Hello! Nice to see another one almost in the brompton family!
I have two bromptons, one M3R in apple green, with eazy wheels, and one S6L-X in raw lacquer. I think the rack is a good thing, the rack sack is an awesome touring accessory, especially if you like me, like photography. I can easily fit a big camera bag in there with different lenses etc and still have some space left. For front luggage I only have the smaller s bag, because I want it to fit on both bikes. I think it has room for most of the stuff I need, and the tear away flap is nice too, for quick access to the bag.

Back to the rack, the bike gets significantly harder to carry (in my opinion), since the balance of it gets a bit weird and it feels like it has a bigger tendency of slamming into your leg while carrying it. With that said, with 4 eazy wheels on, the bike rolls like a dream on every train station, outdoor spaces and whatnot.

Which bike model did you plan on getting? The s bar is so much better for fast riding, the M is flexing lots when going fast. Although my wrists did hurt a lot before I got ergons on the S6L-X, haven't had that problem on the M.
Also, if you are getting the 3 speed, I say get a 6 speed, those extra high and low gears really gives a lot higher versatility on your bike.

Claret and Cobalt looks good together, two very classy colors, not too bright and screamy, but still turning some heads. However, raw lacquer is my personal favourite, the golden brazings look simply amazing. I would definitely consider it!