Two problems related to manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe have been reported for the 2007 Mini Cooper S. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Ran a diagnostic test and these warnings came up - 2d52 super knocking 2dcd fuel shut off due to super knocking cylinder 3 2968 inlet camshaft sensor 2b64 intake manifold, unmetered air based on all of these sound like my Mini cooper has bad fuel and/or serious carbon build, I've just purchased this car from a dealership and I am experiencing delays in acceleration, loss of forward propulsion.
After a 30 minute drive, I parked and then pulled something out of the trunk. While reaching in, I burned my left shin on the tailpipe. I showed it a couple of days later to our burn unit director and he told me that it was a functional full thickness burn in an extremely dangerous location (because of the poor blood perfusion to the shin, healing is impaired and infection risk is high). He sent me home from work on antibiotics and I had to be on bed rest with my leg elevated. I spoke to Mini and they suggested that I be careful - as the tailpipe can get hot. I thanked them for the advice and made the following point: sure, it gets hot. . . It's an exhaust tailpipe. However, it's the first thing my leg comes in contact to and it's in the center of a car that requires you to get close in order to pull something out of the trunk. I suggested that BMW issue a recall and adjust the tailpipe so that the first thing the leg hits is the bumper (like most cars). I was told that no change was planned at this time. My points: it's a bad design. It's an extremely dangerous problem. It is a very common problem (a simple google search or northamericanmotoring search will show this). BMW needs to do something to protect its customers and even more importantly, its customers' children. Add picture *121108 cw updated 12/11/08.