This is just me but I've yet to see a reason for spending $1,000 (for a full exhaust system) to get around 6hp. A header will provide even less HP. I've also read a number of forum posts stating that many of the available headers have flanges smaller than the exhaust ports. That would negatively affect air flow and produce, less, not more power. I'm sure my comments will spur quite a few responses, but I'm willing to be talked into headers if it makes sense.

 

 

I would suggest just going with a Milltek exhaust and sticking with the stock header for now as the exh is the better improvement, and headers provide very little in gain.

Yes the Milltek does cost more than some others, but when it comes to exh and many other MINI parts you get what you pay for. So buying quality will benefit you in the long run for fit, sound, and reliability.

 

 

All depends how tolerant you are of drone. The cheaper exhausts will more than likely drone a lot. While an exhaust won't get you a lot of hp, a cheap one may get you none. Check out the scorpion exhaust from bavauto.com. It's about $600. I had it on my last Mini and loved it. No drone on the highway. Quiet when you wanted and plenty loud when you get on it. I have the miltek now. It does seem to make a little more power. But I prefer the sound of the Scorpion.

 

I totally agree with this! When I bought my R53 it had a cheap exhaust, think I saw it on amazon or ebay for $230. It was great in first to third gear, but boy on the highway it almost drove me to more drink! Swapped it out for a JCW exhaust that I got at a good price and so much better. Good sound when wanted and quiet when needed

 

.....and the cheap exhaust is not going to last long either. Poor fitment, lousy construction, drone, cheap materials. What more do you want?

If you plan on keeping the car for more than a few years ( have mine for over 15 yrs) spend the money for quality, not quantity.

 

Again like I said we always get what we pay for. If you look back through my FB page pics you'll see a few different pics of these made in china, and other cheapo exh. The fit is just so poor having to try and use spacers, bending and mangling things to get it on, and let alone the cost of a rear melted bumper totally offsets any savings. After you get past the fitment issues they are made of very thin material which leaks and cracks. And like others have mentioned the drone and sound. The cost reduction comes from somewhere that is why the pipes are made of thin low grade material and the mufflers are too which end up being loud, or blow out. Now there are some that love that loud sound and don't care about pissing off their neighbors.

But when you compare the issues in fitment, sound, and actual gains we find the Milltek to win out. We dyno proved it over 10yrs ago when the R53 was still in production as we all had these questions and found other exh would make more HP at like 7000rpm, but they all made less torque from 3000-6000rpm. And I mean 5-10ft lbs which is at real world usable rpm, not 7000. We also see this when we dyno tune an R53 with a Milltek always make more torque than other exhaust. If you want a 7000rpm HP number you can get it from a cheapo exh, just the same as running a straight pipe as that flow will make hp, but you won't see the torque numbers which actually moves the car in the rpm range we all drive at.

On top of that Milltek offers a lifetime warranty, which over the years I admit I've processed for a couple customers, but they actually took care of it not just a fake warranty.

With all that said I do like Milltek, and use it on personal cars and builds, but I would also say that Magnaflow, Borla, and Invidia are also higher quality exh than the cheap ones referred too here.
https://www.waymotorworks.com/02-06-...mance/exhaust/

 

 

 

True that.

WMW has vast actual experience with nearly all performance product variants for the R53 and is familiar with just about everything there is, not only just from selling such stuff, but also from running an independent MINI repair shop for a very long time.

 

I will add one caveat: If you're going to track your car, be aware that, because of the extreme heat generated by the supercharged engine, it may melt your CAT. There are hi-flow CATs out there that will withstand that temperature, so do your research. OTOH, a "test pipe" for the track may be a solution.

 

So true. I just wish I was closer to them, but I don't think I'll ever live on the east coast again, and I doubt they'll relocate, lol.