Acceleration Sound Face-off: BMW M4 vs. M2

A BMW M2 goes side-by-side with a BMW M4 Performance car to check out which one has the winning acceleration sound. This footage was taken from the Bugatti circuit of Le Mans before the two cars make a departure.

Their exhausts definitely have two very different sounds. The BMW M2 is powered by a 6 cylinder engine with 370 HP and the BMW M4 has 431 HP. The former is a single turbo that combines the six exhaust pulses of the cylinders facing off with twin turbo that combines the three cylinders each, while the latter has separate dual exhausts routing all the way to the tips. The BMW M2 accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds while the BMW M4 is a millisecond quicker at 4.4 seconds.

With the BMW M4 in this footage, the acceleration sound is clearer and louder. For most enthusiasts, this sound is incredible. It sounded more open – hungry for the drive. It roars power from the very beginning and is definitely a thrill to hear. It sounds like a true-blooded race car and that cannot be contested.

The BMW M2’s acceleration sound on the other hand appears to be more soulful – a deep kind of mellow sound that some enthusiasts would prefer over the M4’s sound. Somehow at some point, the M2 does sound meaner than the M4. This definitely becomes obvious as the cars pull away. The secret to this sound is most likely the large single mid pipe that makes the S55 engine sound proper.

In the end, it is still based on preference and opinion. The winning sound will vary from person to person and both cars do sound very good! Factoring in the price, the M4 being a lot more expensive than the M2, which do you choose?

Thank to Cars Passion 2016 for this video!