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M2 Technical Topics > S55 Engine / Drivetrain / Exhaust / Bolt-ons / Tuning > Differences between S55 (M2C) and N55 (M2)

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      02-12-2020, 10:37 AM   #1
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Differences between S55 (M2C) and N55 (M2)

Randomly found this video and I was actually impressed by the content

Don't know if this has already been posted but I think it's an interesting video that really shows how different the two engines are

Don't share this on the regular M2 forum

NOTE N55 in video is from M235i. The N55 in the M2 has a few upgrades and differences but overall the majority of the engine stays the same.


Last edited by Dav3; 02-18-2020 at 05:13 AM..
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      02-12-2020, 11:14 AM   #2
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Thanks for posting that video! I hadn't seen that one. It really explains many of the technological differences. This video should be posted in every M2 vs M2C thread to curtail misinformation.
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      02-12-2020, 11:27 AM   #3
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Page 6

Technical Training Guide S55 Engine
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      02-12-2020, 11:34 AM   #4
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He forgot to mention that the S55 uses a real twin exhaust pipe setup, unlike the N55, which has one pipe that branches off into two, of which accounts for the S55's "unique" sound..

I felt that was an important fact between the two motors
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      02-12-2020, 12:17 PM   #5
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I think the video was about technical facts. The exhaust sound is something that is up for debate. After 15,000 miles of exhaust break-in and running the flaps open in all modes but efficient, I don't hate the growl.
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      02-12-2020, 12:19 PM   #6
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I like the unique-ness of the S55. It may not be the best sounding engine ever made, but at least you can tell it apart from the other inline 6's. I do plan on adding an exhaust with a single mid pipe, to take care of some of the pingy-ness of it, but it'll never sound like a harmonious like a 2J unless you have PERFECTLY equal length DP's, or a single turbo. I'm perfectly fine with that.
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      02-12-2020, 12:28 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Conissah View Post
I like the unique-ness of the S55. It may not be the best sounding engine ever made, but at least you can tell it apart from the other inline 6's. I do plan on adding an exhaust with a single mid pipe, to take care of some of the pingy-ness of it, but it'll never sound like a harmonious like a 2J unless you have PERFECTLY equal length DP's, or a single turbo. I'm perfectly fine with that.
Sadly the S58 sounds pretty much the same.
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      02-12-2020, 12:42 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Conissah View Post
I like the unique-ness of the S55. It may not be the best sounding engine ever made, but at least you can tell it apart from the other inline 6's
I could live with the S55 exhaust sound, especially since the trade-off is a more robust motor..

However, I hate the exhaust's pops and burbles with a passion; it attracts too much attention and make the vehicle sound like it's built for a juvenile.

I'm probably the only guy in history that would flash tune, not because I need more power but to be able to toggle-control the obnoxious cold start and pop/burbles..
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      02-12-2020, 12:45 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
I could live with the S55 exhaust sounds, especially since the trade-off is a more robust motor..

However, I hate the exhaust's pops and burbles with a passion; it attracts too much attention and make the vehicle sound like it's built for a juvenile.

I'm probably the only guy in history that would flash tune, not because I need more power but to be able to toggle-control the obnoxious cold start and pop/burbles..
I guess I'm immature, because I like it. In parking garages, I purposefully put it into Sport+ to make them even louder. I usually drive around in Sport, so they aren't TOO bad, but my favorite thing to do is get into boost in 2nd or 3rd and quickly cut throttle. It releases a loud crack, love doing it. Should note that I'm 23, and I enjoy it, so maybe I'm the target market...?
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      02-12-2020, 01:17 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
I could live with the S55 exhaust sounds, especially since the trade-off is a more robust motor..

However, I hate the exhaust's pops and burbles with a passion; it attracts too much attention and make the vehicle sound like it's built for a juvenile.

I'm probably the only guy in history that would flash tune, not because I need more power but to be able to toggle-control the obnoxious cold start and pop/burbles..
You can't fully remove the pops and bangs with a tune. You can put it in the least aggressive setting to reduce them, but it'll still pop and bang under certain conditions. FWIW don't care for them either.
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      02-12-2020, 01:22 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
I could live with the S55 exhaust sounds, especially since the trade-off is a more robust motor..

However, I hate the exhaust's pops and burbles with a passion; it attracts too much attention and make the vehicle sound like it's built for a juvenile.

I'm probably the only guy in history that would flash tune, not because I need more power but to be able to toggle-control the obnoxious cold start and pop/burbles..
The first thing I did with my flash tune was turn off the cold start and decrease the burbles to as low as possible, and that’s on an M2!
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      02-12-2020, 01:22 PM   #12
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I rarely get the pops and burbles now. I had them all the time with the B58, quite liked it actually. I guess it was more the nature of how the sport/comfort modes worked. I drive in sport throttle a lot but typically leave the transmission at D1 and I guess it doesn't get the chance to overrun from higher RPMs much if at all.

In the F32 changing to sport put everything into sport so the pops would almost always be there.
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      02-12-2020, 01:35 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Conissah View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
I could live with the S55 exhaust sounds, especially since the trade-off is a more robust motor..

However, I hate the exhaust's pops and burbles with a passion; it attracts too much attention and make the vehicle sound like it's built for a juvenile.

I'm probably the only guy in history that would flash tune, not because I need more power but to be able to toggle-control the obnoxious cold start and pop/burbles..
I guess I'm immature, because I like it. In parking garages, I purposefully put it into Sport+ to make them even louder. I usually drive around in Sport, so they aren't TOO bad, but my favorite thing to do is get into boost in 2nd or 3rd and quickly cut throttle. It releases a loud crack, love doing it. Should note that I'm 23, and I enjoy it, so maybe I'm the target market...?
Well, I'm 11 years older than you but I'm still young at heart. Maybe if I was in my 20s, I probably wouldn't of mind the sound as much, I can't really say, TBH.

Regardless, the first time I heard pop & burbles in my new 2010 Mini JCW, I thought to myself; "WoW, this sounds cute but it will never catch on to standard BMWs; they're way too sophisticated to sound like this." Fast forward to 2018 and even the base 320i loaner car I had, emitted loud-ass pops and burbles..

I'm appreciate a good sounding exhaust as much as the next guy but in my humble opinion, no BMW with a 60k sticker price should sound like an old Honda, with a leaky exhaust pipe and bad timing. Just saying..

Glad you like and enjoy it

It's just not for everybody..
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      02-12-2020, 01:52 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Poochie View Post
I could live with the S55 exhaust sounds, especially since the trade-off is a more robust motor..

However, I hate the exhaust's pops and burbles with a passion; it attracts too much attention and make the vehicle sound like it's built for a juvenile.

I'm probably the only guy in history that would flash tune, not because I need more power but to be able to toggle-control the obnoxious cold start and pop/burbles..
^ Oh no you aren't the only one!

Whichever car company started the burbles BS, should be forced to drive a Yugo!
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Last edited by ChrisK; 02-12-2020 at 02:17 PM..
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      02-12-2020, 02:42 PM   #15
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I don't mind the burbles in Sport mode but Sport+ is pushing it for me because of the fact it's not real overrun but purposely done.

The N55 does sound better but I don't hate the S55 sound either, as one mentioned I enjoy those loud cracks you get when lifting after loading the boost up in 2nd or 3rd gear.
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      02-12-2020, 03:03 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlpsRider View Post
I think the video was about technical facts. The exhaust sound is something that is up for debate. After 15,000 miles of exhaust break-in and running the flaps open in all modes but efficient, I don't hate the growl.
The debate is so dumb though

S55 sounds perfectly fine in real life

Besides, ASD is the real issue. Exhaust sound is mostly inaudible on the interior.

The only time you actually do hear the exhaust on the interior is when you've opted for catless downpipes (illegal) or a very expensive system (titanium or catted dp's). And with these setups, it don't matter if you have the S55 or the N55, it will just all sound like muffled loud noise anyways.

The bottom line is, exhaust noise on modern BMW's shouldn't matter all that much to the driver. It's just not part of the driving experience. Buy a pre-2010 BMW if you can't live without it. It is what it is.
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      02-12-2020, 03:23 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisK View Post
Whichever car company started the burbles BS, should be forced to drive a Yugo!
Back in the day when you heard pops and bangs it was known as a backfire and you know what, you were damn embarrassed about it.

I feel like I have to yell get off my lawn now for some reason.
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      02-12-2020, 04:25 PM   #18
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Eeek. Posted in the wrong thread.

Post appropriate to this thread: Almost 4 months with the Akropovic exhaust: I love the general sound but I also feel a bit silly when it burbles in Sport+ now.
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      02-12-2020, 04:40 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlpsRider View Post
Thanks for posting that video! I hadn't seen that one. It really explains many of the technological differences. This video should be posted in every M2 vs M2C thread to curtail misinformation.
Except it does continue the misinformation about the bore/stroke being different on the S55 va the N55. According to the bmw tech manual posted in the third post on this page, the s55 shares its bore and stroke with the n55. I think bmw published some tech document with a typo, so it’s an understandable mistake, but it’s a mistake none the less.
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      02-12-2020, 04:49 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moflow View Post
Except it does continue the misinformation about the bore/stroke being different on the S55 va the N55. According to the bmw tech manual posted in the third post on this page, the s55 shares its bore and stroke with the n55. I think bmw published some tech document with a typo, so it’s an understandable mistake, but it’s a mistake none the less.
Hmm, I was surprised on that one myself. I'd never heard of a unique bore and stroke on in the S55 engine. Good catch!
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      02-12-2020, 09:18 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Conissah View Post
I guess I'm immature, because I like it. In parking garages, I purposefully put it into Sport+ to make them even louder. I usually drive around in Sport, so they aren't TOO bad, but my favorite thing to do is get into boost in 2nd or 3rd and quickly cut throttle. It releases a loud crack, love doing it. Should note that I'm 23, and I enjoy it, so maybe I'm the target market...?
Nope ! I’m 41 and I love every single noise this car makes ...love the cold start and the pops and crackles are great . I am not sure about the Autos but I also like that pop it makes inbetween shifts during spirited acceleration ..... weather it’s fake out of the speakers or if it’s real it’s doesn’t matter BMW hit it out of the park with this car IMO
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      02-13-2020, 08:23 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ROBM2C View Post
Nope ! I’m 41 and I love every single noise this car makes ...love the cold start and the pops and crackles are great . I am not sure about the Autos but I also like that pop it makes inbetween shifts during spirited acceleration ..... weather it’s fake out of the speakers or if it’s real it’s doesn’t matter BMW hit it out of the park with this car IMO
My Dad, who is near 60, loved the sound it makes, he spent a couple minutes just listening to it and revving it in the garage. Haven't quite convinced him to get behind the wheel, but I'm working on it lol.
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