Zen and the auditory art of automaking
Beyond sensual sheetmetal and generous performance envelopes, traditionally one of the best things about exotic supercars has been their melliflous engine rumblings and sonorous exhaust notes. For many a gearhead, the piercing shriek of a fine Italian V-12 is auditory mechanized sex.
But the importance of the sounds that a vehicle makes - be it an engine's song, tire thrum, or wind noise has become increasingly critical as manufacturers look to further distinguish their vehicles from competitors.
MSNBC's Roland Jones examines the growing importance of 'sound engineering' in the modern automobile, and how automakers are going to great lengths to create compelling sonic experiences.
What do you think... how important is the way a vehicle sounds in determining how you feel about it? Make a bit of noise yourself by leaving a note in the 'Comments.'
[Sources: MSNBC; Autodrome-Cannes.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jef 4:10PM (5/05/2006)
i would say the rise of infiniti (especially g35's and fx's) can be partly attributed to their aggressive exhaust noise. they're the ones to really pay attention to exhaust noise on sedans. most car companies just want to keep it quiet.
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Clarence 4:11PM (5/05/2006)
Okay a silly story here. Once I bought a new R-5 Renault Le Car. This actually was a very good little car for me but not really exciting. The exhaust went bad and I bought a specialty exhaust system with a sort of sports car sound. The fun quotient for this little car increased 100% and extended my ownership.
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Rick 4:11PM (5/05/2006)
Driving a car is a full sensory experience. How does it look, and who's watching me? How does it feel (think Jaguar wooden steering wheel)? How does it smell (leather), and yes - definitely - how does it sound? Just listen to an '05 Mustang GT driving by. That just leaves taste, which means you won't be driving an Aztek.
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Frank Filipponio 4:21PM (5/05/2006)
This is so important, especially at the upper end of the sports car ranks. Part of defining a vehicle as a must-have or just a nice car. The shreik of a Carrera GT or the "ripping silk" roar of a Ferrari V-8 vs. the dead blat of a Viper or the whiny, booming of Ford GT's supercharged mill help make the former two cars exotic and sinful and the latter two merely fast musclecars.
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TheOne442 4:21PM (5/05/2006)
The sound of the car/truck is very important as long as it does not interfere with performance. If you can gain 10hp by cutting off the catalytic converter then I say go for it.
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matt 4:28PM (5/05/2006)
This goes for all cars, even econo-sleds. I rented a Cobalt a few months back and to my surprise I was impressed and thought the car was pretty good at it's purpose, i.e., cheap transportation. But even if I were in the market for such a car, I would never buy a Cobalt. Why? The exhaust made the car sound cheap and wheezy, even though it really wasn't a wheezy or overtly cheap feeling car. That sound just sucked.
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steve s 4:28PM (5/05/2006)
The V-10 in the Muceilago(sp) is just wonderful to hear. I don't know that I would ever use a radio if I had that to listen to daily.
I loved the sound of my old 93 CBR 600, of course the speed helped a bunch.
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PJ 4:32PM (5/05/2006)
I'll just be happy if manufacturers start tuning in MORE noise. With every redesign, new cars seem to feel number and more insulated from the road, and part of this comes down to the muffling of road sounds.
I'm not asking for a '80s Firebird with an exhaust leak, mind you--getting rid of squeaks and rattles and groany engine noises is great. For me, though, good '80s and '90s cars seemed to strike a better balance between comfort and communication than many new cars.
The Nissan 350Z, Mazda RX-8, new Mustang, and BMW 3-Series are notable exceptions.
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jm 4:39PM (5/05/2006)
Personally I like quite above all else. A nice loud exhaust note is fun at first but the novelty wears off during daily driving. My preference is a dual purpose one, dead silent at idle and low rpm's, mean and deep at high rpm's/pedal to the floor.
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ZoomZoomin' 4:46PM (5/05/2006)
I miss the exhaust characteristics of my MINI Cooper S. I'd say that it was hands down, the best 4-cyl exhaust I've ever heard. It naturally had a low rumble that was amazing...just tapping the throttle and hearing it rumble and pop was a joy in itself (they run quite rich). A few people that heard it were surprised it was only a 4-cyl. You felt it in the ears a bit after a long trip, but I never cared.
As a really odd coincidence, I was pondering the exhaust note of my current vehicle and it's also interestingly unique, especially when fully wound up, but I really miss the sound of the S.
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John 4:54PM (5/05/2006)
Sound is very important. Just try watching a movie or do anything else while muted.
I love the sound of the Nissan VQ35 in the 350Z, FX, Altima. It makes a smooth growl, at just the right note. Nothing harsh like a Jaguar or Aston Martin.
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Corey W. 4:59PM (5/05/2006)
You guys make good points, but you're definitely expressing an enthusiast point of view. The problem is, most drivers out there are not enthusiast, and wouldn't care less about the type of sound, they'd probably want it as quite as possible. The Camry is not one the best selling sedans because of it's aggressive sound. You're always going to have your niche markets and high end models tuned for this, but don't expect it to trickle down.
I remember when we first got the Vette, my wife would always ask "why does it rumble, it's so loud..." I'd always have to assure her.... "yes, the car is runnig fine, it's how it suppose to sound...."
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ahuumm 5:14PM (5/05/2006)
I had my C4 vetes mufflers cut off and replaced by stright pipes. Sounds great at WOT. People move out of your way and they rarely try to merge into you.
Loud pipes save lives!
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Mark 5:15PM (5/05/2006)
#10 is right, to the mass market, the sound of a car doesn't make much difference. But there's a reason that brands like Scion have performance exhaust systems at the top of their accessories list.
Personally, I find sound to be a much more important consideration in a motorcycle. Granted, very few stock bikes sound good, but when you buy a bike it's pretty much taken for granted that you're going to buy an aftermarket exhaust to make the bike sound good and uncork a few horsepower. I'd get bored riding a bike I can barely hear.
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Tmol 5:22PM (5/05/2006)
Actually, the exhaust note under kickdown is what sealed the deal for me when I bought my '79 733i this past summer. The engine is a nice muted burble at cruising and around town, but when it starts getting to about 3k-5.5k rpm, it has a wonderful airplane like quality to it. The idle has a nice menacing rumble too...helps that there are no cats to mute it.
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That One Person 5:23PM (5/05/2006)
I love the sound the 350Z and G35 make. They just sound cool. My friend's friend got a brand new 05 Mustang and put a Borla exhaust system on it. Talk about loud. But it was amazing...
I wanna get a nice sounding exhaust system for my Buick but if you ever heard a 3.8 liter V-6, you would know those things sound like crap...
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Michael Karesh 5:26PM (5/05/2006)
When I drove a 2005 Boxster, I was disappointed by the lack of mechanical noise and prevalence of a garden-variety deep exhaust note. The characteristic sound of a Porsche flat six was barely present.
More recently I drove the Cayman. Problem fixed. In the coupe there's no doubt you've got a flat six right behind the bulkhead.
At the other end of the spectrum, many inexpensive cars unnecessarily sound awful. I took a Yaris for a spin today. Very buzzy. Even worse because the lack of a tach gave me no clue as to how hard the engine was working.
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c5mjohn 6:12PM (5/05/2006)
I don't understand the fascination with car noise. I prefer a car that makes no noise. The quieter a car is the less you have to adjust the volume of the radio, as well as it being easier to talk to people and will increase your ability to hear emergency vehicles.
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Brian 6:55PM (5/05/2006)
I don't know about the rest of you, but to me engine/exaust noise are somewhat of a subliminal pleasure. While I look into a car to purchase, nowhere on my list are sonic considerations. That said, the sound of the car, all things being equal, would push me off the fence of considering one over the other. some of my favorite sounding machines (that I own/have owned):
'67 Alfa Giulia Super (my 2nd car and 1st love)
'94 Ford T-Bird (the 4.6 dual exhaust made GREAT music when "pushed")
My Harley (there's a reason motorcycle manufacturers try so hard to copy it)
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That One Person 7:41PM (5/05/2006)
#17 Brian...I went to this car get together thing one day. This guy had a 1996 (I believe) Mercury Cougar. It was a V-8 and was supercharged and had a nice exhaust on it. The best thing was it looked totally stock. But man, its kind of hilarious hearing a Cougar make the sound of some old 60's muscle car. But I agree with you on the whole no sonic consideration idea. I like to hear the car. To feel everything. I cant stand all these cars coming with drive by wire whatever. And cars that come with a thousand pounds of sound deadening material.
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