Just wondering if this is what the exhaust sounds like. Im not sure if this is a JCW either.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7BIO_Wfs0A&feature=fvsr

 

EDIT: Ack! It's an 'S'-model accordingly to styling cues and badging...

The drive by sounds are not super-imposed; those are real volume / tones.

- Erik

 

If it does then it sounds nice! I think its a JCW too. Wheres that road at lol.

 

Actually, I believe that is the "S" model, I don't see the JCW badges on it. So, the "S" sounds good, the JCW will sound even more aggressive. I took the "S" and the JCW coupes for long test drives, the exhaust note on the JCW was noticeably deeper and a little louder...then there's the power and those fantastic brakes of course

 

At 2:19, there's a good shot of the back of the car, they look like the standard "S" tailpipes. Either way, driving around with the top down...you could listen to that all day I read somewhere that the road is somewhere in Slovenia.

 

Clearly an S since it shows the Scuttles up close at 1:24. Also no front JCW badges.

 

But from all the things I read and the times the JCW and S are not that far apart in power for the cost?

 

Yeah, on paper the numbers are not far apart. The best advice I can give is what my dealer told me, you have to drive them both. That's what I did, back to back, jump out of one and into the other. The difference is telling, so again is the price After I read Gabes' test drive of both cars on motoring file, I thought the "S" would be perfect. After the two test drives, the JCW was what I wanted. I remember joking the the MA that I would buy the JCW for the brakes and exhaust sound alone. All kidding a aside, they are two different drives. Take them for a spin and see what suits you. Hopes this helps

 

You are corect but after my pricing an "S" and a "JCW" I can't justify spending another $5,000 for a couple more HP. I could see if it was 100hp more but your in the $38,000 range and then other cars come into mind.

 

Well, it is more than a "couple" horsepower. It's actually 27hp, which on a fairly light car like the MINI does make a noticeable difference.

Now, I can certainly understand someone deciding it's not noticeable enough, but there is a difference.

And don't forget - that money also gets you the nice brakes (a ~$2,500 option if you add them to your 'S', sigh), better wheels, and (as I understand it on the recent models, the aero kit).

If an automatic transmission wasn't a requirement on our Roadster, it would be a JCW without a doubt.

Now, that said - as I recall you have other very powerful cars in your fleet, so in that case trying to turn the MINI into a muscle car makes a lot less sense.

If I had something else with a big motor in my garage, I'd probably take that cash and put it towards handling upgrades rather than hp upgrades, and crazily enough the factory JCW has no handling upgrades (arguably the wheels) versus the other models.

Don

 

I agree with you 99.9% Don. But 27 HP is not a heads and above enticement. With that said it's another $5,000. If I was looking to turn the car into a muscle car I could take that $5,000 and do alot more I guess. Bad enough I started out with a base coupe that I priced at the dealer for $25,500 for a DD and now I'm in a Roadster for $32,000.

 

yeah, I know how that goes. We're at about $35k, and that doesn't include the suspension upgrades that must be done, the JCW Tune that will probably be done, and the JCW brakes that may happen some day.

Don

 

So we can tune the "S" and where can we find that and how much?

 

The JCW Tune? I'm talking about the JCW kit that consists of cat-back exhaust, intake, exhaust manifold and ECU reprogram. Parts list for $2,100 and my dealer quoted me (a very high IMHO) price of $2,880 installed. That's 6 hours labor, which sounds a couple hours high. $2,000 - $2,400 is more reasonable from what I've heard.

Don

 

I thought u were talking about a straight tune. Im sure its out there.

 

I'm not an expert, but I think that the N18 engine used in the more recent MINIs (not the factory JCW btw) has yet to be "cracked" for aftermarket tunes?

Don

 

I know a Mustang tuner that may be interested in doing this. I'm going to try and ask him.