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

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.

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