This might be posted elsewhere, but I couldn't find anything. I just drove a 2011 MCS automatic and the thing sounds awesome! I have a 2009 MCS manual and my friend has a 2009 JCW manual. We both think the new 2011 MCS crackles under deceleration a bit more than his JCW. So for all of you with 2007-2010 MCS's who might be as aggravated as me that MINI deleted the continuous injection due to "too many customer complaints", its back for 2011! Let's see how long it lasts before too many people complain that something is wrong with their car.

 

Glad it impressed you! I test drove an '09 JCW and found that pop and burble to be much more pronounced than my '11 MCS in sport mode. It's still nice--we loaded 4 adults in (barely!) this last weekend, and the rear seat passengers who own a '10 Clubman S enjoyed the sound and remarked on it--but I LOVED the sound in the JCW... I wonder if it's an age thing and will improve with time.

 

Somebody post a clip of their 2011 pop and burble. I want this bad on my 2010. Alta keeps promising but no time frame yet.

 

I'm assuming that the exhaust was stock on this 2011??

 

Yeah, this was a stock 2011 MCS with 27 miles on the odometer. I'd never driven an automatic MINI before. The rev-matched downshifts are pretty cool. I'd still prefer to drive manual, but the paddle shifters were fun to play with.

 

Would running an exhaust with just a CAT, no resonator, and no muffler produce similar results?

 

Yep, the auto is about as close you can get to a clutchless manual in a MINI, lol. It's wonderful. Having driven manuals for the past 15 years...this being my first auto, it's definitely one of the best. In manual mode with the Auto, it actually holds the gear selection so it's like driving a manual..you never feel that the car is making decisions for you..except when you coast to a stop and forget to downshift, then it does it down to second.

I don't mean to make this reply into a "auto is better than manual" post..just that the auto is highly under rated...it's quite fun when you can take the twisty's faster than the manuals..people will forget you are driving an auto.

I'm going to have to take a test drive in the 2011 now..I loved the burble in my 2005MCS!

Richard

 

I'm sure most would say I have too much time on my hands, but a couple of months ago I sent a letter to MINI telling them I think its stupid they deleted the continuous injection from the ECU for the North American market for the 2007+ MCS due to customer complaints. It would have been easier and cheaper for them to simply send an email to the dealerships telling the salespeople to explain it to customers. They also could have sent an email to current MCS owners explaining it as well. I asked if they would consider offering an ECU reflash for current customer who want exhaust crackle - seeing as its not hard to do. Well, a few days after sending my letter, a lady from MINI HQ called me (I didn't leave me # in my letter so they obviously found it on file somewhere). She said they can't do ECU reflashes, and hoped I would continue to enjoy my car without the exhaust pops. I just looked up the 2011 MCS on MINI's website today and they have this in the Sport Button description, "Plus, on Cooper S and John Cooper Works models, the exhaust makes a distinctive 'popping' sound under deceleration." Now they're using it as a selling point! Bastards!

I suppose I do have too much time on my hands.

 

I was just going to say my 2011 mccs does NOT have the burble my 06 had. But then, we've left sport mode alone as we break in the car. How will I resist it now?

 

The burble was one of the things that put me over the top the first time I test-drove my '06 S. I had heard about the burble, but when I actually heard it...

Before looking at pre-owned I was planning to wait til the '11s came out for this enhancement (among a few others). Long live the snap, crackle, and pop!

 

thirdraildesignlab, do not resist the sport button! Its the best button in the car!

 

Can't imagine driving without the sport button on, see no reason for it to ever be off.

 

Mine exhaust tips even SIZZLE when I go to wash it right after driving. That's some HOT exhaust!

 

i have a 2011 auto mcs and we've just done 2000km never going past 4000rpm / 160kmh
so i wasnt driving with the sport mode on

but last sunday i just let the auto shift down whilst i was slowing down in sport mode and the pop burble was awesome !

 

Update: I just took a 2011 Clubman S automatic for a spin (friend got it as a loaner). No pops when left in Drive with Sport button off. Decent amount of pops in Drive with Sport button on. TONS of awesomely loud pops when in Manual mode with Sport button on, but only under deceleration. None at all during upshifts like the full manual stick shift will do.

 

My 2011 clubman S popped for the first time today in "S" mode. Thought something was wrong and I ended up on this thread. AWESOME!

 

Hot enough to make my shins smile! (little half-moon burn marks looked like a smile.)

 

I love the pops and burbles... I also love that it is random.. Sometimes it is a very laud "pat!" sometimes a mean, subtle burble..

 

While my 2011 was in the shop for the last week I was in a 2010 Clubman S. I must say that I sorely missed the pop/burble. There was a few things that I noticed compared to my 2011.

The engine in the 2010 S must be very different or the auto trans is different because it felt VERY sluggish. It sounded funny too, it had an odd almost slight knock to it while accelerating. The trans shift points in sport and non-sport were strange. In non-sport it it tended to shift much to early, like around 1800RPM and when on the highway it didn't want to downshift at all almost. In Sport the shifts were held way to long and way up the rev range, like around 5000RPM.

Over all the 2011 is in my experience a much better car than the 2010 that I drove. Again this is just my opinion and the loaner did have 22k on it.

 

Does anyone know if the 2012 enjoys the same pop and burble of the 2011? I'm assuming it would. I haven't had enough time with my 2012 yet to find out. And I've also heard that the pop and burble becomes noticable only after the break-in period.

 

It was noticeable in my case pretty much immediately. It gets louder after couple thousand miles though. Just make sure the sport button is pressed. It usually happens between 2k and 3k rpm.

 

2012s have it too. and just follow what erhan says. my cars been popping since 7 miles on the odo

 

Nice. I can't wait to try it out.

 

Yes, a laud... or loud "pat", just like the backfire from an old Beetle. I could understand when pulling off from 4000 rpm but "burbling/backfiring" between city blocks? Please someone figure out how to get rid of this. The improved throttle response and tighter steering of the sport button is great, but I don't need fake muscle car noise and/or backfires.

 

How can you not love pop and burble? This is like a throwback to the original Mini.

I also wouldn't call the sounds "fake". They are very real, and this is one of the few cars that can do it straight from the factory.