Hey everyone Im new here. Just bought a 2011 Mini S BR green. I want my mini to make that loud chirp sound when i shift. This is my first turbo car so im not really sure what part Im looking for. Thanks in advance.

 

Congrats on the purchase! But, you don't want/need a BOV. Don't want because this is a closed system, and there exists a diverter valve instead of a blow off valve, eg the built up boost pressure is released back into the system pre-charged air.
The MAF meters this air in the system and if it notices it is not present (eg you have a hks BOV that vents to atmosphere), it will throw a code (CEL), making your car run like crap.
Instead, if you open your air box (say replacing it with a cone filter, what some call a "CAI" or "Cold Air Intake", which isn't really feeding cold air), you will hear your diverter valve and it will "blow off". Not so much like a HKS blow off valve you hear in The Fast & The Furious, but it has the same effect in terms of sound. Search YouTube for "r56 cai" and you'll find videos of the sound referenced.

 

^What he said. Save your money and get something that actually does something useful for your car. Though some will say that an intake doesn't do anything for the car either.

 

On a side note, I would stay away from oiled filters like K&N too.

 

I've been told a CAI will give a slight performance gain but little/no "blowoff" noise in an MCSa.

True?

 

It might give you a couple HPs maybe depending on the "CAI" as they call it. The only intake I would get for my Mini is the JCW tuning kit intake because it is a true CAI and it does not have an oiled filter that will mess with your MAF sensor. I have a MCSa and you can hear the blowoff noise, but you don't hear it as much as you would in a manual. This is because autos don't loose boost when they shift. In a manual everytime you shift it releases boost. I usually hear the blowoff noise when I accelerate and then let off the gas.

 

Get an Intake... like BostonR56S said, it will in essence remove your stock "airbox" and enhance the sound from your existing bypass valve... once you hear that you will probably be satisfied and not want/need a BOV.

As to the comment about only getting a JCW tuning kit... how are the DOS or NM intakes not cold air intakes? I'm not sure if my filter is oiled, but it ain't messing with my MAF sensor.

 

The open element air filters draw their air from the engine compartment (where it gets so hot the hood scoops melt), while the oem and jcw intakes draw their air in from outside...

The trouble w/ the oiled filters is that even if they aren't really over-oiled, when they get hot, the oil gets thin and ends up fouling the MAF .. It's really not an issue on cars that use MAP sensors, but it will eventually foul the hotwire sensor in the MAF.

There are lots of "dry" filters you can fit 'tho, aem, amsoil, etc...
The open filters make lots of cool noises, but if you want to make power, an intercooler and a tune are the way to go.

 

Awesome! thanks for the info... my next upgrade will most likely be a Helix FMIC

 

FYI the intake on the 2011 is totally different than the previous R56. So most aftermarket intakes won't work on the 2011, not even a JCW intake available yet.

 

Helix makes a BOV that won't cause a CEL. Not too pricey either.

http://www.helix13.com/2nd-gen-mini/engine-exhaust/#go

 

An open filter intake (eg fitting a cone on as a filter and removing the filter housing, is not a "true CAI" as a cold air intake will feed air directly from ambient air outside the car, usually prefereably on the lower portion of the front end. A perfect routing spot would be the two brake ducts on the new/newer jcw lower grills. Problem would be water being shot straight up these ducts. Thats why you see the stock intake hose opening location on the upper grill and actually pointing almost perpindicular to the front of the car, behind the closed part of the grill. They could open the holes on the end of the grill, but that would allow more water to get in, which could potentially cause issues which means more warranty $ for them, so, they won't do it from the factory.

The open intake takes air from inside of the engine bay, which is generally hotter than outside ambient air. This is why some people open the grill opening and replace it with an open mesh to allow air to be fed in. Here, its still not a direct feed as most of the air travels over the hood scoop anyways and only a small amount is fed into the scoop. Think about when you have (a 4 door car) and you open the driver window. Yes, some air gets in, but not much. Now, open the rear passenger window. WOW, huge difference, right? Air takes the path of least resistance much like current. If you have an opening for the air to exit, a larger volume will travel that route. The stock opening is on the face of the car, thus "rams" into more air than the hoodscoop would, allowing for more air. Therefore, when the intake tract (via hoodscoop and open intake filter) is set up correctly, it can work and allow for a larger volume of air to be fed to the filter per second, which can help the engine slightly.

All in all, its minimal. Having said all this, it would sound I'd prefer the stock intake. In fact, I have an open, AEM, non oiled filter with the Alta bracket housing (which the welds are falling apart on ) because 1. for asthetics when I open my hood, 2. I have my scoop opened and am working on opening a duct to the cowl for better flow 3. my tune was tuned with the intake and I did see a difference when going back to my stock box (a negative effect actually), thus I am definitely getting different volumes of air with the open intake.

my .02, grain of salt.