Hey guys... I love this website and my wife and I are proud owners of a HB/W 05 MCS, absolutely love it. Cannot wait to get to 1251 miles!

Anyways, I bought the MCS as a surprise for my wife. Oh golly gee willakers she was surprised, I will have to post pics of how I surprised her! Anyways, she absolutely loves the car, but when she honked the horn, she was somewhat disappointed... she wanted it to be a "cute" horn, but instead it is definately more of a masculine, sedan-like rumble of a horn, not fitting at all with the MCS.

Anyone ever thought about that? Has anyone ever changed their horn? I do think it is a little uncharacteristic of the MINI... but maybe its the "wolf in sheep's clothing..." We can outrun and outhandle 95% of the cars out there, look really cute, and have a REALLY loud bark!

Q

 

I agree, the car is executed so well in every other aspect except the horn. I feel that it lacks character. I am sure that you can add an air horn. It should be a little more "high pitched" and "frantic" to match the character of the car.

 

Thank goodness it doesn't have some chirpy Honda Civic horn. It is a performance car, not just a cute little car for 16 year old girls.

It can actually HONK when it needs to, not CHIRP!

 

well put. I think they could even add 3 horns...

a horn
a horn and of course a horn!

 

I want a horn that has some sound and feeling to it. Most cars these days have a tinny high pitch horns. I love the sound of my MINI horn.

But having said that, I know several people who have installed aftermarket horns and one person even did a How-To with great pictures. It’s on a different web site, but I’ll see if I can dig it up and link it here.

 

I absolutely agree with you, I am sooo glad it has a deeper sounding horn similar to the BMWs rather then a high pitched annoying Honda-esque beep. It definitely has more presence and people pay attention to it when needed.

 

I COULD NOT AGREE MORE!!

Especially here in this part of the country where horns and lights are taken to be like flipping someone the bird or insulting behavior rather than communication. I wish all cars had a selection of pitch so that one could use the tone to communicate more effectively

I remember reading somewhere that honda or some thing was doing a car that had a changable expression....now that i just going to far! but right idea.

 

The Mini's horn is cute enough... Out of character? How about a "fire truck" horn

 

i completely prefer the horn over a "cute" horn. it is a small car, after all, and it makes itself noticed when used.

 

The horn sounds like every other horn out there as far as I'm concerned.
Sounds just like my old GMC truck, my Ford Thunderbird, my Camaro.

BMW should have given it a little character.

 

Maybe it could have a bit more character but I'm glad it has a fairly loud horn. We also have a Miata and it has a very meek, "meep-meep" horn. It's cute but nearly useless. It's definitetly not what you want on a car that barely comes up to the doorhandles on SUVs. Loud horns are a very popular aftermarket item for Miatas and I'm going to get one for ours.

Glad your wife loves her present, DrQuinn. Please do post pictures!

Mark

 

I like the deeper, aggressive horn. It's even more important on a diminutive car.

Check the search...there have been mods done to the horn and listed here.

 

MSFITOY,


YES Now your talkin!

 

I believe Moss sells a higher pitched, more European sounding air horn.

I'm kinda partial to the stock horn though, I hate the wimpy little meeps some other model cars my have. I want a horn that makes it's presence known, and I think the stock MINI horn does that pretty well...

That being said though, I really love the higher pitched Eupopean style air horn, and really want to get one!

 

They have a Hella Road runner type and an Italian made air horn that is one piece.
I just found a plase to wedge it in under the drivers side coweling.
It sounds better, and matches the car.
www.griotsgarage.com

 

I only use the horn when I am seriously in danger... so i kinda like how they kept the horn sounding traditional. I think I've only used it 2 or 3 times the
last year or so.

I have an airhorn in the basement that I took off another car...might install
it if im bored to make my car sound a little Italian. :smile: ..or sound I
put speakers under the hood with samples of Chinese gongs?
guuhwaaaaaaaaaaAAAAASSSHHHHH!!!

 

I was going to go for this...



or this...



Or both Then I decided to stop screwing around The Mini's horn is just fine for the friendly "uh...lights ain't gettn greener" or "hello...pretty Mini". But if you have to shout really loud...even these won't fit the bill

Also have a pair of air trumpets 20" long for big rigs. Problem is that it needs instant 120 psi NOW! But it is freekn LOUD as the Whelen. It finally came down to space and practicality.

 

I LOVE the stock horn. No one expects that tiny car to have such a serious horn! The car is the ultimate "sleeper", from horn to tailpipe!

 

I installed one of those and, although I almost never use it, I really like the way it sounds. Somehow it just sounds more British.

 

My MCS's nice big beefy manly horn has saved my *** more than a few times from spaced-out clueless drivers. Anything less would be a girly-horn Jimbo

 

I was surprised by the sound of the horn but DEFINITELY NOT disappointed. More character might be nice but more cuteness would not.

 

I recently put a Roadrunner horn from JC Whitney in my car and wrote an article about it (with soundclips) here: Tillie's Roadrunner horn!

The horn is louder than I wanted, and it doesn't really sound like the cartoon character. I'm thinking of experimenting with some wirewound resistors I've got lying around to see what they'd do to the sound. I'd really love a "meep-meep" but I'm going to stop short of installing a PA system and an MP3 player!

Note also that I kept my regular horn

 

Amen! If someone is about to cut me off I don't want to chirp at them, I want a serious honk!

The horn buttons (I have the 2-spoke steering wheel) allow for a very nice short honk to say hi to fellow Minis. What more could you ask for?

 

I dig the stock horn. But I want one of those real deep sounding horns,amlost like a tug boat Iv heard a MINI with 1 b4, but i never got around to asking them about it.

 

HELLS YEAH. I LOVE SCARING PEOPLE WITH IT, IT MAKES THEIR EYES GO BIG when they try to pull out in front of me!!!! screw whimpy high pitched horns