2002 BMW M3: The Hills Are Alive

Dude, there's a James Bond memorabilia convention??? Where is it?

-Riswick

great sounding car from inside the cabin-like a prop plane taking off on the runway. rather whimpy sounding from the outside, though. wish it sounded as good driving by as it does on the inside.

Thats a nice photo of the M3.

"Audi's 4.2-liter V8 rumbles with an awesome combination of attitude and refinement, and AMG's 6.2-liter V8 bellows like a Detroit big-block that was sent to finishing school"

Interesting that you give kudos to AMG and Quattro for emulating Detroit muscle. The M3 and Porsche flat 6s sound like lawnmowers at low revs. To me, they only sound good once revved. Exhaust burble is a function of bore diameter so an undersquare engine (such as Audi's 4.2L V8's 3.31" bore) that provides deep bellows is likely artificially produced. I'll take the LS7's 7.0Ls of aural quality over any of the engines you've mentioned. I will however give AMG props for making a proper large displacement engine with rich torque unlike the M3 and RS4.

To me, nothing sounds better than the SL63 AMG on the overrun fresh off a rev-matched downshift. The gurgling and popping is orgasmic.

That pic sure aint Tommys! When did you go to Russian Hill/San Fran?
My MCoupe had the same (ok 315hp version) motor and I would drive it with the windows open all the time just to hear it shriek at the upper rpms.

I put in a midpipe to take away the rasp on my M3. I prefer it w/out the rasp although it does sound a little less 'raw' now. At low speeds, there is a lot of fluttering fan noise in combination w/ the engine and exhaust noises. It's not the silky smooth sounds you hear from non-M BMW inline 6's.

I drove a 4.4 liter 6-speed e39 5-series the other day (for the first time) and found the V8 burble to be sublime....from firing it up to ringing it out.

I'm gonna bag me one of those...

Joe

The sound of the E46 M3 at 7,000 rpm is sublime. That -- and the handling -- is why I have to get one.

Desmo, that's a leftover pic from my trip to S.F. in the M3 awhile back. I would have taken one at Tommy's, but the parking lot at the actual establishment was packed, so I had to park in the lot across the street.

-Sadlier

Josh, I don't believe you. Post a sound byte, please. ;)

Count me among the haters. I don't get the appeal. But then again I drove an italian car for a number of years as well as one with side pipes.

I rented a Grand Prix a couple months back and to my pleasant surprise it was the GXP w/V8 instead of the V6. Anyway that V8/exhaust sounded pretty good. The new Vette ZR1 in videos sounds sweet with Supercharger running, gotta love the great numbers too!

The S54 is a great sounding engine, moreso inside the car than outside.

"The M3 and Porsche flat 6s sound like lawnmowers at low revs."

I can't speak for the M3's powerplant, but I have a lot of seat time in a Boxster S. Cruising at low rpm, all you really hear is the transition whine, but lay into the throttle and the intake sings a beautiful baritone that transforms into a spine-tingling yowl. It really is like nothing else.

(Apologies for getting all Jeremy Clarkson about halfway through that, but I just adore that car.)

sabastian, I remember going on a Boxster press event and being enamored too. To crib an old quote from one of the buff mags -- "It's like God's own pipe organ!"

I also fondly remember my old '88 Toyota MR2 Supercharged with a custom exhaust -- the snap, crackle and pop on the over-run when I was keeping it on the boil would've made Rice Krispies jealous!

sabastian- well we are on the same page. I said they sound good when revved. But since the exotic cars I see are all stuck in downtown traffic, they don't sound to great at idle and low revs- especially 911s and M3s. The Gallardo is the worse offender though... I rode next to guy with E-Shift and it didn't sound pleasing at crawling speeds. A big V8 sounds good from idle to redline- that was my point.

"But since the exotic cars I see are all stuck in downtown traffic"

Traffic: The bane of every sports car. :)

Never really heard one at full throttle. Everytime I raced an M3 or was on a road course with one, I couldn't hear it over the roar of my LS6 with long tube headers and Corsa Indy exhaust, especially once it was behind me ;)

Edmunds (or IL) needs to do a "Best engine noise" award for each category of cars.

That's definitely San Francisco.

That raspy/tinny exhaust is literally the only thing I dislike about the E46 M3. There are aftermarket fixes for that though.

I've seen plenty of 63 and 65 AMGs and they sound authoritative even at idle. I see why they say there's no replacement for displacement. The V12s don't sound as manly but it's music nonetheless- think Vivaldi 4 seasons over Beethoven's 9th with the 63's V8.

I think the Porsche sound quality is unique to flat motors. Subarus sound similar if you ask me- my brother had a '92 Legacy

There is (in my mind) a huge difference between Porsche and everything else.

Bear in mind that sound quality is mostly exhaust tuning/pulsing.

A subaru has that "boxer rumble" not because it's a flat four....that has nothing to do with it...but because it uses un-equal length headers. The exhaust pulses are spaced out so it has a on/off rumble to it. Put a set of equal length headers on it (which are better for performance anyway), and it sounds like an EVO/Honda.

The Porsche Air-cooled Flat Six of the 95-98 generation have one of the finest sounds at any speed, to me. It's uniquely mechanical....especially since if you think about it there is barely any exhaust plumbing. The engine sits on top of the mufflers.

Porsche uses equal length headers, by the way, so their sound is a result of their tuning/engine design and not the by-product of an inferior header design.

Personally, I think a V8 has the nicest sound at idle. The exhaust pulse overlap just...well...burbles. V12's seem to have the most musical sound when they are revved up....

Flat sixes roar.....a Porsche at full throttle high rpm operation somehow gets into your chest cavity. I swear it meshes with the brain to cause hormones to be released (much like very loud music will).

Just my opinions....I like my 06 Civic SI's exhaust tone in it's own way. But it doesn't stir my soul like the intake sound on start-up and normal operation of a 2.7 liter Boxster.

Joe

If you listen carefully, Joe, you may be able to notice that the 2.0L turbo in the WRX is a little more "rumbly" than the 2.5L turbo used in other Scoobys. :o)

I think V10 exhaust notes > all.

"There is (in my mind) a huge difference between Porsche and everything else."

Very true Joe and like you said its not because its a flat 6, its the mechanical sounds that tickle the senses.

Chavis, I agree with you on the (big) V8s as they do sound manly BUT there is just something I dont like about the Z06s V8 and Mercedes V8s in the upper reaches of the tach. The Z06 sounds really good at idle and most of the rev range but once you get in the last...say... 1500rpm of the rev band the sound gets a bit distorted and becomes unrefined. Im certainly not saying its the engine but rather the exhaust tuning. Mercedes V8s although they sound authorative, come off boring.

By contrast the 4.2 V8 in the Audi R8/Audi RS4 has a nice rumble even though its "small". It seems to able to give off the impression that it much larger than it is in terms of sound. Unlike the Z06 and Mercedes V8s the Audi V8 can really sing when you ring it out. The engine note hardens as the revs climb, that mechanical sound presents itself and it remains super refined.

Although I respect the big torque that comes from those big V8s their tone overall seems a bit ordinary or boring. Hell Ive heard Hemi Rumble Bees, Toyota Tundras and Nissan Titans with similar exhaust notes.

Listen to this clip of the R8 vs Veyron. Its sounds so slick between 37 and 40 second mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS_unscao0Q

Now for the V10s. The M5, Gallardo, Audi S8, Carrera GT and the NSX successor all have great exhaust notes but as Chavis pointed out some of these V10s (namely the M5) sound like diesels when idling or at lower then normal engine speeds. Overall my favorite exhaust note would be from the Carrera GT. From the interior it has that expected Porsche mechanial symphony and intake snort, yet from the outside the exhaust has that high pitched (almost F1 like) tone and gurgle that makes the hair stand up on my neck.

Carrera GT w/AWE pipes (just sinister):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um2zNh8Wd9w

While the latest Euro V8s sound very Detroit like (in a good way) you can get similar sound effects in a $27k Mustang or virtually any other American car with a V8. Years back I had the chance to drive the GTO (not American obviously) and the Bonneville GXP at a GM event and both sounded great. I've never driven a FWD car with the small block but I've heard them on the street and they have a great burble and sound nice under acceleration.

I think every iteration of the Vette sounds good and I suspect the Camaro will as well.