How to get that M4 exhaust note..

ChroniC

ChroniC

ChroniC

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My brother has a m4 competition, and there is nothing like that exhaust note..
I appreciate at 400+ bhp it's probably more to do with the engine than the exhaust itself, however my car has 250bhp+ (2ltr turbo) so not meger in anyway but just does not sound anything like as cool as when he turns over those quad exhausts...

I've consider a stainless steel system, with a muffler delete but I don't want to end up sounding like a bean tinned corsa. I'm wondering if it can be replicated to some degree.. Is there some tricky with baffles going on in that BMW or what?

Enlighten me, thanks.
 
What car do you have? If it’s not a 3.0 straight six then it probably won’t ever sound like a 3.0 straight six.
When I had my Z3 Coupe, I stuck an Eisenmann exhaust on it and it sounded rather fruity.
 
I believe that particular BMW uses a 3.0L turbo charged inline 6, where as I'm assuming yours has an inline 4 cylinder engine. To put simply, his engine has higher capacity and an extra 2 cylinders which can have a huge impact on the sound. I'm not sure any amount of custom exhaust will replicate that. My Golf (R32) sound miles better than any modern day equivalent, as they generally use a 2L inline 4 cylinder engines. Granted, they do have more power due to being turbocharged.

For example, if your friend was to compare his M4 to an M5 (Which I believe uses a V8) he would probably be thinking the same about his M4 as you do to your 2l. He can't just replicate the natural sound of a V8.
 
The out going M4 sounds like an old petrol mower that isn't working very well. Not a sound I'd chase tbh.

A decent exhaust could improve your exhaust note, but if you're running 4 cylinders it isn't ever going to sound like a 6er.
 
Yeah you can only compare similar set ups to be fair.

A turbo charged VTEC is never going to sound like an NA V12, if we're being silly about the illustration.
 
Put some decals of parts you don't own on your car windows.
Tint the windows
Add some lowering springs
Remove the backbox on the exhaust
Put the m4 badge on the back

Park in mcdonalds car park and rev

99% M4 at that point mate basically
 
mjt said:
What car do you have? If it’s not a 3.0 straight six then it probably won’t ever sound like a 3.0 straight six.
When I had my Z3 Coupe, I stuck an Eisenmann exhaust on it and it sounded rather fruity.
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Saab 93 aero, so your correct that it's an inline 4 cylinder. I appreciate its not a 3 litre straight six, and I don't want to be some tool that sounds like they're being a boy racer like some people are suggesting. I just have never heard even a 3 litre straight six sound quite like the M series before, so I wondered if there is some audiable tweaking going on, or I'm just uneducated on the noise of a decent engine.
Can anyone say that having a silent exhaust is as much fun as a decent note, especially if your car is no slouch..
An example of my car with a straight through is here and I don't really like it.
https://youtu.be/3kZH4x9s-0g
 
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naefeart said:
The out going M4 sounds like an old petrol mower that isn't working very well. Not a sound I'd chase tbh.
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There’s one down our street that the owners have chavved within an inch of its life (limo tints on every window except the windscreen, which instead has a giant black sunstripe, some godawful wheels, lowered so that it’ll scrape going up a lowered kerb, and no front numberplate). Somehow they’ve made it sound like a straight piped diesel on idle, and they love to idle it for 5 minutes before setting off :rolleyes:
 
Shadowness said:
Why are you trying to make a Saab sound like an M BMW?!

A Saab is (or was!) probably the most non tuner type of all cars ever!
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Non tuner? They can easily be tuned? I don't really want to argue about that but you can add 100bhp to them with some basic modifications.
I'd appreciate that people don't just on their high horses here, I'm not a chav trying to create a bean tin car, so no need for the gate keeping. I'm asking how to create a decent exhaust not with a fair powerful car (no where near a M4) but at the same time just getting a decent exhaust sound.
The M4 just happens to be what I consider a decent sound.
 
I meant that you very rarely see 'tuned' Saabs, as they are very much the librarian of the car world (or as I said.....were)

As you don't really associate a Saab with performance, having a 'sporty' exhaust note just seems a bit......wrong......on a car like that.

Just my 2c
 
@ChroniC, the problem is there are VERY few 4 cylinder cars that sound anything other than boring, or (when tuned) terrible.

Most of them that do sound “alright” are engineered to do so, and a handful of Alfa Romeo 4cyl engines sound genuinely good (GTV TwinSpark, 4C).

To get a relatively interesting exhaust note, you need a more interesting cylinder layout than 4 cylinders. Even 3 cylinder engines sound more interesting most of the time.
 
Shadowness said:
I meant that you very rarely see 'tuned' Saabs, as they are very much the librarian of the car world (or as I said.....were)

As you don't really associate a Saab with performance, having a 'sporty' exhaust note just seems a bit......wrong......on a car like that.

Just my 2c
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It's bang for buck that this stage for me. For less than 1500 quid you can have a 250+bhp car. I agree they're image was / is of a family saloon, anyway not a Saab employee (no one is anymore) so that's enough from me.
I had wondered of some sort of trickery going on with the shape of the exhaust. It's so raspy.

paradigm said:
@ChroniC, the problem is there are VERY few 4 cylinder cars that sound anything other than boring, or (when tuned) terrible.
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That a shame. I hoped maybe something could be done whilst being tasteful.
 
Some 4 cylinders sound good. Boxer engines, mid-engine cars (this one I think might be down to having a very short exhaust, the Alpine, Elise and 4C sound good). A loud exhaust on most others just sounds a bit barry.

Some of the modern v6/v8s don't even sound that good though. I know someone with a newish Audi S5 and that doesn't sound good at all. It's loud, but not a nice loud.
 
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naefeart said:
The out going M4 sounds like an old petrol mower that isn't working very well. Not a sound I'd chase tbh.
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Quite - I think it's the first time I've ever heard someone actually wanting their car to sound like an M4! Even M4 owners don't want their car to sound like an M4 :p
 
Out of all the exhaust notes out there, an m4 would not be the first one I'd strive for.

Having said that, the overrun pops and bangs are quite cool
 
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