Had my 05 MCS--BUD--CR/W for a week and the mod bug is itching. I love the car. Sold my slightly modded 01 Corvette and I don't miss it. 1/2 the HP in my MCS but, 2x the FUN!! Any changes in the 05 that preclude use of current on the market CAI's and performance exhausts? Also, I am looking for loud. Anything better than BMP CAI and Magna Flow exhaust? I smile when folks comment on the burble of the 05 exhaust--I had straight pipes on my Vette. Appreciate your thoughts on the BMP/Magna Flow set up. Thanks. Nick

 

I personallly love the UUC. I think it's louder than the magnaflow, equally powerful (possibly with more torque) and has the most burbles of any MINI exhaust I've heard and I've heard most of them.

 

I have both the BMP and Magnaflow and love it. The burble from the exhaust is great. Everyone that has heard it loves it. Not familiar with UUC.

 

There are better options on CAI than BMP, unless you require CHROME. ALTA and RDR make CAI's with the highest flow filters.

Exhausts are more voo-doo. Mangaflow, Milltek, Borla Race, and UUC are generally considered the highest gain cat-backs on the market, though I've noticed each MINI is very particular as to which it prefers, hence the voo-doo part. Of the lot, the Milltek is the most tame, the Borla the most "rice" and the Magnaflow the most obnoxious. I still have yet to hear a UUC in person! Hello, next years Exhaust Shootout at The Dragon?!

 

I had a chance to do some detailed comparisons between the engine bays of an '05 MCS with my '03 MCS. The intake portion appears to be identical.

 

I have the OBNOXIOUS Magnaflow on my 04 MCS. Love the sound and burble. Understand that you have to cut or bend a couple of the mounting brackets to make it fit the later 04s and 05s.

 

If you want loud, I just went from a BMP intake to the K&N RU-1550 Hot air Intake (do a search on "Project HAI"). Much louder, WAY cooler sound! I keep finding myself flooring the accelerator just to hear that sucking sound!

I'm running the stock exhaust.