[it broke, see the pic, can/should it be re-welded?

and

if not what should I replace it with and from where

 

This is a somewhat common issue with these MINI's unfortunately. Some people weld it as a temporary fix while others upgrade. It just depends on what you want. What year R53 do you have?

 

Best option financially is to have it welded back together. You could always run a performance header such as the RMW header, but you need to understand what else comes along with a performance header, like noise, loss of some low end, and possible CEL due to a smaller cell count cat.

We weld quite a few every year, and if welded properly they will last a lifetime.

 

My second one just broke two weeks ago. (Edit: after 3 years 40K Kms of use and being a used replacement)
It was recommended that I change the lower engine mounts to prevent the engine rocking that causes this (but still broke the second one)

Nick... how is the exhaust "indexed" properly for fitment? Yes the break can show it if lucky, but how much fudge factor on the rotation is there? If so, I'll get my old one repaired, and fix up this new break as spare. Do you accept them being shipped to you if photographed for inspection first?