If there’s one thing every reviewer complained about on the new BMW M3 and M4, it’s the exhaust. Most of them said that it’s downright ‘uninspiring’ while others called it even worse names, all of them emphasizing that it really isn’t what it should be, especially from inside the car.
That might very well be due to the Active Sound Design technology used and the fake engine sound pumped into the cabin through the speakers. What are we saying. That IS due to ASD!
Of course, BMW will stand behind its product and claim that it was all done to make things more exciting but the bottom line is that it’s not natural.
Not that its competitors are any different, by the way. For example, Audi uses speakers inside the rear mufflers, to fake the engine sound, a move that seems even more despicable. Only Mercedes-Benz still uses good-old-fashion exhausts that sound good these days. At least until we find out a dirty little secret like this about their systems as well, that is. Therefore, every piece of audio evidence with the by now famous exhaust is useful to get a better idea of how the car actually sounds.
The S55 engine moved on from the V8 architecture of its predecessor, the S65 unit. It has a 6-cylinder inline design and two Mitsubishi turbochargers hooked up to it that make more power and torque out of 3 liters than its forebearer, 431 HP and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) of torque to be more exact. It all ‘sounds’ very good when written on paper, but how does it compare in real life? Check it out in the video below and let us know what you think!
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