In the mid-2000s, before turbocharged BMW engines became commonplace, BMW crafted the S85 engine, a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V10 that found a home in the E60 M5 sedan and the E63 and E64 M6 coupe and cabriolet, respectively. Its 8,250-rpm redline produced a sonorous wail, the likes of which have never been repeated in any M car — but that’s about to change. The first-ever all-electric BMW M car is fast approaching, and while this, as a concept, is bound to infuriate some purists, the magicians in Munich are working to make the quad-motor driving experience as engaging as possible, and pre-recorded V8, V10, and turbocharged straight-six noises will form part of the company’s newly developed soundscape.
BMW M Is Ready to Make V10 Noises Again
A new video shared by BMW M on YouTube (embedded at the bottom of this article) shows a prototype of the electric BMW M3 (ZA0), as well as a trio of BMW’s most exciting M cars of yesteryear in an anechoic chamber, used for recording. The cars in question are the E92 M3 GTS, which boasted a 4.4-liter version of the S65 V8, an E64 M6 with the award-winning S85 V10, and an F82 M4 GTS, which got the S55, a 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six.
Related: Here’s Everything We Know About The Electric BMW M3
These three cars had microphones fitted to capture the noises of their engines, and BMW intends to use these sounds in the electric M3, blending them with the whir of electric motors to create the aforementioned soundscape. Naturally, we can expect the same sort of treatment for the recently confirmed G84 M4. And that’s not the only way M intends to entertain.
Electric BMW M3 Will Be a Technological Powerhouse
While an electric M3 may grate those who cling to the days when engines had sky-high redlines, turbochargers could be avoided, and cheating on emissions tests was commonplace, the march of progress stops for no automaker, and as EVs slowly begin to find their footing in global markets, BMW cannot afford to be left behind. Thus, the electric M3 will combine these retrofuturistic sound systems with simulated gear shifts, while the ability to decouple the powertrain’s front motor pair from that of the rear will sustain the ability to perform lurid drifts. BMW points out that past technological advances were initially criticized but ultimately lauded, and it’s right.
Not too long ago, the E92 M3 was said to be too luxurious, and the turbos of the F80 were condemned for depriving drivers of linear throttle response. Yet, neither characteristic caused a drop in sales, and through all its evolutions, the M3 has remained the sports sedan benchmark. And if that’s still not good enough for you, fret not — the next M3 and M4 will have combustion-powered counterparts, too.
