MINI Cooper Remus Exhaust Review

Update (7/30/03): I wanted to update this review now that I’ve both lived with the exhaust for a year and heard numerous other Cooper aftermarket exhaust in person.

The Remus continues to impress day after day with it’s sound. I’ve found it to be much more refined sounding than any other Cooper exhaust out there. It doesn’t have the rasp and highway drone that many of the others suffer from. For instance when you listen to the Supersprint (also priced at $400) the difference in 2nd gear with high revs is startling. For someone who has lived with with the Remus for a while it was almost shocking to hear how raspy and loud the Supersprint was in comparison. Someone will definitely know immediately that you have an aftermarket system with a system like the Supersprint. With the Remus it’s not obvious from two blocks away yet by the time you get just down the block you can hear a subtle, yet distinctive difference. It’s really a matter of personal preference and what you want from an aftermarket system. For my money however I prefer something that is very livable and doesn’t scream aftermarket.

Another thing I’ve noticed when comparing the different systems is that the Remus is also fairly subtle at idle. It’s got a distinctive low rumble that is at once refined sounding yet still fairly agressive.

So after a year frankly I feel like I got lucky. I had bought the Remus without having heard the actual exhaust note. After hearing the rest of what’s out there it’s simply the perfect system for my needs.

Original Review

First off I have to say I wasn’t looking to upgrade my exhaust when I first got my Cooper. It was definately something I would have welcomed if I came across a great deal but it wasn’t something I was losing sleep over.

However when my friendly MINI dealer called me about a customer that had an extra Remus Exhaust he was looking to get rid of I suddenly became interested. He purchased the Remus just before Borla announced their exhaust and decided to opt for that instead.

While the OEM exhaust will need to be cut the Remus is essentially a simple bolt on piece. It would be fairly easy to put the OEM exhaust back on with a spacer. The installation took about 20-30 minutes at most. It appears to be made of 100% stainless steel but since the edges are painted flat black I’m not completely sure. The exhaust was originally bought from Moss Mini but details about it are scare on their site. Remus themselves say on their site that only the finest Stainless, aluminum, titanium and carbon are used in their mufflers.

After installation the first thing I noticed was the change in pitch at idle. It’s a sublte low rumble that generally sounds quite pleasing.

The sound while acclerating is fanstastic. Again it’s a bit lower with a deep throaty sound to it. One other thing worth noting, while on the highway the change in sound doesn’t penetrate the cabin anymore than the stock set-up.

The manufacturer claims a 5-7% increase in power from the system. Honestly I haven’t driven the car enough to acurately describe the power Increase, however, I believe I can feel a hint of power added at the low-end through the mid-range.

Overall it’s a fantastic upgrade for several reasons. First off the sound is a fantastic deep tone that at the same time is fairly subtle and doesn’t shout to the world that “I’ve just put on an aftermarket exhaust”. Secondly, being made from stainless gives this exhaust longevity that far supasses the stock set-up. And finally, if the manufacturers numbers are to be believed, a 5-7% increase in power is always welcome. Especially wih 115hp on tap.

4 (out of 5)