BMW’s collaboration with Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer will extend beyond BMW i products. Today, BMW M announced that Hans Zimmer and Renzo Vitale, Creative Director Sound at the BMW Group produced a distinctive driving sound specially for electric M cars. “Every BMW has its own character, which is reflected in the sound it makes,” says film music creator and Academy Award winner Zimmer. “So for the electrically driven BMW M models we have developed a driving sound which accentuates their emotional driving experience particularly vividly and ensures their performance can be felt with even greater intensity.”
The first M model to get a special sound is the upcoming BMW i4 M50, the top model of the new 4 Series electric range. BMW says that the driving sound takes its cues from the driving situation at hand and the driver’s personal preferences. It can also be activated at the touch of button. When in Comfort mode, the sound creates a pleasant atmosphere inside the car. But when in SPORT, the sound delivered is more powerful and dominant. Only when the vehicle is in ECO PRO mode, the acoustic feedback reduced to nothing.
Furthermore, BMW mentions that the sound in the i4 M50 has a more technical profile and it’s far more engaging. “When you press the pedal of an M car, you suddenly get goosebumps all over your body,” says sound designer Renzo Vitale. “We translated this feeling into a drive sound that expresses a fusion of superior power and flowing energy.”
Hans Zimmer and Renzo Vitale had already co-developed the driving sound for the BMW Vision M NEXT revealed in 2019 (unfortunately now canceled) and the BMW Concept i4. The IconicSounds Electric comes as standard in the BMW iX and can be specified as an option for the BMW i4. The car also be installed via the Remote Software Upgrade. Future BMW M cars with an electric drivetrain will also get the special sounds.
