I own a Cooper S and am generally am pleased with the car which I bought new in Jan.2008. Has anybody else had problems with the "chrome" intake surround; three have been replaced by the BMW agent here in Tenerife. The problem is that the plastic chrome separates / peels away from the part; I note that it is made in Poland, but is obviously not made to take the high temperatures; the part is too hot to place your hand on it, when the engine is still warm.Maybe the climate/sun here is too hot for this part ????
Here in the US MINI has added a shield under the scoop that acts as a heat sink and spreads the heat over a larger area. There is also an air gap that helps keep the scoop cooler. You may want to check with your local dealer to see if they have these available and under warranty. If not Way at Way Motor Works sells them.
CF = Carbon Fiber MINI has a Carbon Fiber hood scoop that has been a lot more resistant to the heat. A few dealers here in the US have opted to installing one of these instead of standard one.
The heat shield that Way sells works great. I've had it on my MINI for about 6 months and I haven't had any problems.