I heatwrapped the new stainless steel Gravity Performance catback exhaust. Unfortunately I ran out of titanium heatwrap, so I ordered some more (black) and finished the job.
It will help with scavenging and is a supporting mod for extracting more horsepower and torque from the Mini.
Bought myself a stainless catback exhaust for my Mini Cooper S R53 Works, as I found the original John Cooper Works catback a little timid for my liking. The JCW catback sounds good, but I know the Mini can sound better 🙂
I took a gamble with the Gravity Performance, a shop which I found on eBay. I noticed the real carbon tips, which looked awesome on pictures and should tie in good with the black/carbon theme I already have.
I’m glad I chose the Gravity Performance exhaust, quality welds, good clamps and awesome carbon tips. Check my video review on Youtube, which also has a small comparison with the JCW catback > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJC8XYb1rPw
For now, enjoy the pictures!
I had pretty big plans for the S80, shooting for a 270bhp instead of the 200bhp that the 2.4T has normally. You need an upgrade turbo for this, which I sourced from a T5 model, which has 250bhp bone stock. The swap would involve the TD04HL-13T to TD04HL-16T or 13T to 16T for short.
Fitment is pretty straightforward, but the coolant lines run differently, and this was quite a hassle as information on the internet seems very scarce. I found some, but needed some creativity as the build progressed.
I was also planning to mount the later “R” series manifold, but decided to sell it, as the Japanifold would give much better sound and equal performance.
In the end, I sold the 16T and mounted the 13T, saving the money up for something else. I needed to adjust the car a little bit, and according to the max MAF values, it makes about 240-245bhp, which is awesome.
It’s a totally different car from when I first bought it, that’s for sure!
The TD04HL-16T with the R-manifold
The TD04HL-13T vs TD04HL-16T
Modifications needed for fitting the coolant lines
Rubbing will occur here
When you have an older car, always think about replacing the engine mounts. They are almost always made of rubber, which becomes brittle over time due to aging/drying out.
I replaced all the engine mounts, which tightens up handling and improves performance and reduces strain on components like the exhaust, as the engine swivels way less. Highly recommended!
The old OEM armrest with the phone which I replaced for a new one (without the phone).
It was replaced with a new cream colored vinyl armrest from Aliexpress. Looks like new!
URL: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32843890907.html
