BMW Vision M Next Will Feature Sounds by Famous Composer, Music Legend Hans Zimmer
The legendary Zimmer will help bring BMW’s electric concept car to life with perfectly crafted sound.
BMW has reportedly hired famous composer Hans Zimmer to create the soundtrack to its new concept car, the Vision M Next. The acclaimed musician will create a series of symphonic sounds to help bring the freshly unveiled electric vehicle to life.
Many electric cars make almost no sound at all, and even hybrids like the Prius can sneak through the Whole Foods parking lot almost undetected. Not BMW, whose mostly electric i8 uses a speaker placed into one of its “exhaust” openings to play different sounds depending on the car’s current drive mode. The company’s i3 also uses exterior speakers to alert pedestrians of an oncoming vehicle.
Inside the car, however, those sounds don’t do much to enhance the driving experience. That’s about to change with the newly unveiled BMW Vision M Next concept car. The company has hired on Zimmer, a man whose composition work has spanned decades of movie and other big-name production music scores, to create a variety of sounds for the new car.
Hans Zimmer
, BMWZimmer describes how his work changes the driving experience by saying, “When the driver interacts with the accelerator pedal it is not only a mechanical touchpoint but also a performative element. Accelerating becomes an experience during which the driver moves through a series of gradually morphing sound textures.” In other words, it isn't going to be a Hellcat, but it probably won't sound like a vacuum cleaner, either.
BMW is calling the project IconicSounds Electric, which will be in the M Next and other future electric cars from the company. It’s unclear exactly how the sounds will be implemented or what they’ll actually sound like, but we’re hoping they’re not relaxing enough to lull drivers to sleep while on the road.
