I have the Checkmate (a special edition offered in 2006) and can tell you from the perspective of "5 years down the road" that I love it, mostly. I love the exclusivity and the very special touches (completely different interior, steering wheel, and some exterior ornamentation). I do not like some of the exterior special touches (mostly the checkered scuttles) as they limit my own creativity in personalizing the car. Depends on what's important to you.
My view on the Bayswater: They didn't go far enough style-wise, but the price of the package is pretty good. The changes are very subtle both inside and out - are they enough to justify the cost? Yes, you get additional content, but would you have purchased that content anyway, or purchased a different set of options? And do you really want a black roof? It looks like that's all you can get.
You can ADD lumbar support to almost any seat in the aftermarket without too much hassle, and it's not super expensive - check with local auto upholstery shops. They can also add heat, although Mini's option is cost-effective there. You can also get Mini seats with lumbar by choosing any of the "pay-more" seating options, including the leather-cloth option ($1,000, not $2,000, and you can get red/black).
Without knowing what's important to YOU in a car, and what your budget is, it's hard to recommend, but I hope my comments are helpful...
Page 2 of 2
Page 2 of 2