Well good for them! Hat’s off to Audi’s marketing mavens for realizing that the people who can afford a V10 R8 are exactly the type of people who wouldn’t buy one cause the engines are known for sounding like shit. I mean, even a pistonhead could mistake the BMW M5’s V10 for a diesel at idle or a F1 car at full chat (which may or may not be a good thing). Personally, I’ve never met a V10 that sounded any other way. Not to overuse the scatological metaphor, but as the Brits would say, the engine config falls between two stools. Not as drop dead sexy as a V8 or as suave as a V12. This V10 sounds OK, although I’m a little suspicious of the mix. To these Peter Frampton assaulted ears (Do you hear like I do? I SAID…), the Audi’s audio sounds highly processed. Also, we’re not privy to the powerplant’s sonic signature from inside the cabin—a particularly important aural perspective given that the engine pretty much rests on your shoulders. Again, the first step towards fixing a problem is admitting you have it. Sounds like Audi’s on Step 3. At least.
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I think it sounds good… it’s hard to tell because they cut the video every 1.4 seconds instead of showing a continuous shot where you can actually hear the entire progression of the engine.
I was waiting for that video to make my final purchase decision. I guess I’ll buy the Civic instead.
I don’t understand why anyone builds a V-10. Just make a slightly larger or slighter more boosted V-8 if more power is wanted. OK, I do sort of understand how most V-10s came to be. Ford and Dodge V-10 truck motors were it was the quick and easy way to make more grunt when refinement didn’t matter. Use the CAD program to cut-and-paste another pot at the end of each cylinder bank and hit the CAD-CAM print button. Then the Viper got a V-10 because it was a further copy-and-paste job from a Dodge truck with a touch of aluminum alloy tossed on the fire. Hatchet jobs one and all. Sometimes a hatchet is just the tool called for, but rarely.
A V-12 I understand. Silky smooth. Two already naturally balanced straight sixes joined at the hips. Elegance indeed. Nobody needs a silk jacket, but a nice one sure is sweet.
But a V-10? Two already erratic firing straight fives joined up. For an expensive supercar. Why, oh why? Never mind, this from the people who brought you the W8, VR6, W12, W18 and more straight-5s than the rest of the world put together. VW just loves to build obscure engine configurations to prove they can, I guess.
I’m still waiting for an Inline 10.
Here you go, Jordan Tenenbaum
Wikipedia Straight 10
And only 58,600 BHP!
I think it sounds good. Is original, has character and a nice mid-range note that I prefer to a high pitched wail or a low end thump.
The V10 config seems like a marketing move to me and I’m glad I didn’t jump on the original model with the V8. I think I’ll prefer driving mine with the 10.
I’m not sure this matters, really. I think people who like the way V8s and I6s sound do so because that’s what they grew up on. I started my driving life with inline fours and like the immediate, slightly coarse snarl. I think V8s sound rude and sixes uniformly remind me of taxi cabs.
I’ve never been privvy to a V10. I’d appreciate the chance to find out if they sound bad.
“I’ve never met a V10 that sounded any other way.
Sounds like you may not have sampled a Gallardo….the only sonorous V10 I’ve ever heard, esp when the dual mode exhaust opens up at WOT.
If the R8 V10 sounds the same, it’s a winner.
The Gallardo’s V10 is actually pretty good, at least in videos. Sounds like a lower-register old school Formula 1 engine. It isn’t a match for a Ferrari V8, but certainly better than say a Viper.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgMlOosAKXM
The Audi however sounds tame like an I5. Not bad, just boring.
I second Doctorv8 re: the sweet sounding Gallardo. And since it is the same company building both power plants we should expect it to be sound similar.
The Porsche Carrera GT’s V-10 is the best sounding engine on the planet. And it definitely doesn’t sound like a diesel at idle.
If I am not mistaken the R8 has the Lamborghini V10 in it. It would make sense as it is sitting on a Lamborghini platform (Gallardo) as well.
Would someone please enlighten me. Why don’t I-5’s (and by extension V10’s) sound/act as smooth and refined as an I-6? What about it makes it erratic and unrefined?
Edit: So I just listened to the video and I think it sounds nice.
BlueEr03: Simplified… I-6 & V-12 engines are naturally balanced, as the pistons are all either at the top, bottom, or middle of their cycle when one of them is firing. This keeps forces on the crankshaft in balance. Other piston configurations require extra effort to balance the crank and keep vibration at a minimum. I’m sure a mechanical engineer can describe it better/more accurately.
…and psarhjinian, Taxi cabs?? W T F?!
–chuck
Flip at Johnny Random could probably tell you exactly how processed that sound was.
I hear a tin-pan like rattling throughout that sounds like processing noise.
+You’re not going to get very good sound off of YT; Vimeo maybe would be better.
Not to mention the claim of 1.20g on the skidpad. Um, no. There’s a reason why Edmunds wasn’t able to test the g claim when they drove it.
Until you can test this thing, I’m simply not going to believe it.
@psarhjinian
“sixes uniformly remind me of taxi cabs”
Are you referring to Checker Marathons?
I rode in them quite often as a kid. Also, our neighbor who was a real estate agent owned a robin egg blue Checker that she bought new from the factory.
However, every cab I have ridden in since the early ’80s has been powered by a Ford or Chevy V8. Do they use different vehicles as cabs in Canada? Sorry if I sound provincial. I’m just curious.
there’s a Viper that lives down my street, it’s the only Viper i’ve heard and it sounds so weird/bad i’m not convinced it isn’t a replica, so i guess it’s probably actually real haha.
on Top Gear etc they always go on about how good Ferraris (F430 scuderia etc) sound, but to me they sound tinny, whiny and high pitched.
the best sounding car i’ve heard through TV was the 5th Gear review of the Maserati GranTurismo. heaven
However, every cab I have ridden in since the early ’80s has been powered by a Ford or Chevy V8. Do they use different vehicles as cabs in Canada? Sorry if I sound provincial. I’m just curious.
Impalas (new ones) seem to be the default, followed by Crown Vics and Caravans. I’m starting to see Sonatas, too.
To answer Chuck: it’s because sixes sound like they’re hardly working, save for the irritating noise that Infiniti’s VQ3.5 makes. Again, I grew up revving bejeezus out of a four-cylinder that was right under my seat, so I’m a little skewed.
I guess everyone has their preference, but the ideal sounding engine is the very high revving one of almost any number of cyls. F1’s sound particularly manly with 8 cyls @ (up to) 19k rpm.
Closest sound you are probably going to get (still sold new) is an inline-4 600cc japanese sportbike. I don’t think anything that is street legal is sold revs that high. I think some of the models top out at over 17k rpm these days.
Googling, the cbr250rr usued to go between 18-21k rpm