I am considering an exhaust system for my 05 MCS. I want a deeper tone and a more throaty roar at WOT. I don't want LOUD noise, booming or drone... Sometihng mellow for these older ears...
I have read all the exhaust posts and comparisons... I would just like some experiences from some of the not so young crowd on what you have and have tried.

I am looking to get the Milltek cat-back... from everything I read... this might be the best in terms of performance/sound.

I also seen some posts where some thought it was too loud!

I have the stock header in place and will most likely keep it there...

Thanks in advance!

 

Had a Milltek catback on my Audi S4 and loved it. Added lots of power and was quite unobtrusive (unless you really stepped on it). Milltek offers top-notch quality and performance but they are quite expensive (but worth every penny in my opinion).

Have the JCW exhaust on my MCS and it is noticeably quieter than my wife's stock MCS exhaust...which surprised me somewhat. Again, another pricey option.

 

I ain't young but I do love the sound of a good exhaust (and so does my wife). One suggestion is to listen to the note of a Borla Street ... a bit deeper than stock but definitely not loud.

 

Miltek is a good choice. I started with a Quicksilver - it was a little to loud. Miltek is just right. I may add a header soon and might consider an extra resonator to keep it from getting louder.
Wes

 

Thanks... any resonance or drone in the cabin..... looking for quiet cruising but the option to turn up the volume with my right foot...

 

I have the Miltek and love it. It is much more refined in sound than the Borla, and similar to the JCW in terms of sound, a hair throatier but in my opinion a nice non-objectionable sound. No drone at cruising speed but nice and throaty when you get on it (that's with a 15%+2% set up)

 

As said previously the Miltek is great-I've had it 2+ yrs now. I've also got the header. Quiet on normal hwy driving (though i'm in Hawaii so no long trips) but great sound at full throttle and on track. (i'm old and love the exhaust when I want to hear it and the quiet when I don't)/.

 

I have the miltek too, with stock manifold. Nice sound, deeper tone than stock, not loud enough to set off car alarms like the last car I owned. Car seems more powerful with the miltek also. I really like the miltek.

I often drive in the mountains often and the miltek does drone a bit at about 3000 rpm when you drive uphill with the windows up. Crack a window open and it it's quieter. Not really a problem for you if you don't regularly go up long hills at 3000rpm in the wintertime.

Keep in mind that exhausts tend to get a little louder over time. Since my MCS has been to the track quite often my miltek might be a little louder than most.

Don't know what the one ball setup sounds like, but this could be a place for you to start. It's a cheap mod, and if it's not loud enough then you can try the miltek.

If you plan on changing the exhaust youself go to a muffler shop and have them loosen the nuts behind the cat unless you have air tools. That's the only hard part of the job.

If I had to do it over again I would also consider Webb's new exhaust, but only because I take my car to the track (where more power and more noise are OK).

 

I have the JCW cat back on my silver car. It's expensive, but I knew it wouldn't be too loud in or out of the car. I think the sound is perfect. I'm 35 and like the lower mellow tones. Listen to it here...
http://motoringfile.com/2006/02/22/j...age/#more-4673
http://motoringfile.whiteroofradio.c..._large.mov.zip

 

This may be something to consider
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...&postcount=169

 

I have a couple more from the BlueFlame system...
http://www.positionsoftware.com/mini/blueflame1.mpg
http://www.positionsoftware.com/mini/blueflame2.mpg

 

I can let you try one with no commitment. Hows that for an offer.

 

Opinions and input are a good place to start but to be sure of what you think you're getting, you really need to go for a ride in several vehicles with different exhausts.

 

Thats a great offer! Where are you located in NC...

 

I agree... but that's easier said than done... I belong to the local club and we met last week there were at least 12 minis there but no Millteks... mostly JCW or stock.

 

Another vote for the Milltek! Great power, very refined sound. With my foot on the gas, I can definitely hear it, but once I'm at cruising speed, it's barely audible.

 

I'd say go for the Miltek too! i was in the same situation, i wanted a new exhaust note but was unsure about all the noise levels (i don't want loud), from researching here on NAM and other mini forums i was leaning towards the Miltek... i went to a local Mini Garage party last week, NYPEPPER was there with his Miltek ex., he fired it up for me and was very impressed...
Needless to say i will be buying my new Miltek Ex. in a couple o weeks, along with 19%, injectors & GIAC + Helix SSK.. all done @ Helix by Eric.

 

Raw,

You can't go wrong with Eric. He recommended the Milltek to me last week when I had my 15%, CAI and GIAC done. I was going to wait, but now I think I'll be headed back sometime over the next couple of weeks for the Milltek and a rear sway bar.

 

Do people simply blow off the idea of looking into the Blue Flame simply because so few people in the US have seen/heard them? Not "tooting my own horn "... just curious... I think it's the best sounding MINI exhaust I've heard yet... not just because I have one either.

My Blue Flame

 

Sounds nice.. thanks for the audio! I just want something tame and proven to be non droning and resonance free... The Milltek seems to meet what I am looking for.
It has a strong following and seems to be proven... Who makes the blue flame and how much is it... thanks

 

Kass motorsport has it for less than $1k I have heard a lot of Tom's exhaust and some of the others who have the blueflame, I would have never described it as droning. And just Yesterday goind under a bridge following him the sound was amazing but not too lound, it has a real Classic British sports car sound to it and an awsome idle tone.

 

Blue Flame is a UK manufacturer of OEM exhausts for British cars along the lines of Lotus, Westfield & TVR... and they make cats for Bentley. They also make a lot of pipes for bikes.
http://www.blueflameperformance.com/...usts/index.asp

Mine isn't extremely loud at all, though I have heard another Blue Flame that had a different set of pipes that was considerably louder... was told it was poor install job. They come with a pair of "silencers" you can pop in to tame the volume if it's too loud for you, but I'd never consider them. I've also been told that the silencers make themselves permanently installed once they've been in for a while... different metals, heat, moisture... that sort of thing. Aside from the sound, the distinctive look is a big plus to me too.

Drew has heard mine from the outside much more than I have... so I trust his observations, from the inside it's sounding sweet to me. Inside it gets loud under accelleration around 3k-4k, but above 4k it actually quiets down considerably. I like playing around 4k+ anyways!

 

How about a LARINI EXHAUST,

SOND CLIPS Available in our Gallery

Thanks
Victor

 

Please guys, this thread is about a group buy for the Milltek cat-back. It's supposed to be a great exhaust with a wonderful tone, but not too loud - especially when cruising. Let's leave the other great exhaust systems out there to their own threads.

Thanks

 

Umm yeah uhh; read the first post.