Wouldn't it be great to see BMW focus on something light, simple, fun to drive, and innovative again?
I think BMW already has that covered with the Mini Cooper S, BMW 1 M, and upcoming BMW i3.
I agree with maybe 2/3 of your point. Mini Cooper is a small car gem (bought one last night!), and the upcoming BMW i3 might be. The 1M to me is not in this category; it's heavy for its size, and has lots of power and cornering grip with the big wheels. Enormously capable, but not my idea of light, simple and fun to drive. I was thinking more along the lines of the new Subaru BRZ - limited power, light weight, all about the feel. As an extreme example I've mentioned before, I've driven a Lotis Elise and to someone who likes driving it felt magical in the first 30 feet, the way it communicated. Of course part of the communication was the sound of parts falling off, which leads me to my original question: why can't BMW build something that feels like that but will last longer than an ice cream sandwich?
I do like the Mini, obviously, but BMW hasn't pushed it forward in that regard in 10 years. Things always tend to get heavier/duller, which is why I am excited to see the Subaru/Toyota machine hit the market. Makes me feel like I'm not alone... Unfortunately with 2 little kids there's no room for one in the garage...