BTCC cars - why do they sound so rough?

[airbrakes]

Just watching the BTCC at the minute, and I can't help but wonder what has changed these days with the engines or exhaust systems. They sound awful - coarse and flatulent, almost like an old WRC Evo or something. I remember the cars a few years ago having very smooth sounding, high revving engines like so:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvlm2M2yg1o&fea...

Given that both then and now involve 2 litre 4 cylinders, what's different?

[MG CHRIS]

Keep up they are turbo charged for the past 3 years and itv make them sound st live on track they sound epic.

[Adrian W]

Err.............turbo's

[Janesy B]

Sigh

[Allyc85]

Its ITVs sound mixing between camera angles etc. While its not a classic sound we will be talking about in 20 years trackside they sound so much better!

[Tc24]

They sound spectacular in the flesh - a lot easier to tell which is which too when you're there.

Always remember the AON Focuses from a couple of years back having one of the best sounds, but TV never quite did them justice.

[alistair1234]

airbrakes said:

Just watching the BTCC at the minute, and I can't help but wonder what has changed these days with the engines or exhaust systems. They sound awful - coarse and flatulent, almost like an old WRC Evo or something. I remember the cars a few years ago having very smooth sounding, high revving engines like so:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvlm2M2yg1o&fea...

Given that both then and now involve 2 litre 4 cylinders, what's different?

They're 1.6T's arent they?

[Allyc85]

2.0 turbo

WTCC is 1.6 turbo.

[LiamM45]

They sound great up close.

Frank Wrathall's always sounds rough as whenever I've heard it mind. Seems odd for a team who specialise in dyno equipment?

[MG CHRIS]

LiamM45 said:

They sound great up close.

Frank Wrathall's always sounds rough as whenever I've heard it mind. Seems odd for a team who specialise in dyno equipment?

Ive noticed that since I first saw it always the loudest of all the ngtc cars due to the only Toyota to use a Toyota engine not the Swindon engine the rest use.

[pmjg66]

Live they hurt your

sound great

[airbrakes]

Ah, I can see why the turbo cars would be lower revving, as the power will be lower down the range than the NA engines of old. Shame ITV cant get their st together on the sound rec then, but I still reckon there's more to it than that because they even sounded rough being revved up on the grid walk with only 1 camera/mic!

Give me the old screamers back please, and bks to the homogenous TOCA engine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ9S2CoweYU#t=20

[Janesy B]

LiamM45 said:

They sound great up close.

Frank Wrathall's always sounds rough as whenever I've heard it mind. Seems odd for a team who specialise in dyno equipment?

It's just a bit of overrun, nothing to worry about. He's not blowing engines every other meting so it must be fine!

[rallycross]

The new generation cars sound fantastic if you are at the track the tv sound does not convey how brutal they sound.

[LiamM45]

Janesy B said:

It's just a bit of overrun, nothing to worry about. He's not blowing engines every other meting so it must be fine!

Oh of course, but at the higher end of the revs it doesn't sound good. Must work though, although the poor lad could do with a bit of luck

[400SE Dave]

Have been at Croft all weekend for the BTCC, they do sound soo much better live, pops, bangs and flames galore

Wrathalls car did sound the roughest of them all, even all the other Toyota's. Sounded like a top end mis-fire in the first race but much sweeter in the next 2.

Had a great day out, the weather stayed almost dry until the last BTCC race, a few showers causing fun throughout the day

[coppice]

I was at Croft all weekend too and the current spec of BTCC cars sound absolutely bloody ghastly. Loud yes- which is good- and a few pops and bangs are nice too but the overall noise is simply dreadful compared to a high revving normally aspirated car . It's a few years back but things like BMW 635s sounded absolutely wonderful in comparison as did anything with a bloody great V8.

[Janesy B]

The only gripe I have is from the outside it sounds like they are shifting up at 4k and don't really sound like they are pushing, even if they are.

[Phoenix]

coppice said:

the current spec of BTCC cars sound absolutely bloody ghastly.

Agree, they sound horrid and I think they are way too loud. Surely they don't need to be that loud.

One of the few races each year where I feel I need to wear ear protection.

[AndySuperSport]

The Hondas are very quiet compared to the rest of the field, they breeze past followed by a cacophony of MG.

The BMW's anti-lag sounds like a machine gun entering the hairpin.