NA vs Turbo sound...

[BigLion]

If both engines were 4.0 v8's and the only difference being one was a turbo, would they sound similar still?

[BigLion]

sebhaque said:

When buying my C63 I drove both the new 4.0 twin turbo V8 and the original 6.2 V8 version. I couldn't justify the price difference to buy the new one. The engine sounded strangled, and artificial when it made the odd burp. The larger NA V8 just sounded like it was angry all the time.

I love a turbo where cars are designed to have a massively turbocharged engine. The typical Jap cars (I had a blobeye STi and an Evo 8) were absolutely brilliant with a snail - as was my VX220. That being said, I don't think I'd like a turbocharged M3/C63, nor would I like a forced induction 370Z.

Cars are built around their sound and while the Nissan GT-R can sound fantastic, the majority of them are modified to do so. Most turbocharged cars nowadays sound a bit less impressive than their NA older brothers. One only has to look at F1 for an example (I'm not willing to debate the benefits of fuel economy etc, which petrolhead buys a car for that?!)

Why is the engine and exhaust noise so different on turbos - intuitively you would think there is more air and fuel in the combustion chamber so everything should sound like a NA but on steroids?

[BigLion]

kambites said:

BigLion said:

Why is the engine and exhaust noise so different on turbos - intuitively you would think there is more air and fuel in the combustion chamber so everything should sound like a NA but on steroids?

Because there's a damned great turbine sitting in the way of the exhaust gas.

With a naturally aspirated engine you get very clear, staccato, exhaust pulses at the tail-pipe each time a cylinder fires; with a turbocharged engine, the build up of back-pressure behind the turbine means the individual pulses from each cylinder are slurred together into a more continuous drone.

Thanks - so a supercharger based car would sound similar to NA?

[BigLion]

Patrick Bateman said:

It's a tough call but I'd probably lean towards induction too.

The Hayward and Scott exhaust on my M5 sounded biblical but not long after I bought the car I heard the engine with the plenum off, holy mother of fk that was something else.

E60?

[BigLion]

I used to love the rasp of the E46 m3 - was ferrari like !