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Don’t forget idle. Whether Bimmers, Audis or Lambos, V10s sound like the Four Hoarse Men of the Opera-calypse at full chat. But I’ve yet to hear one that sounded even vaguely stimulating at idle. (Remember the SRT-10 pickup?) On the other hand, the E39 BMW M5 V8. Or . . . what?
83 Comments on “Ask the Best and Brightest: What’s the World’s Best Sounding Passenger Car Engine?...”
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Say what you will about their interior materials, low-tech suspension, and outdated engines, but Mustang GTs consistently have the most bad-ass sounds coming from the tailpipes.
I was crossing an intersection on foot today, and caught a glimpse of an Audi A4… no S4… waitasec, it’s an RS4! And the guy decided to rev it high into first gear as he went up the hill.
Frikkin’ beautiful sound.
I generally like the sound of a finely-tuned, high-revving V8 — RS4, M3, F430, A8, …
The Mazda KL03 V6 in a Ford Probe GT sounds like a piece of precision engineering at 6000 rpm.
The inline six of the Triumph TR6 – mechanical music.
The Mazda KL may sound good at 6000rpm, but it sounds WAY better at 7500rpm (its stated redline). It seriously sounds like an exotic!
Another stellar sounding motor is of course the Mazda 13b, renesis or otherwise. Especially ported ones.
Basically any street car that is pretty cheap but can sound like a Ferrari (the KL V6) or an F1 car (the rotary) gets me excited.
I like the way my turbocharged 1.8 Mazda BP sounds as I bang it off the rev limiter rowing through the gears but it just doesn’t have the same sexy sound of the two mentioned earlier.
It has already been mentioned but I second the Audi S4/RS4 V8. WOW what amazing noise from such an understated car. If that noise were to come from say a Lambo, I could care less. From a medium-sized luxury/sport sedan though, wow.
Porsche Carrera GT anyone?
Anything with an AMG badge on it.
“Porsche Carrera GT anyone?”
Truly. A sound not of this world.
That said, it’ll surprise no one if I name any number of Porsches, although it partly depends on the exhaust/muffler.
Which brings up a point: when we talk about engine sound, are we really talking about the engine? Case in point: the narrow angle VAG 3.2 VR6 motor is found in several Audis and VWs, and yet, sounds markedly different from one to the next. Obviously, it’s the exhaust.
I should note that the Mk IV R32 with flapper open was pretty awesome. I’ve seen several Ferrari owners ask R32 owners to give them a sample. It’s that good.
Mustang GT with the 5.0 engine.
C63, hands down. As far as passenger cars goes that is.
I’ve always been a sucker for the 911.
That said, the V10 in the Lamborghini Gallardo makes an amazing noise, too.
Maserati GranTurismo
2nd the Mazda KL engines, especially the JDM KL-ZE.
and of course the e36/e46 2.5/2.8 engines
and any Nissan with the RB-series straight 6 (R.I.P)
I was born to the sounds of Top Fuelers, teethed on Can-Am and F5000, raised on a steady diet of the sounds of 911’s.
These days I really dig the sound of turbo diesels under strain of 4 wheel drive and 35 inch tires!
I know, I’m sick. I’ll go climb under a rock now.
Hmmm…V8s…the M3, C63 and RS4 all come to mind. Having taken a ride in an M3, the sheer vocal range, from off-idle gurgle to race-car buzz-saw at high rpms made the V10 M5 seem somewhat one-dimensional, by comparison.
But then, the shriek of a BMW 3.2 straight six with open pipes is similarly invigorating.
Mazda V6s sound syrupy where others sound like sewing machines…
It’s hard to find any fours that sound great nowadays, but the first-generation Miata still has one of the sweetest sounds of any fuel-injected four. The chatter of a naturally aspirated Subaru boxer comes close, though.
Mark me weird, but personally, one of the most entertaining sounds in the automotive kingdom is a 3-cylinder engine at full chat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aqS4LpiXJc
This one’s a Maruti/Suzuki Alto. When we got one, a friend declared it sounded like 1/4th of a Lamborghini.
Why not have a blind survey where we submit sound samples of our own vehicles with a “vote for the best sounding” survey and a “guess the vehicle” contest?
Frankly, IMO, the bulk of “good” or “bad” in the sound of an engine seems to largely stem from the tuning of the exhaust and intake. A bad system can make any car sound like garbage, a good one and a lawnmower can sound cool.
That said, the engines (with good exhausts) that have caused me to swivel my head and ask “whatwazzat?” have been V-12s and Ducati twins.
To each his own.
Bunter
niky-A lot of bike guys adore Triumph triples. I suspect a lot of people choose to love the sound of cars they like. That is why I put more store in the sound that swiveled my head before I saw the car. Cuts out the emotions attached to brand and configuration.
Bunter
Nothing can compare to the melodious tones on a Chevy 454 V8. Perhaps the only reason to bail out GM.
I was at the GM Proving Grounds one time when they were doing brake testing on the STS-V. The Supercharged Northstar Twin Cam sounded wicked.
Ducati. Any Ducati. At any engine speed.
Mopar 5.7 and 6.1L HEMI-badged V8s
and
BMW S54B32 I6
V12 – That must be Bizzarini’s V12, in top sonic form in the countach QV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZTYmQAFVwI&feature=PlayList&p=A4B69BA95A072C6F&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=11
Of course, the original testarossa is close to sonic Nirvana: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu-FZecEch8&feature=related
V10 – I think the aforementioned Carrera GT beats the Audi, hands down: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE_WqdKbTvY (skip to 1:50)
V8:
It’s not my favorite ferrari, but someone else turned me onto it – the five-valve 355 takes the cake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhPFubhO0qA
And it’s kind of a dweeby car, but the McLaren Merc has to be mentioned, as it simply sounds unreal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHGeZ45saKw (skip to 2:00)
Runners up:
The 8C Competizione: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8br0BHXqjt4&feature=related
V8 Vantage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJXUSrfc_PA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uju2r2DLpuE&feature=related
ZR1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S7xbxuaXrA (great bit at 1:30)
The king of all, though, is the BRM v16:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBKUQPjQ16I&feature=related
A passenger car should be quiet enough for the driver and passenger(s) to carry on normal conversation without compensating for vehicle noise. I’d probably go for an LS Lexus.
Now if the heading had said “sports car” . . . .
“Tuned” exhaust just seems very 1990s.
Soooo hard to pick any single one.
The old Ferrari F355 is still the best sounding Ferrari, although the one time I’d heard a Ferrari Daytona was music to my ears as well.
Being a stockcar guy, just about any V8 with the right exhaust will still send a chill up my spine… open-header 427s in road racing Corvettes… Smallblock in any given late model pushing 8000 rpm… And yes, even the current 4.sick Mustang sounds pretty wicked.
As far as small engines… No modern 4 cylinder sounds good. Period. But there’s lots of great sounding old ones, the Lotus-Cosworth twin-cam from a Cortina being my favourite.
Chevy Malibu Rental Car…….
In terms of cars you’re likely to hear while walking down the street, wherein the street is not in Monte Carlo, I humbly suggest any late-model Infiniti. Maybe not music to the ears per se, but undeniably distinctive and identifiable without even turning around to look.
Tigeraid – for good sounding modern four cylinders, the 260 Cosworth in the Caterham CSR provides (even the 200 sounds good).
Alfa Romeo 2.5 V6 in the GTV6.
From the zizzing of the valvetrain, the muffled rumble of the center muffler to the blat coming out of the tailpipe, I always enjoyed walking around the car to hear the sounds in different proportions.
You could tell both throttle position and rpm just from the sound. I loved driving that car, wish there was a modern successor.
Not just any Ducati twin… The desmoquattro in my 916. They are ferocious with a set of pipes, but the rider gets the extra treat of listening to the magnificent intake roar – 916s didn’t have venturi blocks to dampen the noise, and the top half of the airbox is the gas tank (just a rubber seal between the lower half and the tank). After 4000 rpm you are listening to a symphony of raw brutality (loud clutch, loud exhaust, loud intake).
What, cars? Small displacement V8s. Lotus Esprit S4 comes to mind. Or Ferrari V8s if you like the higher pitches. And, oddly, the short-lived Nissan VH45DE stuffed into the early Q45/President. 4.5L spinning at 6500 rpm (VVT too)? Mmmmmm. Sounds like a Mustang that’s been to finishing school. Shame it’s in such a big heavy barge.
Since we’ve branched off into bikes, I’ll bring up snow machines and the 700 cc rotax triple in my 99 MXZ Ski-Doo. Hard to beat the sound of a shrieking carburated 2 cycle engine.
At idle? I have to say that the 2009 CTS-V sounded so good, so absolutely deliciously throaty that it made me giggle when I turned one on for the first time.
Audi’s 4.2L V-8 makes an amazing sound in all its iterations. It’s equal parts Euro-goodness and American bad-assness. In the RS4 and R8, in particular, it’s EPIC.
Honorable mention to the current Mustang GT.
The V-10s, as the author mentions, sound awesome when revved hard but notsomuch the rest of the time.
The most evil, badass sound I’ve ever heard come from any engine was produced by an Esprit V8. Never before had I been so scared, yet so delighted to put the hammer down.
From cars that the common man can afford, the Dodge Ram with a Hemi has a glorious sound to me, and I absolutely hate Chryslers. I also love a 302 Mustang with Flowmasters on it, and our SLK 350 sounds pretty sweet when you lay your foot into it.
An honorable mention should be given to the B18-C Honda engine. VTEC is freaking awesome, fart cannons need not apply.
OK.
Enough of the big boy toys.
What about us regular family car guys?
If anybody in this blog is a little older, its possible they might remember the 1987 Celebrety “eurosport” models.
I had a wagon and was feeling pretty stud like when driving off.
It had, for me, the best sounding poor man’s stock pipes.
I felt like I hadn’t completely lost my soul by having the new family.
And here is a cool link I found of a geeky guy (like us) who spends to much time breathing fumes.
He actually is recording the car!
@imag
“The king of all, though, is the BRM v16:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBKUQPjQ16I&feature=related”
Agree with your choice, however the video appears to show the H16 not the V16.
I have been fortunate enough to hear the Land Speed Record car ‘Babs’ running and it is an astonishing experience. Here is a video that doesn’t quite convey how awesome (literally) and loud this thing is. Different than a dragster though, because it is so loud and so low reving that it reverbs through your chest at a really low frequency.
Amazing:
Without a doubt – Nissan has some nice sounding pipes. On the 350/370z or the G35/37s – there is no other exhaust as smooth, grumbly, understated and distinct as one of those coming out of a curve. Closing my eyes, I can tell one every time it drives by.
The Porsche Carerra GT is the ONLY car that has ever made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end by virtue of it’s soundtrack alone. Best V10 sound ever. Watch the original Top Gear review of this car, and turn up the volume. Other worldly.
I will also agree with the B&B that Ford V-8s have a different tune than a GM SB V-8 that sounds better to me. But as stated above, any Ferrari 5-valve V-8 trumps all other V-8’s. Especially with a nice Tubi exhaust.
The Mercedes SLR McLaren gets an honorable mention because of it’s NASCAR-esque side exit pipes and supercharger scream. It sounds downright brutal.
I’m glad someone else already mentioned Honda’s I-4’s, these engines really sing in the higher octaves, no other I-4 can compare to the “original” S2000’s beautiful song.
One more motorcycle reference – the V-4 found in the marvelous (if slightly overweight) Honda VFR 700/750/800. With an open exhaust, the engine sounds like a small block loping along at 4000 rpm, but when opened up to 10,000 rpm is sonic harmony, combined with the gear-driven cams on the older machines.
Of note – Ducati now has a V-4 engine in their $72,500 Desmosedici Superbike. Coincedence? I think not.
The Murcielago V12, no question. No car has made a bigger aural impression on me when seen (heard) in person than the orange Murci I saw (heard) driving around Midtown Manhattan late at night on my way out of the office a few years ago. This is not a quiet city, but I heard that engine above the din for what seemed like 5 full minutes before I finally saw it and learned what the hell was making that… sound. Not to mention its indescribable visual presence on public roads. I mean, you might think a Gallardo would achieve a similar visual effect, but you would be wrong. Gallardo’s, R8’s, and 430’s practically fade into the background by comparison.
A few minutes later I happened to cross paths with it again on my way to the subway. It was idling at a red light. Even at idle, it makes some crazy beautiful noise.
And yes, some dude was just driving his orange Murci around Midtown at midnight (for those of you unacquainted with Manhattan geography, Midtown is where you go to work during the day, not to have fun at night). That would have been exceedingly weird and lame behavior in a coffee-can Civic or even a Ferrari, but somehow the Murci seemed to scoff and say, “Ha, nightlife comes to me, I do not go to it.”
Among more accessible cars, I’d vote for some version of the Audi V8 as well. The RS4/R8 might be a bit much for most of us, but a used B6/B7 S4 represents pretty decent pistonhead value.
FishTank :
April 17th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Without a doubt – Nissan has some nice sounding pipes. On the 350/370z or the G35/37s – there is no other exhaust as smooth, grumbly, understated and distinct as one of those coming out of a curve. Closing my eyes, I can tell one every time it drives by.
——————————————————
I’m gonna have to disagree here. To me, all the Nissan V-6 exhausts sound “synthesized” – like a non-enthusiast’s engineer’s rendition of what he/she THOUGHT a V-6 should sound like.
YMMV, obviously.
ZCD2.7T :
Hunh? You don’t like _this_ sound?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNeZa4DwHUk
Really?
Really?
Fine… be that way ;-)
ZCD2.7T :
April 17th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Audi’s 4.2L V-8 makes an amazing sound in all its iterations. It’s equal parts Euro-goodness and American bad-assness. In the RS4 and R8, in particular, it’s EPIC.
As the proud new owner of an Audi A6 4.2 I have to agree with the comment about the note of this V-8 engine. The BMW 4.4 V-8 in my ’03 540i mit 6-speed manual sounded almost as good winding through the gears…
3-rotor or 4-rotor Rotary engines. I believe the Furai concept had a 3-rotor engine, and it sounds sick even at idle.
One vote for the old Ford FE block. The old 390 was one sweet sounding engine, either at idle or during hard accelleration. Not the fastest, but one of the best sounding.
Honorable mention: The MoPar B block (383, 413 or 440) – the sound of power. The MoPar slant 6-the sound of smooth, Ford flathead V8 and the Ford Model A – at slow idle with the spark retarded, you could hear each cylinder firing, one at a time.
Regarding Mazda KLs:
My MX-6 needed exhaust work a while back (read: muffler fell off), and I had a couple days of very happy commuting before I had time to take it to the shop. In retrospect, I’m rather surprised I didn’t get pulled over, and I kinda felt like an ass at the time. Still, it make a hell of a noise.
A passenger car should be quiet enough for the driver and passenger(s) to carry on normal conversation without compensating for vehicle noise. I’d probably go for an LS Lexus.
I’ll second that. The LS430’s engine reminds me, from the inside, of listening to polar ice crack from very far away: you know there’s serious work going on, but it’s far, far away.
I’m gonna have to disagree here. To me, all the Nissan V-6 exhausts sound “synthesized” – like a non-enthusiast’s engineer’s rendition of what he/she THOUGHT a V-6 should sound like.
I’ll second that, too. The only thing I disliked about the 350Z was that irritating exhaust note. Drives me nuts to this day…
On the street where I grew up, the guy down the road built stock cars. My friends and I would be playing outside on summer evenings, then hear that GM small block with straight side-pipes furiously erupt and feel the ground begin to shake beneath our feet. We’d run as fast as we could and stand in the neighbor’s driveway, watching him wrench on his beast. The thunder of a wide open, Neanderthal V8 racecar engine still makes my heart skip with excitement.
I also dig the creamy roar of an air-cooled flat-six now that I’m grown up.
Though I still stand by my earlier post (of affordable cars), I’ll throw in this one…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekV4S7eraTk
THE nicest looking, and one of the best sounding cars on the road.
Nicodemas
You’re right, but the sound was good. I figured the comments below the vid noted the discrepancy.
Love the Babs video. Nice homage…
FishTank – I almost posted that same video – love that DBS.
Duesenberg. There is no way I would know this but for the fact that I used to live on Jay Leno’s route to work at NBC.
That sound could never be mistaken for anything else.
I was walking down a two lane country road one day when a new Quatroporte passed me by. I think if I understand exactly what is means that it may be the only time in my life a really “swooned”.
It’s interesting that the most ubiquitous high performance passenger car engine, the small block Chevy V8, has gotten only one mention. Still, nothing sounds like an American pushrod V8 with a performance cam.
I’m a big fan of overhead cams and high revving engines, but when someone fires up an American V8, you can tell that it’s Detroit muscle from blocks away.
But there’s lots of great sounding old ones, the Lotus-Cosworth twin-cam from a Cortina being my favourite.
The Lotus Twin Cam is one of the sweetest sounding small engines around. Pulls strong to 6500 rpm, when the rev limiter cuts out. Without the limiter, the stock engines will just rev until they break. Race versions with lightened and balanced bottom ends can spin rpm levels that are still impressive 30 and 40 years later.
While Costin and Duckworth got their start working for and with Lotus, and though they did development work on the head, the Lotus Twin Cam (Lotus head on a Ford “Kent” block) head was designed by Harry Mundy, who designed engines for BRM, Coventry Climax, and later the Jaguar V12. Colin Chapman offered Mundy either a flat rate of 1000 pounds sterling or a royalty of one pound per head. Since Lotus’ financing and viability were always pretty sketchy in the 60s, Mundy took the money up front, later regretting it as between the Elan, Elan +2, and Twin Cam equipped later Europas, there were probably about 30,000 Twin Cams produced.
“I’m gonna have to disagree here. To me, all the Nissan V-6 exhausts sound “synthesized” – like a non-enthusiast’s engineer’s rendition of what he/she THOUGHT a V-6 should sound like.”
Thirded (“thirded”?). Too, the ubiquity of these things driving around LA has made it doubly tiresome.
Krazykarguy’s absolutely right about the CGT and S2000. I’ve heard a CGT twice in person and it’s just…I was speechless, and the first time there were Murcis, every modern Ferrari (including Enzo), Loti(!), 911s, and everything else revving around, and that CGT revving up and down just about silenced everyone. Staggering.
The S2000 note is definitely not to everyone’s taste, but to my ears, it’s got this kind of dry, hollow, winding sound that seems to have some vague connection to F1 motors, and I love it. Maybe it’s the 9,000 rpm in a passenger car thing. Love it.
Okay, I wasn’t going to mention it before, but since, in the most hair-splitty technical sense it might be a passenger car, I’ll nominate the god-like 917’s flat 12, closely followed by the flat 8 found in the 908s.
On another note, the Corvettes in street trim do nothing for me, but the uncorked Le Mans GT1 vettes accelerating out of a turn was one of the most shockingly beautiful things I’ve heard as well. The earth shook. I like the Aston Martins better overall, but those V8s…wow.
Ronnie: YES! I’m sorry I forgot about those Lotus motors! I had the pleasure of driving one once, and as a friend/neighbor owned it, I got to hear it often as well. Such an absolutely beautiful sound came out of that thing. As Roadsters go, the late 60s Elan is the purest, most perfect expression of the form, and shooting that tiny little car up mountain twisties with the motor echoing off the canyon walls was unforgettable.
My ’08 Bullitt’s stock note has no detractions. It’s incredible at any speed, load, and rpm. I snap necks every day.
I am a huge fan of the Ford V8 windsors, which with the proper exhaust setup also have the right timbre (true duals with mid mounted mufflers as has my ’86 Mustang GT.) The Chevy LS1’s come close but they have more of a high pitched rip which isn’t as appealing.
I’ve tried to like the Audi 4.2, but it always sounds a bit blatty. Hopefully you could tune that out, I’ve only heard stock systems in person.
Not real partial to V10’s. Or V12’s for that matter… well those porsche race engines sound good.
The n/a porsche air cooled flat sixes have a nifty noise. I was lusting for a 993 Carrera 2 for a bit, but I don’t have a garage.
The V8 Mustangs have sounded great for years, dating back to the ’85 5.0L.
Lately, I’m enjoying the sound of our 540i. The 4.4L V8 sounds like nothing at idle, but driven vigorously, it sounds positively expensive. Not sure if onlookers are treated to the same symphony.
Another Ford FE fan here. Also, the Y-block–solid lifters!
The Y-block in my ’61 Ford sounded wicked after the exhaust rotted off back of the “Y” pipe.
I actually was asked what bank I robbed to afford to drop a 427 side-oiler into that old car!
On the opposite end of the scale, ’50s and 60’s Cadillacs had a very mellow exhaust note.
My 1967 383 Barracuda had dumps on it (short y-tubes with blank flanges bolted on), right behind the motor. I only took the caps off a couple of times, because I lived in a fairly crowded area. Man oh man, did that 383 wail! …and not only that, but I could sense the increment of power with the mufflers and tailpipes bypassed.
Oh, that reminds me, my old 1960 220S. We were traveling in Oregon, and the tailpipe broke in front of the muffler, probably because there was only one clamp on the whole exhaust system, way back under the rear bumper. I borrowed a lift and a hacksaw from a friendly gas station guy and sawed it off the rest of the way, just in front of the kickup where it went over the rear axle. The 220S had smooth factory headers anyway, and it really sang in a loud but nice way. Not too bad with all the windows closed. We pulled into a rest area and when I started it up to leave the sudden noise scared the hell out of a poor guy who was sleeping in the next car. I think he hit his head on his roof.
But when we’re talking about intact exhaust systems, most any V8 with dual exhausts sounds fine to me.
It is a blast from the past, but the sound of a big-bore, long-stroke, twin-cam, tri-carb, hemi-headed, straight-six Jaguar XK engine is truly wonderful. It has often been called “Sir William’s Sixth Symphony” for good reason. The deep baritone exhaust note, the whooshing of the intake, the rustle of the cams. It is all audible and individually distinguishable from inside, and outside the car.
It is even stunningly beautiful in appearance.
Both Farago and I have experienced it up close and personal. It appeared in some of the most beautiful road and racing cars ever built: XK 120 (140 & 150), C-type, D-type, E-type, XK-SS, Mk2, XJ6, etc. (It even powered two lines of military tanks!)
–chuck
You did say, don’t forget at idle. Hmm yes, that’s an important qualification. In response to which I say:
At idle, a big V8 meaning 6 liters & larger, has to be the best. Doesn’t matter whether it’s a Yank block (current example the SRT “hemi”) or Teuton (AMG “6.3”). By the way, funny how these car makers like to indulge in poetic license nowadays, eh? Hemi that isn’t really hemi; 6.3 that’s really 6.2 liters.
At full song, a small V12 meaning 3.0-3.5 liters. Like the 70’s Ferraris, ie 275 GTB.
Overall, if I had to live with only one, the medium sized V8 like the E39 BMW M5 you mentioned, would be my choice. Lots of gravitas and refinement, whether at idle or full power.
And I have to agree, the V10s whether at idle or at full power, have to be an acquired taste. I’m probably biased against them from the sound of the past few years of F1 V10s. But they do grow on you.
V10s sound terrible at idle. At speed they’re “interesting” but awfully synthetic (blame those half-orders from the firing sequence).
V8s are by far the best sounding engines. On the two ends of the spectrum – you have a high revving Ferrari (F430) which is a siren’s song, and at the other – a booming, thundering basso profondo… made not by the Italians, but by ze Germans and us Yanks.
For the everydayman… Ford has done a spectacular job of late, tuning the Mustang V8 (in GT and Cobra form) to a killer soundtrack. For a slightly more subdued sound, give me a smooth Audi 4.2FSI in S5 trim.
+1 for the 2009 CTS-V
An AMG V-12 Biturbo sounds pretty sweet, too.
“It is even stunningly beautiful in appearance.”
God yes.
The first time I saw one in person I was mesmerized. I actually did an impromptu photo shoot of that car, and motor; it was a perfect restoration of a 150, if I remember correctly (photos at home). It sounded–yes–symphonic.
An acquaintance at work also has a restored 120, and it too is a marvel.
1. Ferrari 355 V8
2. Merc Maclaren SLR
3. e46 M3 (especially the CSL variety)
As for family car, an NA BMW inline 6 is very nice.
psarhjinian :
April 17th, 2009 at 9:37 am
A passenger car should be quiet enough for the driver and passenger(s) to carry on normal conversation without compensating for vehicle noise. I’d probably go for an LS Lexus.
I’ll second that. The LS430’s engine reminds me, from the inside, of listening to polar ice crack from very far away: you know there’s serious work going on, but it’s far, far away.
—————————————
I agree.
Sound = energy wasted that otherwise could propel the car. The perfect machine will use 100% of the energy on the motion, and 0 on heat or sound.
No sound = best sound.
Nissan seems to have a love/hate among fans of the VQ exhaust. I am on the like side. I am also a little surprised to see no one mention any turbo 4’s. I’m kinda partial to my SR20DET with a Dual N1 exhaust, but there is also the Scuby flat four and WRC cars. Then again, about the only exhaust I can’t stand is the non B series sub 2.0L Hondas.
Yes, I’m partial to V8’s.Among my faves….
2005-6 Ford GT with Heffner exhaust
1990-95 Corvette ZR-1 (32V LT5 motor)with B&B exhaust
F355/360/430 (just not at idle)
E39 M5 with any aftermarket exhaust
Any V8 Mustang in the last 25 years
Have to agree with the Carrera GT, though the Gallardo V10 is no sonic slouch either.
It sort of depends if you mean best sounding inside the car, or outside.
I’d say that Alfa Romeo deserves special recognition. They make, unquestionably, the best sounding in-line 4s. Their V6s are among the world’s most musical also.
I seen/heard a Mclaren F1 on the road and the idle sounds like a mess. This video of the startup and revving of this particular version rivals the Millennium Falcon for sonic bliss!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35T5HEhGrDg
about 3:30 minutes in
S2000 @ 9000 rpm.
Oh for an F1. And in the greatest racing color to boot: orange.
That clip brings up another sonic consideration I’ve been thinking about while reading the comments: the transmission. To me, that’s an integral part of the total sensory experience of sports cars. Personally, I find the blend of interior engine noise with the whine of meshing gears intoxicating, especially as while the engine RPMs drop down or up with each shift, the gears produce a continual upwards or downwards whine; the upwards is especially magnificent; like a jet turbine winding up into the stratosphere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1hdwqVblUM
It’s a popular clip, but it never fails to send chills down my spine, especially the section about a minute in when Bell is accelerating on to the Mulsanne straight (pre-chicanes) at well over 200 mph. Until the wind noise takes over, you can hear the R&P. This video floors me every single time I watch it.
Err…back to passenger cars. My S2000 had this sweet spot in fourth and fifth gear, when you could just discern an overtone of the transmission, rising up through the motor and wind sound, and it was a really sweet added sound to me. My 911’s current transmission is flat-out loud, from third up, and in fifth, very, very much a part of the full song. I love it. In most cars with full interiors and sound deadening, you miss all of this extra stuff. Even the sound of fuel pumps, oil cooler pumps, and the like, before you even start the motor, are part of the experience in a car like the F1 (or my 911), as is evident in that clip. All of it just adds to the symphony of audible mechanical bliss.
I’d say it’s Jay Leno’s Honda SM600, you can see it at jaylenosgarage.com. He starts to drive it about 4 minutes from the end of the video, and the thing sounds incredible! Now, it’s not the stock exhaust, but it screams its 606cc head off with it on, so I’d keep it that way. Talk about the little engine that could!
Oh, I’d also have to go with the tremendous roar of the tremendous LS9 engine. 94dBA at full throttle!
My all time greatest hit:
Tailing an F430.
Through a mind-bending series of tunnels.
On A12 through Italia.
Mamma mia.
The Carrera GT. No question. I chased one down some twisty, hilly backroads and the sound it produces simply cannot be adequately captured in words or recordings. Down low it sounds like a rumbling American V8. Up high it screams like a F1 car. I can see there’s plenty of dislike of V10 soundtracks, but until you’ve had the chance to hear a Carrera GT in person running up the gears you really should withhold your judgment. The sound will make you shiver.
Is there an instrument in an orchestra that really stands out as the best? No.
IMO, the hyper-exotics (Carrera GT et al) are immediately disqualified. The note has to be _instantly_ recognizable. Sure, some one-off instrument might sound really great, but damn, you KNOW when an oboe is playing. My wife used to be pretty impressed by my ability to hear a 911 coming in heavy city traffic, often from a block or so away. Nothing sounds like that flat-6.
So…given that I like distinctive engines that sort of capture the maker’s soul, and have a Teutonic bias, my favorite German engines:
BMW: The M88/S38 is probably the most “BMW” sounding engine and maybe the best sounding German motor of all time.
Audi: 20v I-5 turbo is probably the best from that maker. Super distinctive, and sweet jesus it sounded evil in race trim.
VW’s VR6 or the old 2.0l 16v both have a rather high-strung VW overachiever character
Porsche? Any air cooled flat-6 is fine by me.
Mercedes? FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU. Their hot rod engines all sound good, but not special. An old MB diesel is _the_ sound I associate with the marque.
Japan? Mazda rotaries are distinctive but I don’t want to hear on. Subaru’s engines are awesome. Honda’s 4’s are sweet but honestly, I couldn’t pick one of the crowd.
Mad props to Ferrari for almost everything they’ve made, and the ‘merican’s for their V8’s. Someone else mentioned it, but I might have to second the 2.5 V6 from the Alfa GTV6 as the best sounding motor of all time. Every time I hear one I shout expletives.
Here’s another couple of questions for the B&B: What’s the best looking passenger car engine? What’s the best looking race car engine?
One of my favorites is the Bentley 6.75L V8. It’s a million years old, and at full roar it sounds absolutely incredible. The end of the world sounds something like that.
I also like Porsche flat sixes, Audi V8s, and the Aston Martin edition of Jag’s AJ-V8 in the V8 Vantage. OHV engines have never really done it for me.
Hudson Hornet Twin H-Power. High compression flathead six, twin carbs, 308 cubes. The exhaust has an amazingly wicked snarl.
Second choice would be a Ford FE block- I had a truck with a 360 cube one with mid-riser heads (you could almost stuff a fist in the intake ports) and headers feeding glasspacks. At full throttle it would send the peasants running for the hills.
Third choice would be a Fiat 128SL 1300cc with Ansa exhaust. An Italian noise fest.
Finally- I had an 1984 Subaru DL with the 1600cc pushrod mill. When the OEM muffler rotted off, I stuck a Cherry Bomb on the tail pipe. That little engine burbled and throbbed like a small-block Chevy. Quite a suprise.
I have to say I agree with all of these. I was surprised anyone remembered those old Mazda V-6 engines from the Probe and MX-6 that sang a brilliant, melodic note. It’s a shame Mazda is only just now working on making their current lineup sound better.
When I heard that yellow F355 in The Rock for the first time, it sent chills down my spine. The F430 sounds good too, but it’s just not the same.
If you haven’t seen the Top Gear episode with the Porsche Carrera GT, you must go do so now. Talk about a battle cry. V-10s should not sound this wicked: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE_WqdKbTvY
I have a Prelude with the H22 and taking off just to hear the sounds it makes when it’s coming on cam is quite addictive. I’m not sure if the car’s dual-personality contributes to that, but it’s fun. It sounds much better in person, even without special intake and factory exhaust, but these videos are pretty decent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWSuiBsZIyM
I can’t forget the V-8. Growing up my Mom had two Camaros, and my Dad has a 350 stroked out to 383 in his ’69, and you just can’t help but hoon that thing.
Lotus Cosworth Twin Cams. ‘Nuff said.
Attended the Food Lion Auto Show 2 weeks ago and was on the track when the Mustang Contingent Fired up and slowly drove off; Glorious Music from a dozen Ford V8’s, most of them mid-late 90’s Mustangs. The 2 valve 4.6 SOHC has a beautiful exhaust note, Deep and menacing, better than the current 3 valver(and I own one). Also love the 4.3L Ferrari sound, wicked. Even trolling at low speed it sounds fantastic. Honda S2000 getting on the Cam sounds nice.
Cars I do not like-Subaru Boxer Four, horrible-the WRX is laughable on the Street. Dodge Viper at parking lot speeds, not at all what you would expect of a beast like that.
The old Dino based Ferrari engines come to mind.
In my opinion V8’s and V4’s have a certain sound that is actually nice to listen to, either a screaming Ferrari or a rumbly GM small block or a Honda Interceptor for that matter.
V6’s and V10’s sound harsh, don’t like them at all.
I haven’t heard that many V12’s in person so I can’t really comment on how awesome they are or aren’t.
The winner though? Mercury Marine 2-stroke Straight 6 (in a just world with a benevolent god it would have been in a passenger car).
Porsche Carrera GT, E39 M5, all fine, but…
Take a seat in a Smart Roadster and listen to the thing. It only has 0.7L displacement and three cylinders, but sounds like a wild animal. It pops, it whistles, it rumbles. And it’s literally directly behind the seats.
Yery entertaining.
@willbodine :
I’d say that Alfa Romeo deserves special recognition. They make, unquestionably, the best sounding in-line 4s. Their V6s are among the world’s most musical also.
Their new, GM-based V6es are very “meh”
One awesome sounding engine though is Volvo’s 2.4L 5-cylinder diesel. It doesn’t clatter, it burbles.
I’ll never forget the unmuffled roar of a black Jaguar XK D-Type cruising past Harrod’s in downtown London, echoing off all the hi-rises. Sir William’s sixth symphony indeed!
Second place was riding in a friend’s ’66 350 Shelby after we tuned it up. It had that same uncivilized snarl to it.
The Lancia Scorpion-tasmanian devil sound!
I like the sound of Porsches best in modern cars.
# Bunter1 :
April 17th, 2009 at 6:16 am
niky-A lot of bike guys adore Triumph triples. I suspect a lot of people choose to love the sound of cars they like. That is why I put more store in the sound that swiveled my head before I saw the car. Cuts out the emotions attached to brand and configuration.
Bunter
Probably a bit late to respond to this, but before I’d driven the dinky little Indian car, I’d never heard a triple before…
But just listen to it…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aqS4LpiXJc
The offbeat pulse of the three makes it sound remarkably like a V8. (albeit much quieter… with an exhaust pipe the diameter of a soda straw, and all…). I let people listen to it, and I get everything from “V12” to “new Focus RS” as a guess to what the car is.
Not bad for a car that costs pennies and has a whopping 40-60 horses…
–
The only engines that will never sound right to me are V10s and MOST modern I4s. Boxer-fours are okay, but most fuel-injected I4s sound terrible without a lot of aural massaging via the exhaust (and even then… Mazda’s new direct-ignition I4 in the Miata can’t even approach the sound of the original Miata).
V10s are appropriately manic, but nowhere near as characterful as a V8 or V12. They’re just so… flat. V6s are all over the place… some are great, some suck.
V-twins are an interesting thing. The mechanical cacophany of a Harley is an incredibly weird but strangely addicting sound.