After reading quite a lot about it beforehand, I ordered my new s clubman with the JCW Stage 1 kit right out of the gate. At any rate, I picked it up today and am a bit surprised how quiet it is. After seeing people complain about awful drone with the hardtop S kit, I assumed that this would at least have a nice rumble to it. I've read that the drone problem doesn't exist on the clubman kit, but was expecting a biit more. It seems to really only make much of a peep at WOT and while it popps during deceleration.

Is this going to break in and get louder or what? I'm a bit amazed how little noise removing the resonator and replacing the two mufflers and manifold produces. The kit even included a full replacement airbox (not just a lid and panel filter as indicated in a few places). It sounds nice, just pretty quiet. I don't think it's much louder than my MKV GTI was stock. No complaints about the perf so far, but I'm waiting until 1200miles to push it.

--Matt

 

I'm over 200 miles now, and it's still pretty tame. I'm hoping, like factory JCWs, that mine will wake up a bit as it breaks in. The popps & burbles in sport mode sound pretty nice though

--Matt

 

I just ordered the same on my 13 Hard top, I am hoping it adds a bunch of Zip and sound.
It should be ready next week around wednesday. Have you added the anti sway or JCW strut ?

 

No, I just have the optional sport suspension. Only 500 miles so far, so there's plenty of time :-)

 

While I have a totally different car, I do have a JCW exhaust. It's packed, and does get louder with time as it breaks in. When I first got it, I was thinking I wished it had a bit more presence. Now it's borderline too loud around town, but the first gens naturally get nice and quiet between 3k and 4k, so highway driving is nice. I've also noticed that it gets louder on every trip as it (or the car) warms up.

 

I have noticed that it is a bit drony around 70+ if the back seat and rear divider are down. Can't think of any other hatchbacks I've owned where that wasn't the case though, and I've owned exclusively hatchback cars for the last 10 years .

--Matt

 

Hi guys,

I added the JCW kit to my 2012 Cooper S a few months ago, just a month after purchasing it. Don't give up faith yet. Once the exhaust settles in after about a 1000 miles it did seem (at least to me) that it got noticeably louder. I do however have a rear seat delete so mines already noticeably louder. I noticed it being a lot louder after a track day. So maybe that's an excuse to give it a go?

 

I've got a bit over 1300 and it's still not much, if any, louder than when I got it. It pops and burbles a bit more perhaps, but not much extra volume.

--Matt