This very recent review by the guys over at PistonHeads makes the following lines from that ^^^ MF review seem almost prescient:
"It’s moments like this that make me realize that jaded journalists should be the last people anointed as the automotive taste-makers. Could the R58 MINI Coupe be on a slow burn like the original BMW Z3 M Coupe? After spending a week with the car, I’m beginning to think so. In fact, I think the car’s production life-cycle will come and go before the grassroots ground swell of positive reaction hits its stride. This is a car that will get popular with time, and by the time this little black and red JCW finds its way into the hands of its second or third owner, the R58 will likely be spoken of in reverential terms."
Early PistonHeads reviews were not kind re looks and style, maybe this is a sign the tide is beginning to turn...
DRIVEN: MINI COUPE JOHN COOPER WORKS (PistonHeads.com)
Full article with a few more pics here.