The 2010 Mini Cooper S is a compact car produced by the BMW-owned British car manufacturer Mini. It is a high-performance version of the Mini Cooper and is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 181 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. It has a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission

If you’re planning to straight-pipe your Mini Cooper S (or any car), it’s important to consider the purpose of your vehicle. If you’re using it for racing, then straight-piping can be an enjoyable and tolerable modification. However, if you use your car for daily driving, installing a resonated system would be more appropriate to minimize the droning noise.

Before embarking on a DIY project to install a loud exhaust system, you must first determine which method you prefer. Only then can you go ahead and potentially irritate your neighbors with your thunderous exhaust system.

Materials needed to do this job:

2.5″ 8ft long stainless steel exhaust pipe

Rolled steel rods for your new exhaust hangers

Twin exhaust tips

Cut Before The Catalytic Convertor

Cut the pipe in-between your cat and front exhaust hangers . If you’re concerned about droning then it’s probably best to opt for cutting the pipe after the cat.

Remove the rear muffler

Remove the stock muffler from the rear hangers ready for you new straight pipe.

Align your exhaust tips

Slide your new pipe onto your original exhaust pipe and align your exhaust tips level/center at the back of the car.

Tack weld the front half of your new pipe

Tack weld the front half of your pipe once you’re happy that everything is where you want it.

Trim your straight pipe and weld on your exhaust tips

Measure and trim the pipe towards the back end of your car until you’re satisfied with how your new exhaust tips align with the rear bumper and tack weld them in place. Then, unbolt the V clamp located towards the front of the exhaust and fully weld everything into place and bolt it back up to the car.

Bend and weld new hangers

Then, with your exhaust support stands holding your new straight pipe in place, bend your new hangers to a 90 degree angle and weld them into place.

Other options

If you’re not confident and/or don’t have everything you need to carry out the steps above, there are plenty of ready-made exhaust systems for the Cooper S that you can do at home or have a certified garage carry out. From a non-res catback system, backbox delete or a full catless system, there are plenty of options to get the tone you’re after.

Remember, if you go down the catless system route, you would need to tune your car in order for your it to work in conjunction with increased flow.