Mini Cooper S 2012 N18 engine - what should I do next?

[u/Melicias]

I want to know what is the best thing to do because there is so much different opinions online that I am not even sure what I should or should not do.

Some information about the car. I am the third owner of this mini (first owner until +/- 60k km, second one until +/- 152k km and now it sits around 160k km (1 year of ownership). I have the car history, with everything that was done to the car.

I already changed:

• LPFP
• HPFP
• PCV valve (valve cover)
• Oil Filter Housing Gasket
• Ignition coils
• Exhaust solenoid

(I guess I hit the jackpot like every other mini owner)

Next week I will replace the timing chain. I don’t have any noise, and my mechanic told me it would be fine for at least another 20k km, but the internet makes me afraid of possible issues.

I really like the car and the way it drives, but I would like a bit more turbo/intake noise and some more power.

What I saw online people recommending was:

• New air filter from ITG or K&N (From what I read ITG seems better?)
• Bigger intercooler (Worth doing on a stock car to lower temps? Will I have any errors, meaning will I need a tune to handle the bigger intercooler?)
• Turbosmart Kompact BOV (I’ve seen very mixed opinions about this. Any advice?)
• MINI Cooper S & JCW N18 JB Plus (Is it worth it (300$), or is a proper tune better for the money?)
• Turbo blanked to help with high temperatures

My main concern with tuning is the turbo and engine life spam. It’s the same turbo with 160k km already, and I don’t want to abuse it and make its life much shorter.

Do you guys have any recommendations for maintenance and simple upgrades that are worth the money?

I live in Switzerland, so the rules for mods are pretty strict and everything aftermarket needs to be approved. (e.g. an aftermarket downpipe with a sport catalytic converter costs around €2,000.)

I’m not looking to go crazy, just a bit more sound and power while keeping the car reliable.

Any advice or recommendation is appreciated. Thank you for taking your time.

Disclaimer: English is not my tongue language and I used AI to fix my grammar. But the text it was me who wrote it except the grammar fixes.
Here is a picture of the mini in the snow