Having the cup holders in the forward-most position is already a pain in the arse trying to reach for the cups in the bolstered seats...

If you position these towards the back, I'd imagine them for the rear passengers...because unless you're a gymnastic olympian, you're not going to be able to reach like that for a cup.

OEM prototype...as OP said.

I believe you are forgetting about your passenger reaching for their beverage...other than that, that thing is awesome!

Whatever, I"ll take it

I think it would be better if it opens front to back and not right to left.

Tap'd from my G-Nex

What I find amusing is that all the people who say "I never eat or drink in my car" and now everybody is bitchin about having cup holders.....:lol:

I think the arm rest is pretty good just the way it is. Maybe add a hole towards the back for one cup holder and a notch for phone charger/ipod cable. Price point starting around maybe $125 for fabric cover and $150 for leather (if that's an available choice). Needs to have good top strength as I tend to lean on my armrest when getting in and swinging my legs in.

If it had come from the factory just as pictured, no one would be complaining about the screws either. Maybe Velcro attachment is another option.

I'll simply add my "ME-2" to most of these comments.

Cable notch would be handy.

I think a rear hinge would be better than the side hinge. First off, there will be a passenger in the front seat far more frequently than in the back seats so the convenience should be there for the two up front. Secondly, that side hinge will not only make getting the front passenger's drink harder, it will physically restrict their left elbow. Frankly, as cramped as the back seats are I don't know I'd want someone trying to juggle a drink back there anyway.

As far as strength of a rear-hinge, that shouldn't be a problem. A rear-hinged arm rest/console cover has been a standard design for decades in all manner of cars and trucks. My old Celica had one and it never broke off or even torqued sideways. I even designed a small, drop in spacer to turn the center console into a cup holder since it was an '87 and didn't have one. Consequently the armrest spent plenty of time both up and down with no problems.

The single stitch looks fine to me as well. I think it might look too busy with a double.

I would caution against any kind of stamped, embossed or embroidered logo on the top of the armrest itself though as that would likely be uncomfortable to rest one's arm on. The FR-S is awesome, but I don't think I want a brand on my forearm. Maybe a logo on the underside to pretty it up while it's opened would be an idea.

This is a great idea (and it boggles the mind that the car wasn't designed with something like this from the start), and I would frankly buy it as is - but I would definitely prefer a rear hinge.

Don't really like it, id like something that plops in and plops out. Has a hatch that opens up from the front and flings back like other arm rests for storage. I find that having it open from the side would be annoying for the passengers since i find every time i have someone else in the car there's a drink or two there. Great build but i'll keep my eye open for something else...
The fact that i have to do drill my car doesnt look good to me...

So everyone is recommending the rear-hinged idea, but with the draw back of having your whole armrest sticking up (blocking visibilty, falling down, +other issues etc), but has anyone considered something like the armrest in the Prius? It slides back when you pull up on the release and locks back for cup holder accessability. And if you want access to the storage compartment, you just pull up on the release, and up comes the armrest when you continue pulling up.

(Dunno if this is what you guys implied by mentioning a rear-hinged device, but it's just my two cents and seems to solve a lot of issues.)

I dont see how a 1/2 or 3/4 inch tall armrest does anything to give you a place to rest your arm. My arm would be way to low and uncomfortable in that position. It needs to be taller if you ask me.

It covers the gaping hole and gives you a place to put your elbow and forearm.

It actually feels perfect at the same height as the armrest on the doors.

I guess my torso is up higher. I would need to lean over to the right to be able to rest my elbow on that.

There's also the chance you have your seat jacked all the way up.