Thanks, will do!!!!!
I finally just got through break in, it took me 2 months, but now my schedule is letting up a bit I'll have time to play!
Annette

 

Like most folks here, I like the popping sound but it is nothing new to me. My '95 Camaro B4C does the same thing. Every car I've ever owned with an aftermarket exhaust system made a similar sound. The old fashioned "glass pack" or "cherry bomb" mufflers were notorious for this as well.

Maybe someone should make a sticky for new owners and let them in on this little tid-bit. Most new owners are dismayed that their car often shows up totally different than their spec for the first few days after ordering.

For any newbies out there, don't worry...the popping sound isn't loud. You kinda have to listen for it.

Rawhyde

 

I get the popping sound especially loud when the car is decelerating while in gear

 

My MA told me when I picked up my Mini not to worry about the popping sound. What I find funny is that I hardly hear it anymore since I've grown accustomed to it. I had a friend riding shotgun one day and she commented to me that my car was making funny noises. I had to explain to her that it is supposed to do that

Too bad she couldn't understand why I'd want the sound...

 

I'm one of those with a metallic popping sound... it's especially pronounced when the car is cold and hasn't warmed up yet. It has been a topic of conversation and from what I can gather, it's very different from car to car as well... So, I would believe somewhat that it is somewhat influenced by heat-shielding or other variations in the manufacturing, making each car more unique. Personally, mine sounds pretty crappy until the car has been running a solid 20-30 minutes, and for whatever reason, the popping sound gets less frequent as it warms up...

So that means more crappy sounding pops at first and fewer nice burbles as time (the drive) goes on...

 

I just got an '06 MCS Automatic . . . and boy do you hear it!! Spooked the hell out of me at first. I thought I bought a lemon!!

 

Perhaps this popping feature was enhanced/fixes for the '06 model year in the MCSa models. Gabe did test a first edition '05 MCSa and probably the initial production batch did not have it.

 

I have a 05/05 MCSa. I'll give it a try tonight. Sorta sad, but I can't say that I've ever paid much attention if the popping is there.

 

It's there

 

Grey haired guys who watched their fathers drive or race Britsh sports cars in the 50's and 60's remember the popping sound, or burbling, of those exhausts. It was louder if the car had less restriction. Mini designers were certainly capable of making the Mini sound like, well, a Corolla or a Honda, but they made the sound to match and enhance the retro sense of the total car's design, which included the look, feel, and sound. Original Minis, especially those that raced, made the sound familiar to rally fans, and it was possible to modify street cars of many kinds to get burbles. That's why us old guys appreciate the popping.