E92 M3 coupe Test Mule in Silver

[visor]

Originally Posted by JK42

Isn't anyone going to answer me on how cool the S54B32 is in reality... To actually withstand the pressures it does.

Best regards,

Jussi

The engine may be a marvel of engineering design when it was first introduced back in 1999/2000, but damn! how did BMW allow the exhaust engineers to get away with such a tin-can sounding exhaust tone!

I know, some people will say just get an aftermarket exhaust and problem solved, but come on! Such a wonderful engine should have come with a wonderfully matched exhaust tone straight from the M division.

I sure hope that the next M3 will not suffer the same fate!

[replicat]

Hmm, just to let you know...the exhaust was a major selling point for the car. The raspy exhaust note, is very reminiscent of any race car (LM, touring cars, etc..). As they usually don't have a very restrictive exhaust, and they sound very raspy.
I think that manipulating the exhaust system to duplicate a sound like that, while keeping emissions controlled was an amazing achievement.

You can be sure that my vote is for another nasty sounding exhaust to come on the car. Non of that smooth shite for me mate. But if one doesn't come...thats ok too. An aftermarket one will be on within a couple of months anyways.

[JK42]

Originally Posted by visor

The engine may be a marvel of engineering design when it was first introduced back in 1999/2000, but damn! how did BMW allow the exhaust engineers to get away with such a tin-can sounding exhaust tone!

I know, some people will say just get an aftermarket exhaust and problem solved, but come on! Such a wonderful engine should have come with a wonderfully matched exhaust tone straight from the M division.

I sure hope that the next M3 will not suffer the same fate!

Good thing the fixed the exhaust tone on the CSL and the Z4 M models.

At least the euro ones.

As far as the engine problem list, that applies for the US spec model of the engine. The euro spec only had a problem with the ball bearings, which after it was fixed, no engines blew up. Not a single M3 CSL engine has blown up due to any of these reasons, for example.

And since the E46 M3 was released, BMW has paid a lot more attention to how the engines sound, since about 2002-2003 when they established a seperate division to develop and tune the engine sounds of all models. Just listen to the M5 or M6 - they both sound totally different, but still completely brutal and awesome! Even though it's the same engine!

Best regards,

Jussi

[Romo]

IMO, the M3, when driven normaly, has a far better sound then when it`s in racy mode. You`ll think that I`am crazy for sure, but that awesome dark sound is a hell of a lot better than the raspy sound. The 1 st time I did a full throttle I realy thought something was wrongh with the exhaust system Now off course I know better, but still dòn`t like it.

[replicat]

We'll thats the beauty of us humans, we're all different...to each his own!

[visor]

Originally Posted by JK42

And since the E46 M3 was released, BMW has paid a lot more attention to how the engines sound, since about 2002-2003 when they established a seperate division to develop and tune the engine sounds of all models. Just listen to the M5 or M6 - they both sound totally different, but still completely brutal and awesome! Even though it's the same engine!

Best regards,

Jussi

Good for BMW that they realized the importance of the sound of the engine and exhaust to create a separate division. After all, one of the main reasons I love the 3L inline 6 in my 330i is the wonderful mechanical/machinery sounds that it makes from the intake and engine especially in the higher rpm region that no V6 can make.

Originally Posted by Romo

IMO, the M3, when driven normaly, has a far better sound then when it`s in racy mode. You`ll think that I`am crazy for sure, but that awesome dark sound is a hell of a lot better than the raspy sound. The 1 st time I did a full throttle I realy thought something was wrongh with the exhaust system Now off course I know better, but still dòn`t like it.

Yep, especially during 3/4 to full throttle from a stand or a roll, the exhaust sounds like a metal bracing is loose or something. You won't hear it much inside the car with the windows up, but everyone else outside will wonder if anything is going to fall off the exhaust! At higher revs and speeds, it starts to sound raspy, which I actually like. Some auto journalists even have compared it to the sound of an F1 engine racing in the distance.

[JK42]

Originally Posted by visor

Good for BMW that they realized the importance of the sound of the engine and exhaust to create a separate division. After all, one of the main reasons I love the 3L inline 6 in my 330i is the wonderful mechanical/machinery sounds that it makes from the intake and engine especially in the higher rpm region that no V6 can make.

Actually, it's kind of a dual-edged sword. I remember the first M52 engined E46's and they were so quiet that they were practically totally silent up to about 5500rpm, because that's the nature of a straight six. Then people complained and they made them sound more beefier. In a way, it took away from the refinement of the straight six. I remember marveling at the first E46's when they were totally silent to such revs. But the trend is, people want to hear the power. The 330i/330Ci was one of the first BMWs to get the sound design treatment, and you can definitely hear it. It will start roaring at around 3000rpm in a totally different tone than under it.

While we're on the topic, here's an online BMW article and sample sounds of few of BMW's engines from their acoustics engineering division.

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/b...s_content.html

Notice the totally different tones of the N52B30 and the older M54B30 straight sixes - even though both are I6 with same displacement. (130i being the N52B30 and Z4 3.0i being the M54B30) - this is where the sound engineering really shows (or sounds.) - much more metallic and refined sound on the newer N52B30. They also make for great ringtones for your phone, btw!

Best regards,

Jussi

[replicat]

We'll I hope that the exhaust on the E92 sounds a little bit louder than what we have heard in the clips. I wonder if they test the cars with a different sounding muffler that has the same specs.

[visor]

Originally Posted by JK42

While we're on the topic, here's an online BMW article and sample sounds of few of BMW's engines from their acoustics engineering division.

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/b...s_content.html

Notice the totally different tones of the N52B30 and the older M54B30 straight sixes - even though both are I6 with same displacement. (130i being the N52B30 and Z4 3.0i being the M54B30) - this is where the sound engineering really shows (or sounds.) - much more metallic and refined sound on the newer N52B30. They also make for great ringtones for your phone, btw!

Best regards,

Jussi

Nice link! I've seen(heard) it before but forgot about it till now.

I don't know, but to my ears, I prefer the Z4 3.0i (similar to my previous E46 330i engine) more than the 130i (which is similar to my current E90 330i engine). I truly miss the "rawness" and "throatiness" of the M54B30, whereas the N52B30 is just a tad too refined. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.


On the same link, there were also two V8's: X5 4.8is and 650i.
Wow! That is teh sex!
I sure hope with all hope that the E92 M3's V8 sounds like that!

[JK42]

Originally Posted by replicat

We'll I hope that the exhaust on the E92 sounds a little bit louder than what we have heard in the clips. I wonder if they test the cars with a different sounding muffler that has the same specs.

Well, those samples were all non-M BMWs. All current Euro M BMW's have a valve in the muffler which opens at around 3500-4500rpm to let out even more roar than it normally would. Unfortunately the EPA rules don't allow this for the US spec versions, so they'll be quieter.

Best regards,

Jussi

[JK42]

Originally Posted by visor

Nice link! I've seen(heard) it before but forgot about it till now.

I don't know, but to my ears, I prefer the Z4 3.0i (similar to my previous E46 330i engine) more than the 130i (which is similar to my current E90 330i engine). I truly miss the "rawness" and "throatiness" of the M54B30, whereas the N52B30 is just a tad too refined. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

In my opinion, it's opposed... I liked my old 330Ci sound, but the more metalic rawness of the N52B30 when you get to about 6000rpm and up sounds fantastic - it has kind of the same character as the metallic roar of the E46 M3 CSL.

On the same link, there were also two V8's: X5 4.8is and 650i.
Wow! That is teh sex!
I sure hope with all hope that the E92 M3's V8 sounds like that!

I certainly hope it'll be much much beefier and heavier sound than the regular Valvetronic and non-Valvetronic V8's that were offered there, and when you get up to over 8000rpm, it should sound like a shuttle taking off... Especially if the M department follows the current policy of installing a valve on the mufflers to open up at around 3500-5000rpm to let out even more brutal sounds when you rev things up (on the Euro M versions - EPA doesn't allow this in the US, unfortunately.)

Best regards,

Jussi

[BrianJA]

Are you certain that that isn't allowed in the US?

I know Ferrari and Aston Martin are both using a valve system on their exhausts here in the states (on the f430 and the DB9 at least). Perhaps it something to do with production numbers?

[JK42]

Originally Posted by BrianJA

Are you certain that that isn't allowed in the US?

I know Ferrari and Aston Martin are both using a valve system on their exhausts here in the states (on the f430 and the DB9 at least). Perhaps it something to do with production numbers?

Well, at least it is disabled on the Z4 M models... Maybe it has to do with the noise levels once the valve opens? I don't know the US rules for it.

Best regards,

Jussi

[Last E92 M3]

Originally Posted by JK42

Well, at least it is disabled on the Z4 M models... Maybe it has to do with the noise levels once the valve opens? I don't know the US rules for it.

Best regards,

Jussi

i hate US.

[replicat]

Average US testing sound levels = Under 96 decibles @ half peak RPM

Super stupid.

[enigma]

Pesonally I like quiet cars. 96db is rather loud. Heck, thats higher than some race tracks allow.

Why would you want an obnoxiously loud car?

[JK42]

Here's another wish from me to BMW. Customer should be able to order (at least the straight six engine models) either with tuned sounds, or with as quiet as possible sounds. Just the E46 328i M52 engined models were already extremely quiet, before BMW started tweaking the sounds on them. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I kind of liked how the extreme quietness of that era straight sixes added to their speciality. A V6 could never be as quiet as they were. The only model in the current BMW catalog that follows that tradition is now the 760i. It is VERY quiet up to high 5000rpms. And V12 by nature is even more stable and quieter than a straight six, as we know. That engine has true class to it. But if you give it a good kickdown, it will show you it's authority.

Best regards,

Jussi

[Last E92 M3]

Originally Posted by enigma

Pesonally I like quiet cars. 96db is rather loud. Heck, thats higher than some race tracks allow.

Why would you want an obnoxiously loud car?

to see if the car is loud enough to turn other people's heads

[Romo]

Originally Posted by JK42

Here's another wish from me to BMW. Customer should be able to order (at least the straight six engine models) either with tuned sounds, or with as quiet as possible sounds. Just the E46 328i M52 engined models were already extremely quiet, before BMW started tweaking the sounds on them. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I kind of liked how the extreme quietness of that era straight sixes added to their speciality. A V6 could never be as quiet as they were. The only model in the current BMW catalog that follows that tradition is now the 760i. It is VERY quiet up to high 5000rpms. And V12 by nature is even more stable and quieter than a straight six, as we know. That engine has true class to it. But if you give it a good kickdown, it will show you it's authority.

Best regards,

Jussi

Must say that I like quietness; no or little sound, but still accelerating like a rocket......................................
I also have driven the E46 328i sedan, which had indeed a verry smooth and quiet engine. It was not a slow car, but I found it to soft, to much based on comfort levels

[replicat]

I like sounds that are low and grunty and screaming at WOT. The most perfect sounding exhaust to me is that of the Ferrari F430. Its perfect...that and the Murcielago, .

[wild-m3-man]

wow

designer has no idea on how to make a good car, same looks as the 5, 7 SERIES

Absolutly disgustiing !!!

[Jason]

Another quick one of a silver test mule. Can't wait to be behind one of these things in real life.