BMW i8: the Musical
Throughout the years, BMW has earned a reputation for developing engines with amazing exhaust notes. From the buttery-smooth revs of their inline 6, to the guttural roar of the last M3’s V8 and the high-pitched banshee scream of the M5’s V10, every engine that came out of the Bavarian company had its own unmistakeable sound.
With the unveiling of the new i8, BMW fans (like yours truly) were worried about what kind of noises would be coming from this car. With a 1.5 L, 3-cylinder engine, we thought the company’s next-gen sport car would sound more like a Geo Metro than one of Germany’s finest.
The fan forum Bimmerpost posted a short video from an i8 at full throttle, and you can distinctly hear the tiny engine working.
Go check the video, and hear the sounds of 3 cylinders at full load for yourself! I’m impressed, it actually sounds like a V8!
But, if you check out the Bimmerpost forum, things get even better. They talk about the ASD system, (which pipes fake engine noise trough the speakers) and mention that while it will be standard on the i8, this pre-production model doesn’t have it. So that is actually raw engine noise. Weirdly, the ASD will also be used outside the car via a speaker in the fake left exhaust, so everyone will hear how much fake engine noise you can make… i8 that system (Sorry, I had to make that joke).
Another, more useful speaker will be placed in the front bumper of the i8 to alert pedestrians of the car's approach. When in full-electric mode, the BMW will alert pedestrian of its coming by emitting a howling type of sound (whatever that means).