Macbook Pro Retina 15" nearly burning my fingers, is this normal?

Solution 1:

From what I've seen so far from others with the same laptop is that it's normal.

One possible fix/improvement to this is the latest Apple SMC update which contains some fixes for this: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1559

It also reduces the amount of noise your fans start making with even a little bit of load so it is quite useful.

Solution 2:

From my experience apple prioritizes quietness over cooling. I see my MBPr frequently reaching 95C on medium loads, if SMCFancontrol's stats are to be believed. You can use that app to manually increase fan speed and provide more comfortable cooling. I raised mine to 3000rpm from 2200rpm on my 2012 Retina 15".

On a personal note, I'm very grateful for the "silence first" approach. It's nice that it's quiet by default and that it supports unofficial fan control apps.