You've come to the right place, There are two Minis in our household...!
The button controls the dashboard lighting, each time you press it, it cycles through a different brightness setting, once it reaches 100% brightness, if you press it again it goes back down to about 10%.
You won't see anything in the day, but take it somewhere dark and turn the headlights on to activate the dashboard lights, then you can use the button.
Here, the package is called the 'Cockpit Chrono Pack', which means you have the fuel gauge, engine temperature gauge and others, depending on the model (could include a boost gauge on forced induction models, for example) in a chronograph-style 'pod' in the middle of the centre console. Your friend also has the interior chrome pack on his car, by the looks of it, which adds rings of chrome around the dials, controls etc. All minis come with the button in the picture though.
Hope that helps
Last edited by Clivey; 09-29-2006 at 03:34 AM.
"This is hardcore." - Evo's John Barker on the TVR Tuscan S