Why are racing cars so loud?
Discussion
This could be a really dumb question! I had never been to a motor race before this year where i have seen Caterhams race and also the cars at Lemans. Even the Caterhams are far louder than any road car i have ever heard and the LM Corvettes could positively wake the dead! So i'm guessing theres a bit more to it than just exhaust. Race fuel?
The less obstruction to the exhaust and induction system, the better the engine can breath, the more power that can be released.
The only limiting factor are noise regulations, which are getting increasingly draconian thanks to NIMBYs who move to an area with a racetrack and decide they don't like it but don't get me onto that one
The only limiting factor are noise regulations, which are getting increasingly draconian thanks to NIMBYs who move to an area with a racetrack and decide they don't like it but don't get me onto that one
Andrew Noakes said:
There's something about the quality of the noise, too. I remember sitting on the pit wall at Thruxton a few years ago during a EuroBOSS (old F1 cars) practice session and everything that went past was noisy - but the Lamborghini V12s were painful.
But Loud and Painful are not necessarily noisy it seems.
Chap turned up at a track day at Donington a year or so past with what looked like a full race Porsche 9something of relatively recent vintage. 98Db restriction in force on the noise front.
Standing not far from the noise sensor on the pit wall when this thing went past it was indeed physically painful to the head for 2 or 3 seconds. Didn't fall foul of the sensor though. Must have been putting out such high frequencies that the thing could not hear it!
Not at all a pleasant experience.
killer2005 said:
Andrew Noakes said:
but the Lamborghini V12s were painful.
Have to say this years F1 cars were a bit painful as well.
i remember going to silverstone in the early nineties and the bset sounding car there was a minardi or a coloni with a v12 lambo engine. i am sure it was only running on 11 cylinders though as it was popping and banging all the way through woodcote
Standing near the Rat Trap at Goodwood FOS a few years ago was awesome. I saw him getting ready to start up and turned to my wife and son and said "put your fingers in your ears NOW". Judging by the look on the faces of people who weren't similarly forewarned I'd say it was quite loud. 
Edited by JonRB on Thursday 21st December 13:32
Thing is, with all the NIMBY's about (combe lost the f3/gt's cause of one, lived next door for a whole 18months!) I think motorsport is going to have to introduce a blanket limit for all motorsport, if everyone works to the same limit then things would be simpler.
And I'm going death!!!
Not that I think it should!
And I'm going death!!!
Not that I think it should!
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