What do you look for in 'Noise'?

[mat205125]

Malcster said:

For me its pops and bangs on overrun.
Nothing like that sounds coming into a bend!

.... of the variety that are a by product of a highly tuned engine, or those that are artificially engineered with some mapping tweeks?

Leading on from the above, I think that what I look for most in the noise of a car is a high level of authenticity.

Noise is genuinely developed my mechanical parts working in the way that they were designed, or unleashed through genuinely performance enhancing aftermarket additions.

Fake pops and farts are nonsense, in the same way that engine noises plumbed through resonators or entertainment systems are.

My favourite noises are mainly normally aspired, and originate at the induction end ...... however never exclusively of course!

[awooga]

The sort of 'yowl' of an Alfa Romeo Busso V6 above 4000rpm, all the way up to the red. Not as bassy as a V8, more tenor-ish.

My tweaked MG sounds classically 1960s fine at low revs and awful at wide open throttle, but the overun is superb - lots of crackles and pops.

My old TVR Chimaera with sleeved exhausts getting into the spirit of a fast road cam above 3000rpm. Not so much biblical but the sound of demons coming up from the earth.

[JockySteer]

swerni said:

Hoofy said:

swerni said:

I do love the deep growl of a V8 and the off beat ticker over of a lumpy cam.

And the less high tech the better.

https://youtu.be/Tzw79Zt37b0

When it's too... hmm... modern, it's loses its edge.

This isn't bad! https://youtu.be/3ZiLTMCY4_Q

Edited by Hoofy on Wednesday 23 March 20:58

i'd still take mine over most of those

https://youtu.be/IIhrqAHJXDs

I'll take mine! https://www.instagram.com/p/BCBDz2sRycP/?taken-by=...

Or a Flat 6 any day. 991 GT3

jamieduff1981 said:

I like all sorts.

I like an agricultural lumpy idle. I like changes in tone through the RPM range. I like I5s, I6s, V6s, O6s, V8s (both cross and flat plane), V10s, V12s, O12, V16, H24.

So long as it has character, I'll probably like it. Engines that sound synthesised or only change in pitch through the rev range don't interest me. I like harmonics and flaws and crackles and pops and roars and burbles and whines.

Couldn't agree more.

Edited by JockySteer on Thursday 24th March 11:11

[jamieduff1981]

cerb4.5lee said:

My favourite noise is the rumble of an American V8 or a TVR Rover V8 or similar, I also liked the angry noise the AJPV8 made at high revs in my Cerbera and the fact it was vocal even at idle with its sports exhaust.

Apart from TVR's straight six I am not that keen on the noise a straight six makes...for example I think the S54 engine in the M3/Z4M makes a horrible tinny and wasp like noise with very little bass or depth to its sound.

I also prefer a V6 to a straight six for noise.

How about this for a straight six Lee? It's pretty deep and characterful. I always thought the E46 M6 was a bit tinny sounding as standard.

https://youtu.be/zN80PCVaV-I

[JockySteer]

cerb4.5lee said:

Apart from TVR's straight six I am not that keen on the noise a straight six makes...for example I think the S54 engine in the M3/Z4M makes a horrible tinny and wasp like noise with very little bass or depth to its sound.

I also prefer a V6 to a straight six for noise.

Absolutely - an E46 M3 makes me cringe when I hear it.

[SturdyHSV]

jamieduff1981 said:

cerb4.5lee said:

My favourite noise is the rumble of an American V8 or a TVR Rover V8 or similar, I also liked the angry noise the AJPV8 made at high revs in my Cerbera and the fact it was vocal even at idle with its sports exhaust.

Apart from TVR's straight six I am not that keen on the noise a straight six makes...for example I think the S54 engine in the M3/Z4M makes a horrible tinny and wasp like noise with very little bass or depth to its sound.

I also prefer a V6 to a straight six for noise.

How about this for a straight six Lee? It's pretty deep and characterful. I always thought the E46 M6 was a bit tinny sounding as standard.

https://youtu.be/zN80PCVaV-I

I've always been surprised by the tinny, harsh sound of the E46 M3 as well. I'm sure it's all induction noise inside so sounds nice, but even some with aftermarket pipes on just sound like a louder wasp

[unpc]

I don't think I've ever looked for noise and certainly never seen it. I've listened for it though

[GroundEffect]

Generally the more cylinders the better.

I6 engines sound very creamy.
V6 angry
V8 flat-plane are very race car
V8 cross-plane angry
V10 howler
V12 screamer

Any of those without too many mufflers, basically!

[cerb4.5lee]

jamieduff1981 said:

How about this for a straight six Lee? It's pretty deep and characterful.

https://youtu.be/zN80PCVaV-I

Yes and that is certainly more up my street.

[skyrover]

SturdyHSV said:

jamieduff1981 said:

cerb4.5lee said:

My favourite noise is the rumble of an American V8 or a TVR Rover V8 or similar, I also liked the angry noise the AJPV8 made at high revs in my Cerbera and the fact it was vocal even at idle with its sports exhaust.

Apart from TVR's straight six I am not that keen on the noise a straight six makes...for example I think the S54 engine in the M3/Z4M makes a horrible tinny and wasp like noise with very little bass or depth to its sound.

I also prefer a V6 to a straight six for noise.

How about this for a straight six Lee? It's pretty deep and characterful. I always thought the E46 M6 was a bit tinny sounding as standard.

https://youtu.be/zN80PCVaV-I

I've always been surprised by the tinny, harsh sound of the E46 M3 as well. I'm sure it's all induction noise inside so sounds nice, but even some with aftermarket pipes on just sound like a louder wasp

I always thought as far as inline 6's go, the Chrysler-Australia Hemi 6 was the best sounding

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrikIvAniaU

[Alex_225]

I'm quite open to a nice sounding car so can't pin point something specific.

I do think a car should sound as sporty as it looks/goes, if that makes sense. I found my last Megane RS sounded a bit bland so had the back box removed, freed up just enough sound without it being chavvy. It was only a 260bhp car so making it sound like a rally car just wasn't cool! haha

The noise from my CLS63 is pretty good though, low enough to sound purposeful but not so loud that it detracts from the classiness of the car.

The sounds I'm not keen on though are when the exhaust just screams, 'look at me'. For example there's a couple of modified Audi Avants (RS4/6 can't recall which) near me that have modified exhausts. Yes they're fast and have the power to back up the noise but isn't the cool factor of a fast estate the fact that it doesn't say, 'look how fast I am'? Yet you buy the likes of a Ferrari or TVR and the sound totally matches the image.

I probably don't make much sense! haha

[addz86]

Superchargers whining, it eggs you on to keep your foot in

[anonymous-user]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AzrOPPZFzs

Most 'sorted' engines sound 'nice'. Anything that breaths properly and rev's cleanly at the top end gets my vote. From little boxer engines in Alfasuds, 4 pots in Caterhams to cammy American V8's and flat plane TVR's.

I just like properly tuned and mapped engines. Decent noise is a by-product of this.

[Esseesse]

My fave is probably the high pitched wail of an F355, probably partly because it's rare. Regular burbling V8's (and V6, I6's) also sound good but quite common.

Edit: This at 1:06 as it comes past https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvAC6vaJHxU

Edited by Esseesse on Thursday 24th March 11:42

[neil1jnr]

If I could afford it, what I'd be looking for would be a few different cars to satisfy my aural needs:

Mercedes/McLaren SLR, just for the bass.
Enzo Ferrari for the glorious howl, 'god gargling' I think Clarkson put it.
Huge single turbo Supra for that times you want to hear a bit of boost spooling.

On the side, an Impreza STI with a Blitz Nur Spec R exhaust for that deep off beat idle, and a massive big block twin blown muscle car for that rising and falling idle sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkrgyfjJg3s Apologies for the very poor quality but this demonstrates exactly the kind of noise I refer to from a twin blow big block

Edited by neil1jnr on Thursday 24th March 11:44

[chrisb92]

E92 M3 sounds really nice. C63 AMg another, but possibly my favourite is the 5.0 V8 from jag/LR. I first heard it on a RR and it sounded so good!

[SirSquidalot]

2 school's of thought for me:

Induction - Think of a DC2 integra, 458 or a Escort rally car. That warble of induction is epic.

V8 Thunder - Think big old American V8, a lumpy cam that burbles then has a thunderous roar

[Aphex]

Wills2 said:

Induction.

Very much this

[CS Garth]

Rolls Royce Merlin does it for me.

[andy-xr]

Less of it. I dont want to hear tyre noise, the wind whistling in the bit of door seal that I forgot to clip back when I fitted the dashcam, and I dont really want to hear the engine or exhaust note for hours on end sat at the same rpm droning away. I'd rather hear the music I'm playing and the conversation I'm having if I'm honest

I dont find exhaust or engine noise that interesting. I like the feel of power or torque but I dont feel that I need to hear everything else that goes on