I was on the same boat, chagzuki. Before buying my first Brompton is 2008, I was searching for options with better brakes, more room for upgrades or even better performance for the same folded size. Time went by and the only option that came out was...the new braking system from Brompton, the new BWD IGH from Brompton, the Kojaks and the upgraded front hub on the X Brompton. I got them all, and now I could not care less for the Curl (or any other compact folder for that matter)