Dear god, why?

Pay attention to what was said above about timing chain issues and carbon build up. 150k for the timing chain and components is very optimistic. We're seeing about half of that. Stay on top of the timing stuff, if it gets too bad or breaks, it's all over. Expect thermostat failures (leaks). The carbon build up is just something you have to deal with every 30k or so. Also, they use oil. Mini says 1 liter every 750-1000 miles is acceptable, but they let you go 15k between changes. The engine holds ~5 liters, do the math... So keep a very close eye on the oil level. And change it about twice (or three times) as often as Mini recommends. Turbocharge wastegate issues are not uncommon either...

But the power steering on the new ones is doing better than the older ones, so that's a plus.

MV