A few years ago, BMW made waves by teaming up with Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer to give its electric vehicles a futuristic soundtrack. Now, the BMW Sound Design Studio is stepping things up for the next family of EVs. It has crafted a new generation of synthetic sounds under the “HypersonX” banner.
The goal? To recreate the immersive emotion of driving an ICE vehicle while enjoying the silence and smoothness of electric power. In Personal and Sport modes alone, there are 43 unique sound signals and special driving effects designed to simulate an engaging experience. Well, as engaging as it might be without a gas engine. But not everything is made by machines. BMW’s sound team even created a multilingual choir using the natural voices of their own employees.
To build HypersonX, BMW’s algorithm churned out over nine million sound variations. The team then manually selected the best ones for its upcoming Neue Klasse lineup. The first production model to feature this new soundscape? The next-gen iX3, set to debut in early September at the IAA Mobility show in Munich. It’ll be followed in 2026 by the i3 sedan, with at least four more models coming by 2028.
It’s not the first time we’ve heard the HypersonX term. BMW also used the marketing jargon when the Vision Neue Klasse X premiered, referring to its steering wheel. The conceptual electric SUV allowed drivers to change the sound generated in real-time by tapping on the steering wheel’s buttons. With HypersonX, BMW is trying to build a more emotional bridge between car and driver, even in the absence of a roaring engine. Compared to the earlier IconicSounds Electric, this new suite features fewer fundamental notes, but they’re now sharper, more dynamic, and crafted to “pop” with human-like character.
Sure, we still miss the growl of a V8 or the howl of an inline-six, but if the real thing is off the table, BMW is doing its best to give EVs a bit of soul. In fact, they’ve even teased a simulated straight-six for the upcoming electric M3. If you’d rather have the real deal, there will be another six-cylinder M3. Additionally, the V8 engines are here to stay as well. Source: BMW
