Agreed, 100%. I just hope they don't stray too far and loose sight of the fun aspect of the MINI--That's why most of us bought it and continue to drive around with big dumb grins. Things will evolve and improve. I welcome building upon the idea without changing what makes MINI special to myself and others. If the words "luxury" or "economy" or "bad handling" became associated with the MINI, then the have changed for the worse. This is obvious and hence the "go-cart" references in the marketing--Small and fun as h*ll!
Don't get me wrong, an AWD MINI would be really exciting. I would wait anxiously to test drive one. However, if MINI went this route on one model weight would increase. If this lead to the obesity of the rest of the line, then the "go-cart" may go away.