Screw BMW then, since you'll always pay more for the badge.
I completely understand the premium for a badge and would be willing to pay for it, depending on the price along with what I get for the money. It's not a crucial thing to me but I wouldn't mind having it, but I wouldn't really want to pay anything over $40k for a 135i or 335i, though I think a car like the M3 is definitely worth the money, but it's quite out of my feasible price range at least for the next several years. But along with the premium for the badge comes with the excellent customer service and treatment at their dealerships along with the free maintenance for up to 50k miles (in the U.S.). Your average non-luxury Japanese car will require some explanation (and perhaps arguing) with the service department if something is wrong, while if you take a BMW or Mercedes to the dealership while the car is in warranty, they will take care of you without question while giving you a loaner.
About a Mini Cooper, I obviously can't read your mind regarding your exact wishes in a car, but I think you may feel "slow" since you're now hurtling around in your EVO. The performance gap is very significant.
Maybe the running costs of an EVO also make you think about a smaller car?
I know that a car like a Cooper S will be slow in comparison, but I'm not trying to find a faster car. I just want something a smaller (the Evo isn't big but it's a lot larger than anything I need for 95% of my driving needs), more fuel efficient (the Evo averages 22-23 mpg and has peaked at 26.73 mpg in my possession) yet still fun to drive through the straights and around the bends as a commuter car. I don't NEED a second car, but I'm entertaining the idea. The running costs for an Evo are still a little steep compared to normal, and despite my vehicle purchase including free oil changes for life, the other maintenances are still higher than average. For example, last Friday, I had the 15k mile service, which involved the transaxle and differential fluids being changed... $200 (though it's normally $400 but I have some hookups). That's just to change some fluids, so imagine how much it's going to suck when the 30k or 60k service comes around, or when I need to change the pads (though I'll probably do that myself).
Not knowing what exactly your demands are for a car, but if they're low as far as transporting multiple people/lotsa stuff go, have you considered Elises? Especially the higher-end versions are quite quick in a straight line and obviously immense everywhere else. Plus you'll have something pretty special.
Elises are awesome, but I'd still like something practical enough to the point where I can make an impulse buy and not have to worry about having driven the wrong car. Plus let's not forget the fact that they start at just above $46k. Plus the whole point of buying an Elise is to fling it around tracks since it's so agile, but for something so impractical, I wouldn't be getting my money's worth for the premium I'm paying for a completely impractical car that I can't even fit $80 worth of groceries inside of. But that aside, while the car is quick, since its release I was always a little disappointed that it got the engine from the Celica GT-S. At the time, it was already a little old (but still good), though I was hoping it would've gotten the torquier, more exiting K20A motor from the RSX Type-S. The more interesting thing was that Lotus was originally testing the Elise chassis with the 220 hp Type-R variant of the K20, and that test mule was staying ahead of a 911 Turbo (996) around their test track, but it ended up not getting that engine because it had not been certified in the U.S., so Lotus went with the Toyota motor and reprogrammed it to get 190 hp.
You don't know how good you have it over there as far as cars go, ehehe. A 350z costs a converted 73000 dollars here. 
