[jsedlak]

I think the conclusion so far is that people are detecting a distinct change in exhaust's burble and note when switching to Sport/Sport+, but there is no clear reason as to why it is happening.

I'm not exactly convinced that it is Sport/Sport+ doing it, though I admit I have not tested it thoroughly. The reason for my doubt is that the car, in general, feels weaker when cold. On a 26F day, the car feels like it is struggling on the first start. Once the car is warm, it comes alive and wants to go faster and faster. It feels playful instead of sluggish. Like a puppy jumping at the end of the leash.

This is as we would expect: a cold engine is not going to perform at its peak. But because the car has a turbo, I feel like the ECU is bypassing it either largely or completely so as not to harm the components while they are coming up to temperature. This "detune" could explain a relative lack of exhaust burble and/or tone.

For whatever reason, I have never put the car into Sport mode when the engine is cold so I could not comment if the burble is there regardless of engine temperature. My guesses here are simply that, so I apologize if they are way off base. Also note that I am a total novice when it comes to this stuff.