BMW’s Active Sound Design is as controversial as any technology could be. Moreover since it was introduced on the iconic M models like the M5, M6 and now M4 but nowadays such a bit of augmentation is necessary.
Why? Because sound insulation and comfort is valued today more than anything. Sure, for ‘old school aficionados’ piping fake engine noise inside the cabin is sacrilege but even they can’t deny that a warm, welcoming cabin with more than a dozen airbags to go around is the way to go these days and preferred to older models.
Therefore, when one drives for 3 or 4 hours at a time, going from state to state, comfort and silence might be more valuable than hearing drone and a mind-scrambling V8, no matter how intense or good it may sound.
Yet a lot of people won’t admit it and that’s where this conflict comes from. However, some brilliant coders managed to find the specific area in BMW’s ECU that takes care of the augmented sound inside the cabin. Therefore, they were able to change what was piped through the speakers.
Get that M4 sound inside your M135i
Other manufacturers have wholeheartedly embraced the ASD technology and are even making fun of it. One of them is Renault that is allowing you to listen to a plethora of engines while driving your Clio RS. From a GT-R to a spaceship.
Well, the same recipe was applied to Bimmers as well apparently but you can only choose a different soundtrack if you know what you’re doing. You basically have to recode your stereo system.
The choice is also a little more limited than on the Renault. You can tune in to the sounds of a diesel 3-liter, the S63 4.4-liter V8 in the M5/M6 models, the S55 plant, the N55B30 in the M135i/M235i models or, hold on to your seats, the N74B66 V12 in the Rolls-Royce Ghost models. That’s right, you can actually hear the sound a 6.5-liter monster while driving a 1 Series.
Mind you, according to the original poster, the coding is possible only if you have the Harman Kardon system or Bang & Olufsen as standard or Hi-Fi versions somehow don’t play the changed audio files. Would you do that to your car?
PS: for info on how to do this, check out this thread.
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