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The 10 Best-Sounding BMWs Ever Built
Inline fours. Inline sixes. V-8s. V-10s. V-12s. No matter what you're into, BMW has a great soundtrack for you.
BMW M1 Procar
The M1 Procar was a racing version of BMW's 1970s M1 supercar, powered by a 470-horsepower M88/1 inline-six that could rev to 9000 RPM and built for a one-make racing series. The series folded soon after it was founded, but thankfully the cars live on.
BMW M3 (E46)
The E46-generation M3 wasn't the last M car to get a naturally-aspirated straight-six—that award goes to the Z4 M. But the M3 is much more popular, which is why it's on this list. The engine, dubbed the S54, displaces 3.2 liters, and makes 332 horsepower.
BMW M3 GTR
The M3 GTR is an odd duck. Built to race in the American Le Mans Series, it used a purpose-built 4.0-liter flat-plane crank V-8 rather than a version of the straight-six in the road car. We got to drive one in 2018, and it was wonderful.
BMW M5 (E39)
If you've ever wondered what a German muscle car is like, look no further than the E39-generation M5. Its 4.9-liter S62 V-8 makes a deep, throaty burble, and makes plenty of torque. The perfect sport sedan? Maybe.
BMW in Formula 1
In the year 2000, BMW decided to team up with Williams and race in F1. This was the era of V-10 engines—and as a result, some of the best-sounding race cars ever.
BMW M5 (E60)
BMW's V-10 Formula 1 efforts trailed into the mid-2000s, inspiring the powertrain in the E60-generation M5 and E63-generation M6: A 500-horsepower naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V-10. It's the only V-10 engine BMW ever produced for the road.
BMW M3 (E90)
The E90-generation M3's V8 shares its same basic architecture with the V-10 in the E60 M5, just with two fewer cylinders. It displaces 4.0 liters, and makes 414 horsepower. The best part is, it could rev even higher than its V-10 sibling, with an 8500 RPM redline versus 8250.
BMW M3 (E30)
The first-ever M3 might not have the huge displacement or big power numbers of some of the other cars on this list, but it's still a gem. BMW offered the S14 inline-four in several different displacement sizes, and they all sound wonderful.
BMW M3 (E36, European-Spec)
In Europe, BMW gave the second-generation M3 the S50B32, a straight-six engine with over 300 horsepower. Who knows how much more popular this version of M3 would've been in the US had it gotten this engine.
BMW V12 LMR
Built to race at Le Mans in 1999, the V12 LMR features a version of the company's naturally aspirated S70 V-12 engine, which was also used in the legendary McLaren F1. It sounds as delightful as you'd expect.