Who makes the best V8 NOISE?

[anonymous-user]

Dave Hedgehog said:

sounds like any generic American v8

on full chat i don't think anything can touch a fezza NA V8 for noise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sOpG1P-GFI

I’d say this sounds pretty dirty https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sxOZCptRYNI

[RobM77]

NFC 85 Vette said:

For me the nicest sounding V8 has always been the DFV.

This got my vote early on in this thread's life and it still does now. The sound lower down at the torque peak is gorgeously brutal, the overrun wonderful, and the scream it finishes with near the redline tops it all off. Wonderful.

[coppice]

Dave Hedgehog said:

sounds like any generic American v8

on full chat i don't think anything can touch a fezza NA V8 for noise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sOpG1P-GFI

I have yet to hear any Ferrari V8 sound anything like as good as a roused small block Chevy . V6s , V10s and flat and V12s
are all divine but Ferrari V8s always sound a bit reedy and - sorry - just generic flat plane crank blare. 'Look at me ' loud . but a bit below stairs compared to its siblings .

[Lotobear]

Triumph V8

[V88Dicky]

coppice said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

sounds like any generic American v8

on full chat i don't think anything can touch a fezza NA V8 for noise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sOpG1P-GFI

I have yet to hear any Ferrari V8 sound anything like as good as a roused small block Chevy . V6s , V10s and flat and V12s
are all divine but Ferrari V8s always sound a bit reedy and - sorry - just generic flat plane crank blare. 'Look at me ' loud . but a bit below stairs compared to its siblings .

And I thought I was the only one who thought V8 Ferraris sound a bit crap!
They always remind me of two rorty 4 pots running in unison. Not the worst automotive sound by a long shot, but certainly not the best. The cross plane version used by Maserati sounds much better to my ears...

[Lotobear]

Since we are veering onto lots of exotic configurations, I give you this (H16).

I saw and heard this run at Duns a few years ago and the hairs on my neck stand up just writing about it now.

Terrible engine as the record confirms but, boy, what a sound and if only it hard worked as intended

[ZX10R NIN]

V88Dicky said:

And I thought I was the only one who thought V8 Ferraris sound a bit crap!
They always remind me of two rorty 4 pots running in unison. Not the worst automotive sound by a long shot, but certainly not the best. The cross plane version used by Maserati sounds much better to my ears...

I've never been the biggest fan of flat plane crank engine as they never sound great BUT the GT350R sounds fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtdtGgf1BF0

[V88Dicky]

ZX10R NIN said:

V88Dicky said:

And I thought I was the only one who thought V8 Ferraris sound a bit crap!
They always remind me of two rorty 4 pots running in unison. Not the worst automotive sound by a long shot, but certainly not the best. The cross plane version used by Maserati sounds much better to my ears...

I've never been the biggest fan of flat plane crank engine as they never sound great BUT the GT350R sounds fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtdtGgf1BF0

It is a great sounding engine. How do Ferrari make theirs sound so tinny?

[nomis36]

It’s probably already been said, for good reason but for me 6.2 AMG and cosworth DFV’s are my favourites.

[Huff]

Space needed for discussion of 180degree V8s - no, not a 'boxer', an 8 but cylinders 180degrees apart ...like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHIBPb2zkIc

[nomis36]

Oh yeah, nearly forgot the 14 or 16 litre scania V8’s with eminox stacks.

[irocfan]

Well it's good to know that there are more that don't like the sound of a lot of Ferraris

[RobM77]

irocfan said:

Well it's good to know that there are more that don't like the sound of a lot of Ferraris

Warning, I'm about to sound like an old man.

I think they sounded fine years ago (308, 512BB, 288 GTO, 250 GTO etc), but these days most car manufacturers tune the sound of a car to sound how they want it to, rather than the sound being naturally produced by whatever the engine and exhaust happen to do sonically when tuned for the power and NVH requirements of the manufacturer. That artificially created sound always has a particular character. For example, modern performance Jags to me sound like a pretty boy in the gym flexing his muscles; he's trying to look like a gladiator, but would probably snap in two if he had to use his body functionally. Modern Ferraris sound to me like a terrier barking at the postman; the intention is to sound like Pavarotti on a rollercoaster, but actually they sound rather strained and feeble.

[coppice]

Indeed , nice description , very well put .
I recall being at the pits at Brands last year on a CSCC meeting , so lots of loud , sonorous noises from the likes of TVRs , Mustangs , Skylines and 911s . but WTF ? What is making such an absurd racket and how to did it pass a noise test ? Culprit ? Jaguar F Type - there as transport not as racer

[WarnieV6GT]

TW124 said:

My 1st post here and I've seen a lot of brilliant threads and follow many too.

V8

TVR 350/400, I worked at the factory in the late 80's in Blackpool and test drove almost all the cars. They in my eye as well as factory spec MERCS were the best factory spec V8's around.

After that, I've owned loads of cars, loads of V8's. Quite boring things until you hit the mercs and the AMG's. I've got 57 mercs at now but the 55AMG SL sounds proper brilliant. A growl for sure and that's compared to 63&65's in my collections.

I dont give care about much else especially ferrari V8 of which I have owned almost all of them since the early 70's. Beautiful cars they were. Enzo was a friend too, but the golden triangle was in that era a beautiful evolvement in car history.

They sound nothing like an AMG really in day to day mode.

Nowadays, I just prefer the laid back S124 Mercedes with a couple of old cheeky cars to the side.

One day soon, I shall compose a thread of the sincerely wonderful vehicles I do own now as well as recent disposals. Mainly Mercedes-Benz.

Great post.

And what a car history !

[FaustF]

ZX10R NIN said:

I've never been the biggest fan of flat plane crank engine as they never sound great BUT the GT350R sounds fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtdtGgf1BF0

The GT350R just sounds incredible. So much nicer than a Ferrari to these ears

[Gilhooligan]

FaustF said:

ZX10R NIN said:

I've never been the biggest fan of flat plane crank engine as they never sound great BUT the GT350R sounds fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtdtGgf1BF0

The GT350R just sounds incredible. So much nicer than a Ferrari to these ears

A question for the more learned PH collective:

I always assumed flat plane crank v8s sounded like a Ferrari 458 etc and cross plane crank were your typical American muscle.

So how does the GT350R sound different to other flat plane crank v8s? Does it have a different firing order?

[V88Dicky]

Gilhooligan said:

A question for the more learned PH collective:

I always assumed flat plane crank v8s sounded like a Ferrari 458 etc and cross plane crank were your typical American muscle.

So how does the GT350R sound different to other flat plane crank v8s? Does it have a different firing order?

I'm going to have an educated guess at;

Firing order (like you said)
Larger capacity
Longer, wider exhaust with a crossover (x or h pipe)

And probably something I haven't thought of

[donkmeister]

V88Dicky said:

exhaust

I was thinking this... It's well-documented that Subarus only have their distinctive sound due to the exhaust header pipes being different lengths so causing interference with the exhaust pulses. It's not a big stretch to think that Ford would have put some design into the exhaust system to give it a distinctive sound even if it isn't optimal for power.
Alternatively, could they have fitted a speaker in the exhaust a la Audi diesel?

Example of a Scooby-doo with equal-length headers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPxeuH9h0C8

Aha! A GT350 where they have fitted equal-length long-pipe headers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DCVTLI1EXU

Note what it sounds like at 1:50, 3:40 and 4:30 - unsurprisingly it sounds more like a Ferrari than its cross-plane brethren.

Edited by donkmeister on Tuesday 12th May 09:52

[StuntmanMike]

nomis36 said:

Oh yeah, nearly forgot the 14 or 16 litre scania V8’s with eminox stacks.

They sound great but the Detroit two stroke V8 sound fantastic as well