Do you like the way M3 sounds?
- Thread starter jnejman
- Start date
It's just very raspy because it's not really restrictive at all (in Sport mode). It's very similar to the Ferrari 360....gentle and quiet when you're just cruising and then it gets very raspy at higher rpm's. You can change the tone with aftermarket exhaust parts and that special "sound" you're looking for comes from the engine when the windows are up.
Yeah my mate has an M3 and i have to say its definitely one of the best sounding exhausts i've heard. Raspy and angry at WOT yet fairly restrained at low RPM. When the engine hits about 4K i reckon it sounds quite Porsche-esque but at higher engine speeds it sounds like a no-nonsense race car. Fantastic.
I saw the thread on this forum that compared the after-market exhausts with the standard one and i have to say they were all substandard in comparision. The throatier ones sounded like a drone (much like the Japanese cars with drainpipe-sized exhasusts on them) and it took away that hard-edged raspiness i thought. It has to be one of the best production engines in the world, if not THE best. Plenty of torque down low yet the six (of all engines) will rev right through to 8,000 RPM[headbang]. The wonders of VANOS huh?
I saw the thread on this forum that compared the after-market exhausts with the standard one and i have to say they were all substandard in comparision. The throatier ones sounded like a drone (much like the Japanese cars with drainpipe-sized exhasusts on them) and it took away that hard-edged raspiness i thought. It has to be one of the best production engines in the world, if not THE best. Plenty of torque down low yet the six (of all engines) will rev right through to 8,000 RPM[headbang]. The wonders of VANOS huh?
This is what I found on Edmunds.com review of M3:
"If we could pick one fault with the drivetrain, it would surely be the wheezing, tin can sound of the exhaust. From the inside, the shrill pinging at wide-open throttle sounds like a loose panel flapping around in the undercarriage. From the outside, a punch of the pedal emits a hollow ring that sounds more like a slammed Civic than a $50,000 European sport coupe. So there, it's not perfect."
By Ed Hellwig
Date posted: 10-25-2001
"If we could pick one fault with the drivetrain, it would surely be the wheezing, tin can sound of the exhaust. From the inside, the shrill pinging at wide-open throttle sounds like a loose panel flapping around in the undercarriage. From the outside, a punch of the pedal emits a hollow ring that sounds more like a slammed Civic than a $50,000 European sport coupe. So there, it's not perfect."
By Ed Hellwig
Date posted: 10-25-2001
an engine like that is simply not born to sound like a V8. listen to racing engines that really race. not the civic or 3series (to be political correct ![[hihi]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_hihi.gif "Hi Hi [hihi]")
) 1/4 car driven by tom dick and harry, but the real deal. those that have no plates, no trunk but fuel tank, a cage and no radio. here in germany these cars have an old tradition. the old racing series like DTM and DTC etc. brought this kind of car and engine. a sports car, high reving with punch, from 4-6 cylinders. they were never throaty or dark. they were always high pitch and ringing. an M3 with another sound would be intolerable change in style. it would be like denying your genes, you know???
) 1/4 car driven by tom dick and harry, but the real deal. those that have no plates, no trunk but fuel tank, a cage and no radio. here in germany these cars have an old tradition. the old racing series like DTM and DTC etc. brought this kind of car and engine. a sports car, high reving with punch, from 4-6 cylinders. they were never throaty or dark. they were always high pitch and ringing. an M3 with another sound would be intolerable change in style. it would be like denying your genes, you know???
jnejman,
Yes, 8 cylinders will inherently produce a deeper sound. However, the characteristics of the sound and rhythm all depend on the firing order of the engine. For instance, 5.0 Mustangs have a very characteristic sound that is different from a Chevy V-8. The difference is not in the mufflers - I have the same mufflers on my Camaro as my buddy does on his '94 Cobra. His car has the very distinctive "Mustang sound." My car sounds completely different even though it has the same mufflers because it has a very different firing order - this sets up different harmonics and pressures in the exhaust system. Both cars have a deep, throaty sound, but the firing order on a Ford V8 produces a smooth, monotone kind of sound that some describe as a "drone." The Chevy V8s have a more rhythmic, more interesting oscillating exhaust note that changes tone throughout the engine's revolution This is directly due to the way the firing order criss-crosses across the block.
My point is, it will be a deeper note, but the actual sound characteristics have a lot to do with the way the engine fires.
Yes, 8 cylinders will inherently produce a deeper sound. However, the characteristics of the sound and rhythm all depend on the firing order of the engine. For instance, 5.0 Mustangs have a very characteristic sound that is different from a Chevy V-8. The difference is not in the mufflers - I have the same mufflers on my Camaro as my buddy does on his '94 Cobra. His car has the very distinctive "Mustang sound." My car sounds completely different even though it has the same mufflers because it has a very different firing order - this sets up different harmonics and pressures in the exhaust system. Both cars have a deep, throaty sound, but the firing order on a Ford V8 produces a smooth, monotone kind of sound that some describe as a "drone." The Chevy V8s have a more rhythmic, more interesting oscillating exhaust note that changes tone throughout the engine's revolution This is directly due to the way the firing order criss-crosses across the block.
My point is, it will be a deeper note, but the actual sound characteristics have a lot to do with the way the engine fires.