When I first ordered my Mini, I had planned on doing some upgrading to the stereo since I listen to music quite a bit. After taking delivery of Heidi, I found that I almost never listen to the stereo because of how cool the Mini sounds. I thought I would take a moment to document all of those wonderful sounds.

Stock:
When I first start my car, I hear a faint ticking like a stopwatch. Who knows what it is? I think it's cool. Of course there is the bonging of the seatbelt chime, which is not too bad. I've heard worse.
What's that popping and burbleing coming from the exhaust? It's just the 05' exhaust revision that makes my mini sound like a true motor car. Upon driving off, I can hear the click of the locks when I reach 8 mph. The sound of the shift linkage can be heard shifting in the lower gears. The Mini being so small, practically every sound is transmitted.
What's that hoover-esque sound coming from under the bonnet? That's just the tamed whine of the supercharger spooling up! Glorious!
Looking under the bonnet, I can hear a faint tapping under the intercooler. Are my valves noisy? No, thats the sound of the fuel injector actuators.

Aftermarket:
Here's where the real fun begins. With my Remus exhaust, I now have a low growl that adds a whole new dimension. I hear a faint taping noise coming from my exhaust on startup that I have traced to heat expansion of the stainless steel. My tips grow more than half an inch when warm. The exhaust sound is pretty tame at low speeds, but becomes a roar at high revs.

My Dinan intake allows much more sound from the supercharger to enter the cabin. The supercharger now screams like a banshee at higher revs. I can also hear the air passing the throttle body too. If fact, with my window down, I can hear the faint "pssst" of the bypass valve opening when I let off the throttle at high revs. Crazy!
The Alta intake is really loud. You can hear practically every molecule of air entering your engine. I would have gone this route, but I liked the stock look of the Dinan.

Adding a pulley to your supercharger makes it whine louder and higher-pitched. Between the roar of the exhaust and the scream of the supercharger, my car is quite a head-turner when I get on it (all the time)!


I'm sure there are many sounds that I have neglected to mention. I left out rattles since those are not so wonderful. All in all, I love to hear Heidi sing!

 

OK, there's that sound AFTER you send windshield wiper fluid to your window. I think it's a pump removing the windshield wiper fluid from the hoses, so that it doesn't freeze, but I'm not sure.

There's also that electric sound AFTER you open the rear hatch, possibly resetting the hatch?

 

Don't forget the "CLAP" of your accelerator pedal hitting the floor!

 

Aftermarket: My Goodyear F1's don't squeal. If you explore the limits of cornering they don't squeal. Nor on spirited takeoffs. It's more of a shuffling kind of sound. Hard to describe but I like.

 

That means that they're a sticky tire and the MINI keeps them nice and flat on the road.

 

those tires will being to ROAR! soon. they get pretty noisy after a while...
but i don't care.

 

Yeh, what is this? For me, it sounds like it is coming from back fo the car...very regular, like a watch. Disappears after a few minutes.

Isn't this the sound from the headlight washers?

 

You have them? I've got 15,000 miles on them and quiet so far. Probably 1/2 worn...

 

The sunroof rattle. Not bad during the summer but the winter is another story.

 

I like the fading sound of the sirens behind me as I look in the mirror and put my right foot down as hard as I can.

 

Yea until you hear the sound of helicopter blades overhead. No way of escaping them.

But that was a good one!

 

yeh... maybe because i hear it after driving my G35C...

 

I agree with you 100%.

Even with this





I would rather listen to this

Randy
M7 Tuning

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...icture_604.avi


https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...icture_588.avi

 

^^ is that n2o to cool down your amp? hahaha. damn!!

 

My MINI has the most satisfying hood slam of any car I've owned. It's kind of like a schNOCK!!!

I've grown to really like the power steering whine in parking lots, and my Milltek exhaust could not possibly sound any sweeter!

 

n2o ??? Why no officer that is Oxygen I am old

randy
m7 Tuning

 

haha yeah, thats what i told the guy that pulled me over in my vette.....yeah at the old age of 18.....

 

stop giggling, said the officer.

 

Ok, I'll bite.. What's a "G35C"?

Edit: Nevermind, googled it. I don't much follow Infiniti, Lexus and stuff. Now I remember hearing G35 before, mainstream enough! I should have known... Funny, I didn't remember what a G35 was, but I would have recognized T70, P1800es, LP5000, Stag, 917 longtail, DB-5, Chaparral, Cheetah, Muira, 300SL, 190SL, Europa, C111. Must be a sign of my age.

Back to our topic, grea MINI sounds.

Another vote for the Alta CAI. I like playing with part throttle and hearing the air whistle even before the supercharger whine...

 

i just love the "whine down" of the supercharger when you turn off the key.

 

Edit: Nevermind, googled it. I don't much follow Infiniti, Lexus and stuff. Now I remember hearing G35 before, mainstream enough! I should have known... Funny, I didn't remember what a G35 was, but I would have recognized T70, P1800es, LP5000, Stag, 917 longtail, DB-5, Chaparral, Cheetah, Muira, 300SL, 190SL, Europa, C111. Must be a sign of my age.


You must be a "ancient" one like me. Every one of these cars brings back great memories. Lets not forget the McLaren or even the giant killer Super 7

Randy
m7 Tuning

 

I totally forgot to mention that crazy power steering whine! Sometimes the whine changes while I am sitting there doing nothing...strange..

 

It's your MINI telling you to drive it