New bike choices - What to get??

Hi guys, i was wondering if you would give me your opinions on some of the bikes ive been looking at buying. I currently have a Specialized FSR comp which is a pretty basic dual sus that i take around the red/black routes of Dalby Forest every weekend for the last 2 years. Im an ex british championship motorcycle racer and ride my moutain bike at a decent'ish level and get some major enjoyment out of the fast trails and downhill sections in Dalby. I know very little about none engined cycles. I want something that will go up hill without to much trouble but will excell at fast trails and downhill sections.

I have riden a Giant Anthem X2 and although it was easy to pedal and got good speed through the trails i felt it didnt absorb bumps and drops very well and i didnt have confidence in it to attack some of the sections. The tyres also felt alittle narrow which i wasnt over keen on.
I also rode an old Specialized Enduro but it felt quite heavy and industrial, for lack of better way to describe it. Maybe this was just because it was an old model.

My friend has just got rid of the Enduro and bought a Lapierre Spicy 316 and that is a really good bike. I dont really want to have the same as him but am looking at similar bikes within the 2000 to maybe 3000 pound mark.

I like the look of the Whyte 416 S. Is this on a level with the lapierre? Is this the sort of bike i should be looking at for Dalby and my prefered riding style? There are so many diffrent mountain bikes with diffrent focuses that it seems a minefield and i dont know enough to make an informed decision of what bike to buy. Any advice will be apreaciated. Thanks for your time =]