BMW Will Use Pre-Recorded V10 Sounds For Electric M Cars
Earlier this month, BMW sparked controversy among purists by announcing that electric M cars would use “a newly developed soundscape.” A vague statement like that is open to interpretation, but the same question was on everyone’s lips: fake engine noises? Well, yes and no. Although next year’s M3 ZA0 won’t have a gas engine, the sounds it’ll make will come from a real engine.
Attached at the bottom of the page, a new video shot inside an anechoic chamber features three M cars with engines sporting different cylinder counts. From left to right, the M3 GTS (E92) hides a naturally aspirated 4.4-liter V8 (S65) under its Fire Orange hood. Sitting front and center is an M6 E64 with its legendary 5.0-liter V10 (S85). Joining the two naturally aspirated cars is the M4 GTS, powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six (S55).
BMW installed microphones to accurately capture the engine’s notes. All it took were a few engine revs to partially melt the mic’s fluffy windscreen. In the electric M3, you won’t hear those ICE notes as-is. Instead, the engine music will be blended with the electric motor’s whir to create the soundscape we mentioned earlier.
We’re sure this will be an opinion-splitting feature. Some will dismiss it as nothing more than a gimmick. Others will see it as an enhancement to the driving experience. As long as there’s a way to turn it off, it shouldn’t be a problem. Regardless of which side you’re on, BMW deserves credit for using actual M cars to capture authentic engine notes. It could’ve relied entirely on artificial sounds.
The rest of the video focuses on the M3 ZA0’s hardware. However, BMW points out that the prototypes were using early technology at the time of filming. The company hints that significant progress has been made since then, ahead of the production model’s launch next year. We also get a look at the front and rear axles, each with an electric motor per wheel. Side note: drivers will be able to disengage the front motors for a pure RWD setup.
There’s also a glimpse of the battery pack, developed specifically for M EVs with more than 100 kWh of usable energy. For reference, the related Neue Klasse iX3, with its sixth-generation battery tech featuring round cells, has a net capacity of 108.7 kWh. In the M3, BMW will bolt the battery to the front axle, and it will act as a structural component to stiffen the vehicle.
The M3 ZA0 will arrive after the regular i3 NA0, essentially an electric 3 Series set to premiere later this year. Also in 2026, the combustion-engined sports sedan will switch to the next generation (G50) with a spicy inline-six M3 (G84) following in 2028.
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
