Silent SLS gives us the creeps
How do you want your SLS - electric or with side exhausts and a 6.3 V8 installed by Bernd Schneider?
Sure, it’d help track day organisers battling troublesome NIMBYs. Like the ones that moaned when the ‘proper’ SLS launched at Laguna Seca and was apparently tripping the drive-by at over 100 decibels! You’d have thought those living nearby would be used to this kind of thing but apparently it ruffled a few feathers.
And that’s partly the problem. Any other car could pull off this trick of high-speed silent lapping and we’d probably be quietly (natch) impressed. But the fact it’s being done by a car whose petrol-powered equivalent is one of the finest sounding cars ever built only makes an electric future seem even more depressing.
Ho hum. We know it’s coming. And, as seen at Paris, you’ll even be able to buy an electric SLS of your own soon. But, really, why would you want to when there are few more glorious ways of burning the earth’s remaining fossil-based resources?
And just to underline that AMG has also announced a 45th anniversary special edition SLS GT3. With a V8. And side exhausts.
OK, it’ll cost you nearly half a million euros and they’re only making five. Oh, and it’s not road legal either. But it does come with a suitably menacing matt grey paintjob, a bit of 45th anniversary chintz and a handover ceremony with none other than DTM/AMG hero Bernd Schneider. Who’s also helping fit the engines to the five special cars. Best hope he’s as good with the spanners as he is with the driving, eh?
Teasingly this was also photographed at Ascari. Can we have a video of that too please?
I'm all for electric cars sounding like electric cars. Why can't they put out a Scalextric-style whizz and whine? If I was driving a car like that, I'd want it to sound like an electric jet engine.
Imagine crossing Europe in a car which is virtually silent? It might not appeal to the Petrolhead in you, but in reality you'd be a lot more relaxed on arrival, I'm certain.
I'd agree, though, that silent cars aren't particularly safe around town, but then a lot of the sound is tyre noise and break 'squeal', so I'm not so sure electric cars would be that much quieter in such scenarios.
On balance, something like an SLS probably should sound like the 6.3, but imagine a CLS with this running gear?
M.
Check out David Couthard's comments here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoGudJg8VxE
Edited to add link
I'm all for electric cars sounding like electric cars. Why can't they put out a Scalextric-style whizz and whine? If I was driving a car like that, I'd want it to sound like an electric jet engine.
The tyre noise is only drowned out by engine noise on certain cars, normally accompanied by a big exhaust or dump valve.
Clarkson's argument that electric cars are a danger to pedestrians is (surprisingly) utter bks.
I agree with Leno, we need electric cars (or something similar) to preserve resources that could otherwise be used to fuel exciting cars!
I'm all for electric cars sounding like electric cars. Why can't they put out a Scalextric-style whizz and whine? If I was driving a car like that, I'd want it to sound like an electric jet engine.
Personally though, I fail to understand the problem with a silent drive train. Modern petrol engines are so well insulated that you can't hear them over tyre and aerodynamic noise at low loads anyway. I suppose you could argue that it would make roads slightly more dangerous for blind people, but then there are already silent vehicles on the road.
An electric car will help with emissions issues within city centres, but does not generally affect the overall power consumption the eco-warriors are concerned about.
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