BMW's S54 inline six engine is known as one of the best-performing engines in the world, having won International Engine of the Year honors eight times.
However, some folks wouldn't agree that it sounds great from the outside. For those who care, endless debate has raged about the engine making non-sporty sounds, and about the "rasp" that was entirely present on the previous M3 engines (Euro-versions) but nobody seemed to notice until the S54 came along.
So I found this clip on YouTube, posted by someone named DerChrisX, that I think sounds fantastic. It almost reminds me of the unforgettable sound of the flat-crank V8 (which was F1 engine-based) from the great M3 GTR (raced by team Schnitzer and PTG in the US, until it was written out of the rules thanks to Porsche's whining).
In this clip, what's obviously a full-race M Coupe sounds like it's equipped with a sequential gearbox, and an S54 that is fully decked out. S54s in BMW CCA Club Racing are reported to be making near 430bhp these days, so who knows how much this one is making (anyone even want to guess at the displacement?). So, enjoy.
I would do some very illegal things to get a drive in one of those MCoupe RSR's (or whatever BMW is calling them).
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe they are not out there racing 911's all over the world.