Didn't vote yet -- I had two E39's and they each had different sounds when locking or unlocking.

I forget what year your (son's) E39 was (is) but I'm thinking I know what you mean by "wolf whistle" even though we don't have too many wolves whistling around these parts! My '98 E39 sounded more like a whistle (maybe a wolf?) but my '01 E39 sounded more like the E60 with just beeps.

If that's what you mean, I don't miss it anymore since I've not had it for three years. I will say that it took some getting used to back then!

 

The '97 Sport that I had sounded like it had swallowed a sailor who had been at sea for six months. On unlock, it gave the two pitch wolf whistle that guys on the prowl give good looking girls. On locking, it gave just one whistle with a sliding pitch which was exaclty the same whistle that a fellow gave a whistle-worthy female. I don't know when they quit adding that sound and some other neat stuff, but I particularly missed the wolf whistle. Had a lot of fun with the ladies by timing unlocking of the car. I always grinned and gave the car credit for the compliment. That car gave a lot of them a thrill and not just the cute ones. All seemed to like it so naturally, I liked it, too.

Based on the way the poll is going, I probably had one of the few E39 540s so equipped. Mine was made in March '96.

 

Yeah, that's the whistle I had on my '98 for sure. I can't say what year they changed it but I can say that my '01 did not have it.

What's a little different now, unless I'm simply forgetting or getting confused, is that the '01 beeped twice on locking and once on unlocking -- the opposite of the E60.

I guess I'll vote now that I also miss the "wolf".

 

I never liked the whistle...in fact, I got the new (2001-?) siren for my 1997 E39 that just beeps once for lock/arm, and twice for unlock/disarm. I think it sounds much cleaner and more modern.

To each his own!

 

I wish the 2004's had it. That sounds like so much fun making the car whistle at girls. I had to turn off our beep on the lock and unlock through the i-drive. That sound drove me nuts!!!