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While I'm sure many of us could add to the list of changes, this is a pretty good start and makes me a bit more confident of the direction of BMW. It's good to see them taking enthusiasts who are more performance oriented and less luxury oriented into account: manual seats, de-coupled Mdrive from Tech, CA option separate.
The manual seats, while not a huge weight savings, are one less thing to go wrong long term and they do save weight (as does not having the Idrive/Nav screen and components). I hope this philosophy is extended and carried over into the 1 series M and future M3: allow the buyer to configure the car with less luxury, provide weight saving options, and give the ability to add performance pieces (e.g. Mdrive) w/o needing the weight/cost of other options. The whole "must have tech" to get Mdrive thing on the E9x M3 was not a bright move--but this is a move in the right direction.
BMW, you're on the right track. Keep it moving this way. Give us lighter, less luxury oriented options so that we can option a more hardcore performance oriented car from the overall base. That would provide even a bigger market for your products--one group can option for more luxury while the other goes more hardcore performance. That's a win all around.
I, for one, would go pretty bare bones inside, even less sound deadening, and would love the option to add brake cooling and a BBK all around. Much rather have that than Idrive, Nav, electric luxury seats, heavy split folding seats, overly isolated boring sound deadening, and comfort access....
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