I wouldn't have thought it was rocket science. More a matter of leverage and simplified cable runs, am I right Simon? You could have my car if you weren't so far away from Taunton.
I get the impression that the 'engineers' at MMC feel they know best, yet stuff they let out into production is clearly wrong, I'm thinking here more of the Three Wheeler debacle, but stuff like the non working handbrake is typical, especially if there was someone like Simon who offerred to correct it and didn't have his hand bitten off.