'Fake' pops and bangs

[Lotobear]

Perhaps I'm just being a grumpy old sod but what is it with new cars and exhausts?

I was filling up yesterday and a brand new 19 plated RR SVR pulled alongside and the young lass got out and went into the kiosk to buy whatever, to leave her other half revving the engine of his new pride and joy which, frankly, sounded embarrasing (noisy, yes, crackly and poppy, yes but just plain embarrasing).

I'm actually surpised that manufacturer's are allowed to sell a new car with such a noise level. JLR seems to be a major culprit but others are guilty as well.

Whatever happended to less is more and why has it all gone a bit 'ganstery' wid da new whips bruvs?

.....Grump Sod, from Tunbridge Wells

[Dave Hedgehog]

noise levels on new cars (new models?) have been severely restricted on new models, the new A45s sounds crap because of it

[kambites]

Once upon a time, exhausts were tuned for a balance of increasing power and reducing noise; if you wanted to increase power you generally had no choice but to make the car louder, both in terms of general exhaust resonance and over-fueling when the throttle closed (which created the pops and bangs you get on highly tuned classics). These days manufacturers can make cars nigh-on silent without compromisng performance but buyers' collective memory associates "loud" and "fast" so manufacturers give people what they expect.

Or to put it another way, most buyers of performance cars are still stuck in the 60s.

I suspect it'll die out once us dinosaurs who remember when cars ran on carburettors are dead. Or when everything is electric anyway, whichever comes first.

Edited by kambites on Monday 4th November 10:24

[Nickp82]

It’s a bit like farts really, it’s great fun if you’re the one making the noise but for everyone else it’s just vulgar.

[Drl22]

IMO there is nothing wrong with the noise if you are flying down the motorway or bypass and actually driving. It’s when someone like this sits revving it that it all becomes a bit pathetic.

[ecsrobin]

Jonno02 said:

You know what, the people that map them to crackle permanently on the over-run, yeah that's annoying. A few short crackles when someone lifts off is ok with me though.

Cars are getting more and more boring, who cares about a little nod to a bygone era? Soon enough none of them will do it and we'll be moaning everything is silent with fake speakers to make noise like the new Audi diesel S cars.

+1 cars that are remapped for it and then drive up and down high streets popping all day are annoying. But the odd pop or crackle I don’t mind.

[coldel]

I think its great that car manufacturers still leave the opportunity to show a bit of nod to the past nothing like a car going past and you hear a nice overrun. I also think a guy sitting in a petrol station forecourt revving the car is knob-fk-wittery of the highest order

[lyonspride]

I suspect in many new cars there's a button for it, with a set of speakers on the outside somewhere. It's all fake these days......

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

I was in Leicester the other week, and the bruvs were cruising round in their fancy German saloons as usual...one in particular must have been an auto, but when he floored it inappropriately down the road the little pops on up/down shift did sound really good.
Then you have the Chavs in their focus ST's which sound like gunfire and certainly make you jump - a bit OTT really. Still, if you think it's cool to scare old people and dogs etc then crack on, safe in the knowledge that everyone just thinks you're a .

[coldel]

I bet EVs will have fake sounds added as the norm soon!

[Big Robbo]

[anonymous-user]

Car modding has gone mainstream. Gone are the days when you went to halfords for cheap tat, now the manufacters offer it to satisfied punters at inflated prices, everyone’s a winner. Pops n bangs, bonnet scoops both fake and real, stupid wheel sizes, etc..

[Kenny Powers]

Mk II Focus RS had it just right, but I don’t think they were actually fake. Ever since, everything else sounds st. Farting DSG 4-pots are the worst offenders.

[lyonspride]

Kenny Powers said:

Mk II Focus RS had it just right, but I don’t think they were actually fake. Ever since, everything else sounds st. Farting DSG 4-pots are the worst offenders.

I could be wrong, but I thought all Focus RS had fake engine noise played through the speakers?

[Quickmoose]

ecu programmed burbles/pops etc.....rubbish
The accidental pop or more natural over run burble...just fine

The relentless march of marketing lead fakery in every area of modern cars, makes me sad.

[finishing touch]

Lotobear said:

Perhaps I'm just being a grumpy old sod but what is it with new cars and exhausts?

I was filling up yesterday and a brand new 19 plated RR SVR pulled alongside and the young lass got out and went into the kiosk to buy whatever, to leave her other half revving the engine of his new pride and joy which, frankly, sounded embarrasing (noisy, yes, crackly and poppy, yes but just plain embarrasing).

Wow ! I'm shocked that Rolls Royce have sunk to these depths.

[Kenny Powers]

lyonspride said:

Kenny Powers said:

Mk II Focus RS had it just right, but I don’t think they were actually fake. Ever since, everything else sounds st. Farting DSG 4-pots are the worst offenders.

I could be wrong, but I thought all Focus RS had fake engine noise played through the speakers?

No. There was a vibrating diaphragm in the induction system that amplified the 5-pot warble. This was then piped into the cabin by a plastic hose. Ford dubbed it the ‘symposer’. Arguably artificial, but not electronic. The exhaust was not augmented at all.

Edited by Kenny Powers on Monday 4th November 12:55

[Triumph Man]

Sitting still revving the engine (unless for diagnostic purposes!) is very tragic.

[Loplop]

We stayed in one of those lovely villas owned by the Nurburgring in July. Was great for the first two days, peaceful in a weird way because you'd hear the faint grumble of a GT3RS or an E92 pootling past at idle. Then on the third day a whole herd of Fiesta and Focus STs rocked up, popping and banging. 'REVO' down one flank, 'AIRTEC' in bright red over their larger intercooler.

I was mildly miffed but didn't think too much, the cars had big brakes and sticky tyres, so I held my breath over the fact that the suspension setups left a lot to be desired. I didn't want to judge, but they then proceeded to sit on the front shouting at eachother out the front of the villas whilst chugging down their vapes until 11pm, I felt like I was witnessing a caricature in person.

[KingNothing]

Kenny Powers said:

lyonspride said:

Kenny Powers said:

Mk II Focus RS had it just right, but I don’t think they were actually fake. Ever since, everything else sounds st. Farting DSG 4-pots are the worst offenders.

I could be wrong, but I thought all Focus RS had fake engine noise played through the speakers?

No. There was a vibrating diaphragm in the induction system that amplified the 5-pot warble. This was was then piped into the cabin by a plastic hose. Ford dubbed it the ‘symposer’. Arguably artificial, but not electronic. The exhaust was not augmented at all.

Becomes redundant as soon as you put a new exhaust on it, mine is sitting in my garage somewhere, ripped the whole lot out and blanked it off.