>
> "design", but it sure doesn't have driver safety/driveability in mind.
>
>
>
> and where are nhtsa safety qualification inspections on this? i think
>
> it's only explainable by negligence or bribery. given that center
>
> consoles are supposed to be popular and considered strong selling points
>
> on modern cars and this is such an obvious "oversight", you have to
>
> conclude that someone was "encouraged" to ignore the obvious and allow
>
> cosmetic sales gimmickry to outweigh such a fundamental safety feature.
>
> amazing and disgusting on both sides.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> fact check required

You know how the Brits like to brag about 'British engineering'

JR wrote:
> On Friday, July 5, 2013 11:09:00 AM UTC-5, jim beam wrote:
>> i looked at a mini yesterday - stunned to find this thing has two
>>
>> serious parking/emergency/hand brake issues:
>>
>>
>>
>> 1. the brake cable wasn't connected to one of the rear caliper lever
>>
>> arms - apparently it's been like this since new since the brakes have
>>
>> never been touched and there was no evidence of prior metal contact on
>>
>> the arm.
>>
>>
>>
>> 2. even if it had been connected and working, you can't use the thing
>>
>> anyway - there's a center console mounted over the brake handle that
>>
>> prevents you pulling on the lever!!!
>>
>>
>>
>> re #2, this completely blows my mind. yes, the console tilts up, but it
>>
>> doesn't lock in the "up" position, you can't tilt it down if the lever
>>
>> is applied, and keeping it up defeats the point of having it in the
>>
>> first place. so, i don't know what bmw are thinking with this kind of
>>
>> "design", but it sure doesn't have driver safety/driveability in mind.
>>
>>
>>
>> and where are nhtsa safety qualification inspections on this? i think
>>
>> it's only explainable by negligence or bribery. given that center
>>
>> consoles are supposed to be popular and considered strong selling points
>>
>> on modern cars and this is such an obvious "oversight", you have to
>>
>> conclude that someone was "encouraged" to ignore the obvious and allow
>>
>> cosmetic sales gimmickry to outweigh such a fundamental safety feature.
>>
>> amazing and disgusting on both sides.
>>
>-
>>
>> fact check required
>
> You know how the Brits like to brag about 'British engineering'

MT or AT ?

jc,

GW

On 07/05/2013 01:24 PM, Geoff Welsh wrote:
> JR wrote:
>> On Friday, July 5, 2013 11:09:00 AM UTC-5, jim beam wrote:
>>> i looked at a mini yesterday - stunned to find this thing has two
>>>
>>> serious parking/emergency/hand brake issues:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 1. the brake cable wasn't connected to one of the rear caliper lever
>>>
>>> arms - apparently it's been like this since new since the brakes have
>>>
>>> never been touched and there was no evidence of prior metal contact on
>>>
>>> the arm.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 2. even if it had been connected and working, you can't use the thing
>>>
>>> anyway - there's a center console mounted over the brake handle that
>>>
>>> prevents you pulling on the lever!!!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> re #2, this completely blows my mind. yes, the console tilts up, but it
>>>
>>> doesn't lock in the "up" position, you can't tilt it down if the lever
>>>
>>> is applied, and keeping it up defeats the point of having it in the
>>>
>>> first place. so, i don't know what bmw are thinking with this kind of
>>>
>>> "design", but it sure doesn't have driver safety/driveability in mind.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> and where are nhtsa safety qualification inspections on this? i think
>>>
>>> it's only explainable by negligence or bribery. given that center
>>>
>>> consoles are supposed to be popular and considered strong selling points
>>>
>>> on modern cars and this is such an obvious "oversight", you have to
>>>
>>> conclude that someone was "encouraged" to ignore the obvious and allow
>>>
>>> cosmetic sales gimmickry to outweigh such a fundamental safety feature.
>>>
>>> amazing and disgusting on both sides.
>>>
>> -
>>>
>>> fact check required
>>
>> You know how the Brits like to brag about 'British engineering'
>
> MT or AT ?
>
> jc,
>
> GW

at. that doesn't affect the console location.

--
fact check required

On Friday, July 5, 2013 7:43:02 PM UTC-5, jim beam wrote:
> On 07/05/2013 01:24 PM, Geoff Welsh wrote:
>
> > JR wrote:
>
> >> On Friday, July 5, 2013 11:09:00 AM UTC-5, jim beam wrote:
>
> >>> i looked at a mini yesterday - stunned to find this thing has two
>
> >>>
>
> >>> serious parking/emergency/hand brake issues:
>
> >>>
>
> >>>
>
> >>>
>
> >>> 1. the brake cable wasn't connected to one of the rear caliper lever
>
> >>>
>
> >>> arms - apparently it's been like this since new since the brakes have
>
> >>>
>
> >>> never been touched and there was no evidence of prior metal contact on
>
> >>>
>
> >>> the arm.
>
> >>>
>
> >>>
>
> >>>
>
> >>> 2. even if it had been connected and working, you can't use the thing
>
> >>>
>
> >>> anyway - there's a center console mounted over the brake handle that
>
> >>>
>
> >>> prevents you pulling on the lever!!!
>
> >>>
>
> >>>
>
> >>>
>
> >>> re #2, this completely blows my mind. yes, the console tilts up, but it
>
> >>>
>
> >>> doesn't lock in the "up" position, you can't tilt it down if the lever
>
> >>>
>
> >>> is applied, and keeping it up defeats the point of having it in the
>
> >>>
>
> >>> first place. so, i don't know what bmw are thinking with this kind of
>
> >>>
>
> >>> "design", but it sure doesn't have driver safety/driveability in mind.
>
> >>>
>
> >>>
>
> >>>
>
> >>> and where are nhtsa safety qualification inspections on this? i think
>
> >>>
>
> >>> it's only explainable by negligence or bribery. given that center
>
> >>>
>
> >>> consoles are supposed to be popular and considered strong selling points
>
> >>>
>
> >>> on modern cars and this is such an obvious "oversight", you have to
>
> >>>
>
> >>> conclude that someone was "encouraged" to ignore the obvious and allow
>
> >>>
>
> >>> cosmetic sales gimmickry to outweigh such a fundamental safety feature.
>
> >>>
>
> >>> amazing and disgusting on both sides.
>
> >>>
>
> >> -
>
> >>>
>
> >>> fact check required
>
> >>
>
> >> You know how the Brits like to brag about 'British engineering'
>
> >
>
> > MT or AT ?
>
> >
>
> > jc,
>
> >
>
> > GW
>
>
>
> at. that doesn't affect the console location.
>
>
>
> --
>
> fact check required

I saw an article, if you want to do a Google for it? Google,,, Claim Rolls Royce uses scrap parts in engines