I really like there new design. I for one love the trumpet tips and am glad they kept them. They are very English in design. I hate the tips on my Milltek and have always loved the sound and performance of the Magna. I am very interested to here and see the numbers on the re-design.

LongBoard

 

So. Either they bullshi**ed people for years saying the race track around the battery box was the best, maximum performance, way to run the exhaust or they are now selling an exhaust that doesn't work as well.

So those of us owning the original systems either have the better system or got smoke blown up our butts.

Looks remarkably like another manufacturers kit.

 

The redesign looks better for sure, smoother transitions, however the fact they [along with EVERY other exhaust on the market for the MINI, including dmh's new one] still don't properly tune the secondary length with a REAL resonator [not those perf-core mufflers they erroneously call resonators] means this is yet another exhaust that isn't going to get maximum scavenging available. Plus points for less restriction, it'll probably make as much power over stock as the Milltek and Borla Race, but still not as much as a proper tuned exhaust.

 

I don't think it was smoke. When the first gen came out it had and still has some of the best numbers out there.

MagnaFlow is a big company. They have good R@D and it looks like they have been playing around trying to make it better. I hear they have their own in house dyno to fine tune designs?

Longboard

 

It's been my understanding that a resonator is in fact an additional muffling device, and that the position (spacing within the system) length and diameter of the resonator itself accomplished the muffling effect.

Would you care to elaborate re: "properly 'tune the secondary length with a REAL resonator"?

a) Secondary (as in manifold?)
b) Resonator - are you seeking sympathetic ressonance (@ what rpm?) re: filling? If so what perameters would you be seeking to accomplish?
c) Aside from not being MINI/system specific, how would you characterize the muffle-type resonators? Functionally, what is lacking?

I've been punking around with my 'flow & would like to see more of the system. Its now 2.5' I/D - manifold, cat & resonator, through to the T at the 'racetrack'.

I like the look of the new 'flow Y transition, and that they kept the horn tips! But while the transitions (system as a whole) are smoother there appears to 2 more... between the mufflers and the tail pipe. 2 steps forward, one step back?

 

Hmm in the redesign did they include additional bracing? Or is that the underbody of a cabrio?

EDIT - Looking at the color of that MINI in the pic it is obviously a MCSC. So no added underbody bracing.

 

I definitely took that into consideration but.....

At the time this unit came out Magnaflow was questioned on that very design feature and they stated that they had tested against a Y pipe design and found their T method superior. Same for the continuous pipe design at the tail pipe.

So, it's not like they leapt at the racetrack design and never considered another. They had tested what is basically their current design and found it wanting.

Don't get me wrong I have had the Magnaflow for years and I like it. I can't but be curious about design reversals.
If I propose something like that at work I can expect to be thoroughly grilled and asked to substantiate the the rationale.
This may be an effort to reduce the drone the old system is so famous for.

I haven't seen anything on their site that says this unit outperforms the old one. Has anybody?

 

Part of the redesign is to fit cars 04-06 with the different hangers. Maybe they attempted to help the flow as well.

 

Funny thing is the new design doesn't fit on the cabrios (and all the pics on the magnaflow sight show the exhaust on a 'vert). I know because I just had one installed and had to take it to an exhaust shop and have an extra bend put in the midpipe due to the extra braces on the car.
Does sound good though

 

Resonators are not necessarily mufflers. However certain muffler designs act as resonators. The popular misconception for "resonators" are perforated core cans that have packing material. These "resonators" are mufflers, and are the actual opposite of true resonators in that they lengthen the secondary tuning length. The net result is usually a loss in high RPM power versus just a pipe. Resonators in their true definition de-couple the secondary tuning length and thus create maximum scavenging at a specific RPM point [and not as much at RPM points beyond that].

If people are so inclined, I'd be pleased to design a proper exhaust system for the MINI [Cooper and/or S] that wouldn't require the removal of the battery box like I did for my setup. I'd put money on whatever I design making marked power over any and all cat-backs on the market for the MINI. The caveat is it may require fuel map changes to the ECU, as the exhaust would have significantly more scavenging and thus lean out otherwise optimal AFR. That said, a stock MCS runs way rich up top, so it may work out for stock ECU cars, I'd have to test that and make sure it's ok. The cat-back I designed for my supercharged & no-battery-box setup made more power without losing any at low RPM than the Milltek and Borla Race, which actually do make some power over stock. It is loud though. With a stock header, you can expect amplitude levels on the order of a Milltek header with a Magnaflow. With an aftermarket header w/out cat, you'll wake all the neighbors!

Cheers,
Ryan