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      03-18-2019, 11:09 PM   #1
Soul_Glo
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R&T: The 10 Best-Sounding BMWs Ever Built

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The 10 Best-Sounding BMWs Ever Built

Inline fours. Inline sixes. V-8s. V-10s. V-12s. No matter what you're into, BMW has a great soundtrack for you.

BMW M1 Procar

The M1 Procar was a racing version of BMW's 1970s M1 supercar, powered by a 470-horsepower M88/1 inline-six that could rev to 9000 RPM and built for a one-make racing series. The series folded soon after it was founded, but thankfully the cars live on.





BMW M3 (E46)

The E46-generation M3 wasn't the last M car to get a naturally-aspirated straight-six—that award goes to the Z4 M. But the M3 is much more popular, which is why it's on this list. The engine, dubbed the S54, displaces 3.2 liters, and makes 332 horsepower.





BMW M3 GTR

The M3 GTR is an odd duck. Built to race in the American Le Mans Series, it used a purpose-built 4.0-liter flat-plane crank V-8 rather than a version of the straight-six in the road car. We got to drive one in 2018, and it was wonderful.





BMW M5 (E39)

If you've ever wondered what a German muscle car is like, look no further than the E39-generation M5. Its 4.9-liter S62 V-8 makes a deep, throaty burble, and makes plenty of torque. The perfect sport sedan? Maybe.





BMW in Formula 1

In the year 2000, BMW decided to team up with Williams and race in F1. This was the era of V-10 engines—and as a result, some of the best-sounding race cars ever.





BMW M5 (E60)

BMW's V-10 Formula 1 efforts trailed into the mid-2000s, inspiring the powertrain in the E60-generation M5 and E63-generation M6: A 500-horsepower naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V-10. It's the only V-10 engine BMW ever produced for the road.





BMW M3 (E90)

The E90-generation M3's V8 shares its same basic architecture with the V-10 in the E60 M5, just with two fewer cylinders. It displaces 4.0 liters, and makes 414 horsepower. The best part is, it could rev even higher than its V-10 sibling, with an 8500 RPM redline versus 8250.






BMW M3 (E30)

The first-ever M3 might not have the huge displacement or big power numbers of some of the other cars on this list, but it's still a gem. BMW offered the S14 inline-four in several different displacement sizes, and they all sound wonderful.





BMW M3 (E36, European-Spec)

In Europe, BMW gave the second-generation M3 the S50B32, a straight-six engine with over 300 horsepower. Who knows how much more popular this version of M3 would've been in the US had it gotten this engine.





BMW V12 LMR

Built to race at Le Mans in 1999, the V12 LMR features a version of the company's naturally aspirated S70 V-12 engine, which was also used in the legendary McLaren F1. It sounds as delightful as you'd expect.

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      03-19-2019, 12:11 AM   #2
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S85 had it hands down in the M6 offering, tho i may be biased
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      03-19-2019, 12:25 AM   #3
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M5 e39 FTW !
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      03-19-2019, 01:08 PM   #4
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Just knew they'd throw the raspy azz S54 in there, just knew it. Before you flame me, I've owned five different cars with that engine. They all sounded like shit, I didn't buy those cars for the sound.

Would've been even more hilarious had they included the S55 which is somehow worse.
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      03-19-2019, 03:29 PM   #5
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e46m was easily the worst sounding car I've ever owned. idk how i put up with that rasp for 4 years. s55 sounds much better.
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      03-19-2019, 04:18 PM   #6
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S54 > S55 all day
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      03-19-2019, 04:30 PM   #7
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S85 /endthread
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      03-19-2019, 04:31 PM   #8
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I agree an E46 M3 didn’t sound great. My M2 is much better.
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      03-19-2019, 04:42 PM   #9
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There's something so beastly and guttural about an opened up S62 exhaust setup. My old M5 had such a deep, chesty grunt in the low RPMs that no S65 can match. It literally felt like it was grunting at you and displacing air with ease. I loved it:

Skip to 1:03






Fuck, I miss that exhaust so much.

I am told the Dinan Stroker S65 combines the best of both V8s: the S62's low-end grunt with the S65's top end scream. God... I need one.
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      03-19-2019, 04:54 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Humdizzle View Post
e46m was easily the worst sounding car I've ever owned. idk how i put up with that rasp for 4 years. s55 sounds much better.
Inside the car I agree, but then again that noise is fake.
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      03-19-2019, 06:02 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by angelr View Post
S54 rasp is easily avoidable but stock in an e46 they do sound a bit crap....z4 is better.
Yep... The 3 hp trade to have better sound out of a Z4MC vs the E46 M3 is well worth it in my opinion!
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      03-19-2019, 06:02 PM   #12
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S54 rasp is easily avoidable but stock in an e46 they do sound a bit crap....z4 is better.
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      03-19-2019, 07:03 PM   #13
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I was looking at pictures of the S85 V-10 last night and still miss it! The sound was worth it. Hardly ever listed to the radio!
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      03-19-2019, 10:14 PM   #14
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Boy, that's pretty slim pickings that they had to throw a few race cars in there to get to 10
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      03-19-2019, 10:54 PM   #15
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Oh my god, that E39 M5.

Everything else pales in comparison.
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      03-19-2019, 11:04 PM   #16
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Naaa, you obviously never owned the S85 M6, NOTHING else that ///m has offered can compare.
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      03-19-2019, 11:39 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by m630 View Post
Naaa, you obviously never owned the S85 M6, NOTHING else that ///m has offered can compare.
You're right... and I understand people who love the sound of a V10, or a V12, or a straight six that revvs out to 15,000 rpm

And it's entirely personal taste, so there's no wrong answer. It would be awesome to have a street car that sounds like a formula 1 race car.

... But I just love that deep, lumpy sound of a big V8.
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      03-20-2019, 08:57 AM   #18
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Truetrue, cant go wrong, with either!
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      03-20-2019, 09:35 AM   #19
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Don't rule out the M30B35, that I6 sounds lovely as well, much more so then the S50/52
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      03-20-2019, 09:50 AM   #20
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S85 by a mile
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      03-20-2019, 09:56 AM   #21
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this thread literally proves: aside from a ferrari or lambo....sound is purely subjective just like color.

edit: s85 could just as well be a ferrari or lambo engine. i want one so bad...but would need to learn to tear down a engine before going bankrupt
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      03-20-2019, 10:23 AM   #22
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The S70/2 should be at the top of this list. I know its not technically a BMW car but it's a BMW engine.
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