Isn't there a deeper point being made here? For those of us without JCW cars, we are now all to be hereforto known as "wannabees?" I take umbrage at this slur against me, and all my fellow "after-marketers."
I wonder how many people who go the JCW route do it for refined noise levels as opposed to more HP with a warranty, or just plain factory-delivered HP. I've heard this "refined" stuff before and I don't buy it...myself.
I'm out...

 

No need to take umbrage and there is no deeper point here at all. ... they were not my words.

Go to http://www.mini.co.uk/UK/html/model_...rks/about.html
click on the "Chat with Mike Cooper" video dtd: 7 May 2003. Have patience, its a long interview.

Question: Is the works exhaust going to sound like this oversized exhaust systems these guys are puting on their little rice burners?

He talked to fast to completely transcript but it went like this:

"No, let me tell you now, one thing I hate is noisy booming, intrusive, loud, exhausts to give me a headache ... those days are gone for me. When I was 18 the first thing I wanted was a noisy exhaust on my mini cooper that would drive anyone my age bonkers.

Its tuned to be pleasant, no noises ... its exactly what I wanted. ...

I think he makes his point quite eloquently that the car is NOT supposed to be noisy but more refined. MOTD 2004 DB tests clearly showed the JCW exhaust quieter than stock ... and now here is the reason why. That is how Michael Cooper wanted the car.

I would bet ppl buy it to get the factory integrated, tested, and warranty HP boost. The design, however, is Michael Coopers design and they way he meant it to be. Modifying it outside of his parameters changes the character of his intentions.

If you think I was using the word "refined" versus aftermarket, not at all. Just talking about the noise pollution

So if you add noise ... I'm betting Mike Cooper was right ... when he was 18 he wanted noise but that is NOT the intention of a JCW.

 

I was pulling your leg, Chows4us! I've met JCW owners, and generally they are more conservative, and always talk about the "smoothness" and refined qualities of the entire package. Unfortunately they still look aggrieved when their cars dyno just a little better than stock cars...oops, did I say that?
Oh, I just couldn't resist.

 

I was afraid you were inferring I thought the JCW was "refined" versus the "unrefined" aftermarket cars and that was not what I was saying at all

Dyno? What's a dyno It just a number for bragging rights which means little in real life when you got the intergrated factory CRAP. Oops, did I say that

Hmm, how come nobody is calling JCW CRAP anymore ... must be all the newbies dont get it.

 

i went the JCW route for the limitedness of the car from factory and i've modded my car and i will continue, even though i think it's fast enough, it's fun tweaking of course. I did it for the JCW name and just to be a little bit more different than all the plain jane mini drivers i see all over my county. i wanted to focus on playing with other things first, like suspension and exterior/interior changes and stuff like that. I modded my cooper's engine as much as i could within a resonable price. I just fell in love with the JCW raceiness from factory.

Modding MINI's is what makes them so interesting because you can see a billion MINI's and probably they are all different and we are such a fun loving group.

 

I realized the JCW exhaust piping, just prior to the mufflers, is 'pinched' to totally restrict the free flow we are seeking. I was told the exhaust was made this way to support the undercarriage of the convertible. Restricted or refined. I guess it is a matter of sound 'quality'. I'm of the age catagory that I do not like loud exhaust unless it is just loud as you put your foot into it. However, the Milltek system I have on my MINI is very unobtrusive at highway cruizing, which is my major criteria at my age. I have an Eisenmann race system on a BMW 8-series and it is awesome sounding when you get on it but you can't even hear it at highway speed...even when highway speed is around 150.
Alternatively, I had a Comptech exhaust system on an Acura RSX that drove me nuts. I think you just have to know what it is you want and what you will be happy with in the long run...especially if it is your daily drive.

 

i took my resonator off my jcw exhaust and it sounds great and the sound is where it should have been with the resonator (my opinion) but there is the extra loud pops that come with it. the sound is great and i happen to enjoy the louder pops. sounds neat and racier to me and old school. I talked to some one who took their resonator off and hated the louder pops and went with a new exhaust system.

i'm curious on how much that little pinch causes in JCW exhausts.

 

Don't go there or this thread will get lock. Read the rules about discussing speeds on the highway

JCW exhaust was too quiet for me so I went Borla Race.

 

Sorry, I should have declared the 150 was kph when I was in Germany before I brought the car to the U.S. So, I guess I was doing about 93 mph on the Autobahn which is relatively tame.

 

when my header comes in this week I'm going to have the exaust remove the flat area before the mufflers as it has to be restrictive. I'm also thinking about haveing the resinator removed as I run a tunning shop that mostly works on imports so I'm use to loud exaust. I'm hopeing that it get louder but not to loud or ricey.

 

I'm assuming that that first part was just a little tongue-in-cheek.

I hold no predjudice against the aftermarketeers - I bought the JCW to keep my warranty intact and for the "factory delivered horsepower" factor (well, ok, mine was dealer installed). Now, I'm in line for a Milltek 'cause I'd like just a touch less refinement from the exhaust note. And after lots of twisties miles behind club members' cars, I'm getting jealous of the sound.