This Four-Cylinder BMW Sounds So Much Better With A Trick Exhaust

A new two-mode exhaust from Armytrix turns this dull-sounding BMW 530i into something much throatier and emotive
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Our biggest bugbear with the downsizing epidemic we’ve seen in Europe recently, and lately even in the ‘States, is that smaller engines usually sound worse than bigger ones.

There are some notable exceptions, like the tiny Fiat TwinAir engine, but that’s because it has two cylinders and character. Four-cylinder, turbocharged engines, which are taking over in larger cars in place of six-pots, simply sound a bit rubbish. BMW knows it, too.

This Four-Cylinder BMW Sounds So Much Better With A Trick Exhaust

That’s where tuners come in. Armytrix is one of the first to offer an exhaust setup that genuinely does seem to make a boring four-pot sound a bit fruity. What you’re looking at and listening to is a G30 BMW 530i. Its 2.0-litre engine has four cylinders, a healthy 248bhp and enough speed to keep you interested. What it doesn’t have is any kind of aural character, like the Jaguar F-Type 2.0.

In the video above, the app-activated exhaust valve starts off closed, and the 530i sounds every inch the four-cylinder car. Useful for sidling through the suburbs in the early hours without annoying anyone, but a bit… empty. With the valve opened and the car stationary, it sounds… well, it sounds like a four-pot with a loud exhaust.

On the other hand, when it launches away it does actually sound quite good. A throaty, gargly roar wraps its tendrils around the camera. While we wouldn’t say it sounds exactly like a six or V8, it’s a good effort and a massive improvement on the engine’s standard singing voice. Perhaps there’s yet hope that the new wave of overly sensible engines can be put to rights.

Source: CarScoops

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Comments

Anonymous

… The good old times when the 520i had a 2.0L inline 6 m50… Now you get a 530i that shoud be named 520i…

12/14/2017 - 11:02 |
48 | 0
Anonymous

Fake exhaust sound intensifies

12/14/2017 - 11:06 |
4 | 0
Chewbacca_buddy (McLaren squad)(VW GTI Clubsport)(McLaren 60

Sounds pretty good for a 4 pot

12/14/2017 - 11:14 |
8 | 0
Joshua Lue

BMW can stick their fake exhaust sounds where the glorious sun aint shining….give me a supercharged V6/8 Jag anyday for a proper sound.

12/14/2017 - 11:21 |
84 | 4

Still better than the M4

12/14/2017 - 14:48 |
10 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Won’t we all, no 4 pots sound amazing, except rally cars.. but emissions, fuel effiency and the market is requiring small engines. I’d take a 4.4 V8 BMW anyday over this, but this is the sad truth. Good for the environment though, and without that, we wont be driving any cars.

12/14/2017 - 15:42 |
0 | 0
dmackster1124

My dads Camry has more horsepower then that

12/14/2017 - 12:35 |
2 | 16

Your dads Camry has less character than that
Your dads Camry has less interior quality than that
Your dads Camry has worse suspension than that
Your dads Camry maybe sound worse than that, if it’s the 4 banger Camry (it sounds horrible)

And… Your dads Camry is worse than that. No surprises here

12/14/2017 - 16:49 |
12 | 2
Anonymous

4cylinders can sound awesome. Take Fiat’s 1.4MultiAir engines from the Abarth 500 and 124

12/14/2017 - 13:05 |
14 | 0
HAYABUSA

So we make fun of fartcans but not of this for some reason

12/14/2017 - 14:00 |
8 | 0

Because a 95bhp Honda Civic with a fartcan is a shitbox. A brand new 2017 BMW 530i is not..

12/14/2017 - 15:42 |
10 | 2
AJ_Lethal

I wonder why manufacturers don’t put these kind of exhausts in their models. Only GM (Corvette) and Porsche offer it.

12/14/2017 - 15:17 |
0 | 0

If your talking about the exhaust valves, Maserati has it too

12/14/2017 - 15:32 |
2 | 0

e46 (i think 328?) has a valve, mk4 golf r32 has a valve…. and i bet the newer ones didnt ditch them either

12/15/2017 - 07:12 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

This sounds like trash. If you’re buying a 530i there should be no reason to be modding for performance other than a piggyback or flash for the little extra umpfff. Personally I would just do wheels and suspension and call it a day. Enjoy the MPGs.

12/14/2017 - 15:22 |
4 | 0