The BMW Group has announced HypersonX, a new EV soundscape concept it will offer in its forthcoming vehicles built on the Neue Klasse platform.
Developed by the BMW Group Sound Design Studio, it comprises 43 sound signals and special driving sounds for Personal Mode and Sport Mode. This multi-dimensional spectrum dynamically adapts the sounds to the driving situation at hand and, in so doing, aims to create more emotional interactions between the driver and their vehicle. The OEM cites the technological advances in hardware and software facilitated by Neue Klasse as the driving factor for HypersonX, as well as its upcoming BMW Operating System X and a newly developed control unit that together pave the way for this new audio architecture.
In both Personal Mode and Sport Mode, the drive sounds focus on the essentials, and are inspired by the tones of nature and structures from the worlds of art and science. HypersonX has fewer basic notes than the sound experience employed in previous BMW vehicles though, at the same time, BMW’s acoustic spectrum has grown to include a new ‘dimensional level’. This new level, BMW says, gives the sound more “colour”, depth and precision.
One of the main elements underpinning HypersonX is the all-new audio control unit developed specifically for the Neue Klasse platform, which enables an expanded dynamic range. Added to which, the spatial modulation of the drive sound achievable in the platform works to immerse vehicle occupants in the soundscape generated by HypersonX. When accelerating, for example, the EV gives the impression of moving between different three-dimensional layers of sound, conveying a feeling of speed and brand-familiar driving dynamics into the cabin.
Alongside these essential elements, BMW also highlighted the middle and lower frequency ranges of the HypersonX sound spectrum, which have been brought to the fore to create a well-balanced acoustic ambience. The soundscape also utilizes the voices of BMW Group Design Studio employees for its ‘welcome sound’, which features the various native languages spoken by these employees.
To offer an expressive and distinctive, but understated and sensitive feel, to the driving experience, BMW used a new algorithm to generate more than nine million sound instances for HypersonX. These instances were then filtered into a ‘brand-typical essence’ that, in turn, generated a cohesive, multi-dimensional, acoustic experience. Through this, BMW is ultimately aiming to create an emotional connection between the human and the vehicle across all driving situations, while bringing a positive, congenial and inviting feel to the acoustic presence of its Neue Klasse vehicles.
