Hmmm....while the old one sounded too teutonic (cold mallots), this new one is the other extreme: buzzy video games, or the ending to a movie trailer!
I guess with all their sound engineers, BMW must appeal to the younger generations and resonate with their interests. I'm sure this is the result of years of testing; too bad it wasn't simpler, somehow incorporating the tones/chimes we hear in BMW software today.
Honestly, from a marketing perspective (as a marketing instructor), any sounds resonating back to the actual product is best to establish that brand impression and emotional connection. Intel's gong (and its evolution) has established long-term "acoustic brand" impressions for many years; you hear it and know exactly that brand. Acoustics makes better sense for a brand you can't see everyday, such as computer chips, but you know you see a BMW when you do.
Oh well, as long as I don't hear that in my BMW I'm fine. And since we enthusiasts are becoming more and more the minority of customers to the brand, we take what we get.
