The sound of the BMW Z4M - Pyrenees (Video)

J

JT_0306

Member
 London
Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avfePZHgyXQ&feature=youtu.be

Engine sounds up to 3:32. Exhaust sounds from 3:33 to end.

A while ago I posted a short video I made of a drive I did around Europe. The original post is here: https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=98106.

In that previous post I said I would make another video focusing on the sound of the engine within a few days. Well, 18 months later and I finally did it! As per the video description on YouTube:

This video has less editing and no music over the top. Just the raw engine and exhaust sounds :evil: This was all filmed with a Go-Pro and the audio was captured using an external microphone.

This was in my early years of driving and my first time driving on the right. So please excuse some dodgy down-shifts.

I hope you enjoy it :D

For anyone interested, today I have also posted a couple of pics of the car on my wedding day in the gallery forum, here: https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=107&p=1608807#p1608807
 
Nice video , what is the build quality like on the Hayward Scott boxes, do you have a pic ? I’m thinking of getting some myself
 
Joneeboy said:
Cool, JT! Thanks for sharing. Oh to have a month off and do that!
Click to expand...

Thanks! And yep, it's a great benefit to have. I get it once every 4 years and I just hit 8 years on Friday so I am in the early stages of planning the next one. Last time was the Pyrenees and the Alps. This time I am thinking either 1) UK with a focus on NC500, 2) Nordics, 3) Eastern Europe (Slovenia, northern Croatia, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic). :driving:

Although I have a few other things I need to do this year, so I may only be able to dedicate one or two weeks to driving.
 
Matt.13 said:
Nice video , what is the build quality like on the Hayward Scott boxes, do you have a pic ? I’m thinking of getting some myself
Click to expand...

Thanks!

I don't have any close up pics but you can see them on the car in this album (first and last pic): https://imgur.com/a/THWif

I have only owned two cars, but Z4MRs with this exhaust on. So do not have anything to compare them to in terms of quality. That said, I got my first Z4MR about 5 years ago and have not had any issues with the exhausts in that time. However, "Yorkie Z" on this forum has also seen the exhausts up close and so may have an opinion.

Aside from build quality I can share a few thoughts on them, in case helpful. Although I don't have anything to compare them to apart from the stock exhausts. If you can get yourself to one of the Forum (or other Z4) meetups you may be able to hear a few of the different options. So, my thoughts:

1) Unsurprisingly, they are considerably louder than stock. They are not deafeningly loud, when cruising you can still have music on and hear and enjoy the music. But they are fairly loud. That said, that is why I like them. My second car came with the stock exhaust on and by comparison they just seemed too quiet and a bit uneventful unless I was really driving hard, so I really missed the H&S.
2) The tone is quite different. They are quite deep in low revs compared to stock. Once you are getting to 4,000+ revs it starts to get closer to the 'rasp' of the stock, but a bit 'meatier'. You may be able to hear this in the vid I posted. I quite like the meaty/throaty sound to them and appreciate having some noise at lower revs.
3) The main downside of point (2) is that there is some drone. In my experience the drone is fairly intrusive but only really present between around 1,800-2,000 revs. So quite a narrow ~200rpm band. This is a pain if you need to cruise at ~50mph in 6th, but not too bad with cruise control on and you can always put it in 5th or adjust your speed a bit to get out of the band where you hear it. I see this as an annoyance but a minor 'cost' compared to the (subjective) gains elsewhere.
4) No impact on power. I dyno'd the car when I was getting the air intake and the remap. They did a step-by-step comparisson, starting stock, then adding exhaust, then the intake, then the remap. On its own, the exhaust made no difference. You can read more here: https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=86963&start=15


Overall, I really missed the sound without the H&S. I don't know how it compares to other options. If I could get the louder, throatier and to my ears better sounds (mid-tone especially) without the drone then that would be great. It is also worth noting that the intake has a big impact on the noise and that could do the job you are looking for without an exhaust.

Lastly, if I recall correctly I think Yorkie Z found them too loud (he inherited them on my old car before removing them) and he went down the route of augmenting the OEM exhaust, which I know a few have done on here.

I hope this helps! Happy to answer any questions.
 
JT_0306 said:
Joneeboy said:
Cool, JT! Thanks for sharing. Oh to have a month off and do that!
Click to expand...

Thanks! And yep, it's a great benefit to have. I get it once every 4 years and I just hit 8 years on Friday so I am in the early stages of planning the next one. Last time was the Pyrenees and the Alps. This time I am thinking either 1) UK with a focus on NC500, 2) Nordics, 3) Eastern Europe (Slovenia, northern Croatia, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic). :driving:

Although I have a few other things I need to do this year, so I may only be able to dedicate one or two weeks to driving.
Click to expand...
if Jembo or I organise a rune in Kent/Sussex, you'll have to come and join us, JT. :thumbsup:
 
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