RE: PH Blog: (em)motive power

[phope]

E46 M3 CSL is fantastic - nice harsh metallic sound

Audi 5 cylinder in the TTRS and RS3 is pretty good as well for a modern engine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoHbrqohaFI

[AndrewSV]

The E60 M5's V10 sounds awesome

[e28525e]

My M60 4.0 V8 with custom s/s cat-back sounds great, especially in tunnels..

[jwh9]

Here's my vote. Skip to about 1:45 (..unless you really like Linkin Park)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDq8mbMb5yg

[BBS-LM]

For me it can only be one, and that is the V10 from the Carrera GT. Amazing noise.

[thejpster]

I'm not seeing a lot of Jaguar love on this thread. I'm very happy with my 3.2 litre AJ16 straight-six. Great mix of waft and poke.

I would rather it was one of these though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1zT5oqcEJs

[J4SON88]

I would go for the Lamborghini V12, preferably in a Diablo, in 6.0ltr form.

Real world I5 turbo's, they sound the business, especially once 'tinkered' with.

[WorAl]

Fish said:

A sorted TVR speed six 4l has to be up there, it doesn't have soul it has an entire personality, off days good days etc.

This! 4l Speed Six, 8,000 rpm red line, ram induction and sports exhaust....sends shivers up my spine just thinking of it.

[Verde]

So I own a Porsche 3.8L FI (not DFI), an LS7 (with no cats!), and a supercharged 5.4L Ford and of the three of them, the Porsche does sound sweetest. But I agree with the post (below). Nothing. NOTHING sounds so sweet as the Porsche V10 and now the Lexus V10. In both of those lies the secret formula composed of three things:
1. The V10 configuration seems to generate the sound of the devil himself. Floor a Gallardo in 3rd gear and you'll know what I mean. It's just evil;
2. Building an exhaust and engine internals out of Ti and other lightweight alloys creates a ringing sound that is from the angels themselves and is amplified by #3;
3. When an engine can rev to 8,000 or 9,000 RPM with a superlight flywheel, a la the zinging of my Mac91 go-kart from years back, it's magic.
Put all three together as these two cars do, and you have the best.
V

mrclav said:

Porsche Carrera GT V10? Lexus LFA V10?

[Cacatous]

WorAl said:

This! 4l Speed Six, 8,000 rpm red line, ram induction and sports exhaust....sends shivers up my spine just thinking of it.

CCC exhaust with roof panel off, back window out and door windows down. Amazing engine for me.

The only other engine I've experienced (that was amazing) was my Dad's Windsor small block engine in a Mustang Mach I. Had some copper exhausts put on for laughs. Wow!

[Varn]

The Renault RS6 in the Williams FW16

[lozzzzzz]

I've not got one, I've never driven one, but any high revving V10 seems to be a noise that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand, I realise this is an impreza, but the video seems to have caught the noise very well, in the first 10 seconds of the video.

Its better than music, it seems to have two notes very close together following each other up the scale.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN6pp2EVtlA

Perhaps I've looked into this too much?

[belleair302]

The V12 in the McLaren F1 is possibly the greatest internal combustion engine ever, and the straight six engines found in BMW's is pretty amazing not only for how it sounds but how it drives. Engines found in track based cars are somewhat different from those in road cars, but the author here needs to look more closely at engine evolution and drive more cars from across the era's.

[J-P]

Alfa's Busso V6 sounds pretty epic and I think it one you've missed.

Sticking with Alfa's I'd agree on the flat four, had one in my old Alfa 33 and the noise that thing made was incredible for such a lowly car!

Jag's new supercharged V8 a la XFR-S sounds pretty epic.

Lexus LFA is definitely one of the best engine sounds I've ever heard in a road car, similar to the Porsche CGT.

And yes I also love the sound of the Porsche flat 6 - in the 4.0RS it's utterly amazing but even the Cayman R sounds wonderful when really stroking it along - Great noise

[paul whittaker]

Not a lot About older american V8s
I had a '66 Corvette for 8 years. I wasn't good at going round corners, but the engine made up for it, a small block Chevvy, which wailed up to the rev limit and crackled all the way down again. I hunted for long tunnels where the noise was glorious.
Did a classic car rally from Paris to Marakesh in 1993.By southern Spain there wasn't much left of the exhaust system, but it sounded even better. The ultimate was driving into a strong setting sun on a straight but narrow Morrocan road with about 12" of exhaust left.
Got it fixed in a "gargage" in Marakesh using flattened tin cans.
The exhaust lasted another 18 months

[Bogracer]

Any engines, including diesels by BMW.

[Guvernator]

Lot's of love for the V10's and I have to agree, I think it's my favourite engine configuration. I'm not sure what it is about that configuration that makes them sound so good but they seem to have just the right balance of revvability, volume and tone. The fact that they usually go like stink too is the cherry on top. Look at the evidence.

Lambo Gallardo and R8 V10 - Superb
BMW E60 M5\M6 V10 - Brilliant
LFA - Zingtastic
Carrera GT - Otherwordly.

Long live the new king, the V10.

[The Don of Croy]

Any votes for the Ferrari flat 12? Used IIRC in the 375GTB and Testarossa...

Only heard one once - distinctive and easily enough to end the phone call I was on when it arrived outside the office (or announced itself would be the correct term).

At the other end of the scale, the whine from a BMC 4 sp gearbox is one of my pet hates...

[eliotrw]

306 GTi-6 Standard but with a K&N Filter in the standard box
348 with a Tubi
Or a McLaren F1

[Mavican]

A couple for me, between my departed Dad's DType Replica 3.8 Straight 6 with borderline straight through pipes, and my Mustang when you boot it. My uncle'ss old air-cooled Porsche sounded nice when I was small an' all.