I was thinking about swapping out my exhaust for a aftermarket one but wasn't sure on what's good? I keep hearing about " droning " so I don't need that, like everyone else in looking for something that looks good, sounds good, and one that actually add performance to my 09 JCW. Any thoughts out there? Thanx in advanced

 

Milltek.

 

Any reasoning?

 

I've heard nothing but good things about the NM Engineering exhaust. As far as quality/performance, looks and sound, it appears to be one of the best.

I know element mentioned Milltek and I'm curious to hear why also. I heard from a very reliable source that Milltek was a great exhaust for the R53 platform, but not so much for the R56.

 

So the exhaust you Mention, where can I get?

 

Check out waymotorworks.com

or you can check it out on NM-Eng's website http://www.nm-eng.com/

Way is a member on here and can help you select the right exhaust for you. He's very helpful.

 

Thanx for your help

 

Akrapovic seems to be the best, however it ain't cheep. I like the looks of Miltek and eprobably go with them. Me with a Roadster, I don't have the choices that you other body types have.

Bill

 

Delete the resonartor, worked for me and cheap!

 

But did u gain anything besides a louder exhaust?

 

Akrapovic. I already convinced someone else on NAM to get it and he thanked me for pointing it to him. May not be the cheapest exhaust on the block, but the sound, performance, with no drone is hard to beat on such a fine piece.

 

Hard to say but it sure sounds great.

 

In all honesty, many of the exhausts will give you around the same hp. If you're looking for gains, tune it first then remove the resonator on the stock exhaust. More power and sounds great.

 

+1. Tune it and then remove the resonator...

 

+2. I've gone down this road before. Spent money on aftermarket exhaust kit with new muffler and fancy tips. Sounded marginally better (no drone) but my power gains had nothing to do with the exhaust. I flashed the ECU, which is how you'll see performance gains.

Frankly, you can get the same marginal gains on the cheap with a cold air intake kit and get the sound effect with the resonator removed. I wouldn't replace my factory exhaust again unless it really warranted replacement.

 

Changing out your exhaust is really less about noticeable horsepower increases, and more about enjoying the way your car sounds when you flog it more. It provides more "audio horsepower", and produces more joy in the driving experience.

I have the Milltek header and cat-back system for my R53, and absolutely love it. It produces an awesome sound that is the yin to the supercharger's yang. They sing so harmoniously together.

No droning; very well tuned for the MINI. Fits wonderfully; like they were OEM MINI factory parts.

With that said, I don't know how their R56 exhausts sound, but I believe in Milltex based on my R53 experiences.

 

If you aren't tuning, the exhaust is really just for sound. The set up I have does produce some drone, but then again the whole back end is stripped so the drone may not be noticeable if your car has all its interior panelling and rear seats. I spent $40 on my Cherry Bomb muffler (amazon) and $50 on my matte black tips (I forget the vendor). Then I went to an exhaust shop and did a straight 3" pipe from the downpipe back. I can tell you, if you don't see me coming you won't know it's a MINI (phrasing boom!). It sounds like a 90's Porsche and how a 1.6 turbo sounds like a flat six is beyond me. Plus at night I even spit a flame, or so I'm told. With the sound I make from the exhaust and with the noise of Alta's recirc valve most people don't bother racing me even though my JCW is untuned. I really like the sound it makes when I press the loud pedal, the light drone doesn't bother me, and for less than $300 it was relatively cheap.

To everyone's point though, a tune is much more worthwhile if you're looking to spend $800-1000. I would agree with those who have said the Akrapovic set up is the best for the R56, but $1700+ for a new system is expensive for a decent noise, IMO.

 

Can someone advise the procedure of removing the resonator and if the process will allow it to be replaced if I am not happy with the increased sound level? Thanks in advance!

 

Mine was cut out and then welded back on at a later date. It's doable.