What a car!!! LOVE the colour scheme, that would be my pick white roof 'n all.
The hatch looks bigger than before judging by the photos, more than the stated 0.3 cu ft increase. Still, rear seat and hatch space aren't sufficient for my needs. If they were, I'd likely be driving one. The Clubman will solve that issue for others on the fence with regards to space... maybe you Quad? Still undecided with regards to the painted silver accents... worried about how durable they are. But the stylish design really grabs me.
The new engines for the Minis seem to be very fuel efficient as well. Does the base model qualify for an ecoAuto rebate? Maybe not, but has to be close. Wing, be sure to chime in here - you normally do anyhow.
As for pricing, I don't see a problem with it. The base Mini is plenty entertaining and priced nearly $10,000 less to start. Doesn't need lots of options to be fun. They sell consistently well, so someone has to be buying into the value there. Nothing else quite like them.
Can't help but smile at them, and with some real engineering, handling, and charm underneith, they're cars I'd love to get behind the wheel of every chance I could get.