Now I live in the UK and gas is over 10 dollars a gallon so I rarely spin the car to its proper shift points for max acceleration but I do have a question. I tend to drive by shortshifting to keep the petrol costs as low as possible so maybe I am not spinning the S/C up enough. My question is that I have always heard (before purchasing) how follks loved to hear the S/C whine (I have had a blown prostreet mustang with a BDS 671 blower so I know the feeling) but I find the S/C on my 06 almost silent, is that other folks experience?

Many thanks. Peter

 

Do you have a JCW or aftermarket CAI? If you don't, get one and you will hear it a LOT more.

 

10 dollars a gallon????!!!!!!!!!!!!
id be getting gas fed-exed to me from another country. probably be cheaper!

 

1 UK Imperial gallon = 1.2 U.S. liquid gallons
£1 = $1.958 US
1 UK Imperial Gallon of petrol = approx £5.01

In US terms:
1 US Gallon in the UK would cost you around $11.75. About the same as a pack of name brand cigarettes from the same petrol station. It cost me near $70 US to fill up my '94 Cooper & a pack of smokes when I lived there in '06. And the Cooper only had a 5 gallon tank.

It is all about the Tax.

 

It's fairly quiet until you add a CAI (Cold Air Induction) - there are many to choose from, but all will give more whine than the stock air box, and at 3K+ RPM.
Just got back from across the pond - ~$8.75/gal in Italy...

 

If you drill a few holes in the back side of the stock airbox and partition for more air, you'll hear the SC much more also.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ight=honeycomb

 

I would be a mod head if i could, In the UK the insurance industry is like nothing else you can imagine. ANY! mod whatsoever and the car is called modified, thus the insurance is much higher. Even wheels, any non stock item makes it modifed. I had a 1984 mini 998cc Automatic (obviously the old style mini) probably the slowest mini you could imagine, I put alloy wheels on the car, Modified according to the ins co!

I'd like to hear more about the intake mod, that would be hard to spot if the car was totalled and they did an inspection, I wish they made an exact replica factory pulley but a 15% one. Where I to put on a 15% pulley and have a wreck, they would invalidate the insurance. Nightmare!!!

Thanks folks. Peter

 

Is that the most expensive gas in the world?

Gas in Tokyo is ¥159.2 per liter ($5.70 a U.S. gallon).

I filled up here in town the other day and it was $3.90 per gallon. Americans complain too much...

 

Approx .76Pence of every liter is Gov't taxes. I feel its a bit over the top. Maybe I am wrong on the number but have heard it bandied about quite a bit.

Really makes it rough when you live 25 miles from work and figure on 2 gallons of gas per day to commute, do the math, not a cheap ride, Thats if I play nice with the S/C.

Peter

 

Hmmm... I wonder if the JCW airbox would be considered a MOD... since it's an OEM part... and comes stock on JCW cars... just curious...

 

I live in the UK too, but i dont pay attention to petrol prices, i fill up with ~£45 ($85ish) and get 200 miles if i'm sensible, it's usually nearer 160 miles though.

 

My thoughts exactly, it is a Mini Cooper option part not aftermarket.

 

Fill up for 45quid? I have only filled up a few times as I just got it but think it was more like 55 quid.

I have a diesel 45+mpg car as well so the wife and I swap out every other day or so.

I like your thinking on the JCW airbox. They do ask (especially after an accident) if the car is equipped as it came from the dealer. I know tons of folks who mod their cars and don't think twice but getting in trouble with insurance after a wreck would not be my idea of fun. As a matter of fact right now we have a letter on the table regarding an accident (tiny! 800 dollar one, just the rear tire cover) and that the guys insurance is not paying my insurance co (his fault, admitted by him) and that because we don't have legal cover I may have to hire a lawyer at my own cost!!!

Peter

 

In Japan subways and buses are also main forms of transportations used just as much as cars. You can go anywhere with the subway and the bus. There is also a premium you have to pay in order to own a car in Japan. It really comes down to location with gasoline. In Japan everything is so close together you can just walk or take the subway anywhere. In the US the automobile is THE form of primary transportation. That's why yes $4 for a gallon of gas in the US is very expensive, when we use it to go pretty much everywhere.

 

yep, we do and about everything.

 

I don't. But We do.

 

It depends, i only use Shell V-power and as i have Sat Nav i only have the bars, meaning once it gets down to 2 or the red light i refill it, there's not much point playing fuel light bingo as if i take it out for a blat 13MPG soon sucks up the juice...

 

Supercharger silent?
hmmm??
No such problem here.I goosed my throttle on"the strip"( here in Vegas)the other day as I passed 4 walking pedestrians.The one closest to the road nearly jumped out of her flip flops! Always good sport.
-add an Alta cai,pulley and a header -you'll never be without "angry mutant hornets" again!

 

I also have an '06. No silence here. Love hearing that whine!!

 

X2....

 

I think most of the OPs lack of whine is due to the RPM range he's running at.... if you stay at very conservative RPMs and shift around 3K or lower, you'll never hear much SC, no matter what intake you have.... the SC really comes to life around 4K RPM.

 

Perhaps you can add the replacement Intake Cowl Mod avaliable from Mini-Mania.com. I'm not sure if it would make a lot of difference on the stock CAI, but, alot cheaper than JCW. It looks exactly like the OEM cowl except it has a big hole cut in it. Or DIY if you're handy. At the price ($39), you can keep the OEM in case you need it. I just added it (and changed from an Ultrik to a Madness CAI - because it's blue) and now Ican really hear the SC/CAI! Anybody interested in the Ultrik?

 

Well, my insurance co considers AC as a mod, the Aero kit as a mod, but I haven't told them about my AP's, wheels, coilovers, CAI, etc, etc. Insurance in the UK is a joke.

 

Engine Load plays a major part as well. If he's only spinning up to 3k RPM's and the pedal never goes past 30-40% input he's not going to hear anything, his bypass will be open all the time.

 

Right you are. What I was getting at, but your description is definitely more complete.