Just posted on roadfly, thanks for the advice...
Cheers,
Lloyd
Seems to me that unless you really abused it, a clutch wouldn't go at 55k.. Something had to break. Are you sure there's not a driveline warranty above and beyond the normal warranty?
Also, have you priced out what a clutch replacement would cost?
Also, I picked up the Bently book for my bimmer, it has been a godsend and saved me lots of money. Check out http://www.bentleypublishers.com/ I see they have one for the mini (old and new).. Not a cheap book.. but they save more than they ever cost.