I have a '13 Clubman S with a functional hood scoop, and what appears to be factory shielding around the turbo hot side. It does not however have the underhood insulation piece. Should I get it (and cut a hole in it for the scoop)? Or is it fine to roll without it? I'm mostly concerned about excess heat causing paint damage and/or the scoop warping (it's currently fine though).

Thanks!

 

My '09 S came without an underhood heat shield, and it had about a third of the scoop air inlets open. The scoop started to warp after about three years...here in Massachusetts. The dealer replaced the scoop and installed an aluminum underhood heat shield....it didn't warp after that. My car had the standard heat shield around the hot side of the turbo.

I haven't looked closely at the hood scoops on the '13 models, but if more of the air inlets are open compared to my '09, then perhaps they are letting more of the heat out after the car is turned off.....maybe enough to prevent warping.

Unlike the first gen MINI's, the scoops on the 2nd gen's don't feed cool air to an intercooler, so they aren't critical to cooling - they're more cosmetic. They can help cool the turbo/downpipe if you're driving your car hard, and esp. if you drive hard and have to shut the engine down without letting it idle for a short time. I guess that this is really when an open scoop can help the most....

I would say that you're probably safe regarding paint damage, and considering that you live in a hot climate and the scoop hasn't warped yet, then you're likely safe with that as well.

 

I would get the metal protection, some people like the rear insulation also.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...p-warping.html

 

Appreciate the info and feedback regarding your experience with this. I'll check with my local dealer on that heat shield piece...