Whether it was for saving money by not having to cut real holes, or for some aerodynamic reason, automakers started dabbling with having fake exhaust tips on their cars. Sometimes they were convincing at a distance, and sometimes they were horrifically obvious. All of them were disappointing and unpleasant, especially when perfectly attractive rear bumpers can have completely hidden exhausts. Fortunately, according to BMWBlog, BMW won’t resort to the practice. Full M models like the M3 and the lighter M-prefix models like the M340i will retain genuine quad-tip pipes, and other models will simply hide their tips. And naturally, EVs just won’t have any at all. The decision comes at an interesting time, particularly with electrification. Certainly, some automakers are abandoning the fake exhaust idea, but others are leaning into faking not just the look, but the sensation of having an exhaust. Particularly with electric cars, the effect is mixed.
BMW
BMW is a German luxury car and motorbike manufacturer and current owner of Mini, Rolls-Royce, and Alpina. With roots dating back to 1913 as Rapp Motorenwerke, it officially became Bayerische Motoren Werke in 1922 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. BMW’s first car was built in 1928 when it built the Austin 7 under license from Dixi, which was called the BMW 3/15. BMW grew into a manufacturer of premium and luxury automobiles, launching iconic nameplates like the 3 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series, and is today known as one of the leading luxury automakers in the world, while the BMW M division is hailed as a leading manufacturer of performance cars.
- Founded
- 1916
- Founder
- Karl Rapp
- Headquarters
- Munich, Germany
- Owned By
- Publicly Traded
- Current CEO
- Oliver Zipse
BMW Isn’t The Only One To Abandon Fakes
Audi went to surprising lengths to do fake exhausts on some of their vehicles, creating real chrome tubes and affixing them to the back of the bumper. The company even applied the fake treatment to its performance vehicles such as the pictured Audi SQ5 Sportback. The extra sting here being that you’re already paying for a luxury vehicle, plus extra for the fast one, and the company couldn’t be bothered to route the actual exhaust through the bumper.
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Fortunately, last summer, Audi confirmed that it would leave the idea in the past. All of its next-generation models will get the real deal. And again, EVs won’t have any at all. We’d have liked it if they never faked the tips in the first place, but we’re glad Audi came to its senses.
You Wouldn’t Think This Would Be A Situation With EVs
With electric cars, there isn’t any exhaust pipe to have a tip. So it would seem like there wouldn’t even be a debate to have. Yet, fake exhaust shifts from fake tips to fake noise. The most prominent cases come from Stellantis with the new Dodge Charger and the electric Fiat 500 Abarth. Each effectively use tuned speaker boxes to emit powertrain noise not just within the car, but outside. The Abarth can emit a very classic four-cylinder rasp, and the Charger tries to blend futuristic noises with V8 rumble. In the case of the Charger, it doesn’t necessarily sound bad, but it’s also a little weird.
We’re also not sure this situation is as black-and-white as a fake tip. In fact, some credit should go to Dodge and Fiat for not also having fake tips with the fake sounds. But we know that sound does play an important role in the driving experience, especially like our subjects which have a history of signature exhaust sounds. So it’s not just the look, but the feel. Furthermore, these applications aren’t corner-cutting. It costs money to develop these things.
Related
The Dodge Charger EV’s Fake Exhaust Sounds Better Than Expected
The Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust is the closest thing to a V8 rumble in an EV, but it still won’t please everyone.
And coming back to experience, sounds can be fun. The Hans Zimmer-produced sounds in BMW EVs do add a bit of grandeur to acceleration, and no one has to know about it except the driver. Hyundai added not just fake engine sounds but fake gear changes to the Ioniq 5 N to provide more auditory feedback to your speed as a way to help with judging how much you need to slow down for corners, as well as the fun the noise can provide. It’s all still fake, but they can serve a purpose. The key is probably to let people switch the features on and off as desired, and they generally allow that. That way, both the haters and the lovers can be satisfied.
Source:
BMWBlog
