One of the best parts about the E46 M3 CSL was its noise. Not just its exhaust noise but also its induction noise. The 3.2 liter naturally-aspirated inline-six engine sported a carbon fiber intake plenum on the E46 M3 CSL and that helped it make one hell of an induction sound. So Evolve Automotive set out to try and recreate that sound by fitting a new carbon fiber intake plenum for the last naturally-aspirated M3 — the E92 BMW M3.
What they’ve done is fitted a highly modified E92 BMW M3 with an Eventuri carbon fiber intake plenum. Eventuri worked quite hard on developing this new plenum, specifically to increase and improve induction noise. The idea was to make it sound like the old-school M3 CSL, or at least as similar as possible.
So has it worked? Does this tuned E92 BMW M3 sound similar to the old-school M3 CSL? In style, yes it does but it doesn’t sound exactly like that car. Though, it was never going to, was it? The newer M3 uses a 4.0 liter V8 while the old car used a 3.2 liter I6. So the two engines are never going to sound the same. However, with the new carbon fiber intake, it sounds much closer to that car than before.
Thanks to that intake plenum, the induction noise is sharper, raspier and racier. It’s less filtered and rawer than before. That gives it a sort of style similar to the M3 CSL, which is famous for its induction noise. In fact, it might even sound better than the old CSL, only because BMW’s V8 in the E92 M3 is one of the all-time great sounding Bavarian engines.
The rest of the car is highly modified, with a carbon fiber vented hood, a ton of added aerodynamic tweaks, lowered suspension, new wheels and a stripped out interior. So it’s quite extreme. Still, the new air intake plenum makes the already great sounding car sound better. Plus, it looks awesome under hood.
