The V8 ICE What's it all about?

[blueg33]

My V8 doesn't burble, it screams

[irocfan]

The noise - to me it just sounds 'right'. I've actually owned more V8s than all other engine types combined, just love them.

[mat205125]

blueg33 said:

My V8 doesn't burble, it screams

That's another part of the V8 appeal. The diversity of the configurations, noises and ultimately the personalities of the cars.

[fido]

mwstewart said:

For me:
1) The sound
2) The smoothness: it's amazing that a collection of mechanical bits can be so silky smooth (assuming cross plane)
3) Exclusivity. Generally a bit special. Not cheap to run.

I would add compactness as well. They fit into relatively small engine bays.

[Welshbeef]

How much does the noise differ on the angle of the V of the V8?

Does narrow sound screaming vs wide sound heavy on base.

[anonymous-user]

Welshbeef said:

How much does the noise differ on the angle of the V of the V8?

Does narrow sound screaming vs wide sound heavy on base.

IIRC a sgnificant cause of sound variation is the way the crankshaft is laid out and resultant firing pattern of the cylinders.

Flat plane V8s tend to scream. Others, like the Lotus V8, don't make a particularly distinctive sound - as a result of turbochargers muffling the exhaust.

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 19th October 13:42

[blueg33]

rockin said:

Welshbeef said:

How much does the noise differ on the angle of the V of the V8?

Does narrow sound screaming vs wide sound heavy on base.

IIRC a sgnificant cause of sound variation is the way the crankshaft is laid out and resultant firing pattern of the cylinders.

Flat plain V8s tend to scream. Others, like the Lotus V8, don't make a particularly distinctive sound - as a result of turbochargers muffling the exhaust.

Apologies for this but my OCD has been triggered and I accept that its almost certainly your autocorrect causing the trigger

Its "plane" not "plain"

[anonymous-user]

Thanks for spotting that one!

[Kent Border Kenny]

mhurley said:

I own a 2008 V8 Vantage , as much as I like the noise, I still miss the straight 6 on my BMW. A differerent sound but still enjoyable

I went from the straight six of an E36 M3 to the V8 of a B7 RS4, and think that the BMW had the better engine.

[Tim bo]

Yes, mainly the noise here too, C63 coupé.

Lovely for burbling down to the shops at 30mph in, which is 75% of my car's use.

Just don't be a dick though. Like the dipst in the Range Rover SVR last summer, who decided it was clever to drive around the narrow, crowded, pleasant streets of Richmond, accelerating hard in 1st gear, braking, accelerating hard, braking, over and over, and at least four times around the freaking town centre he looped, doing the same fking irritating rev routine.

He got at least three coffee-shakers from pedestrians that I saw whilst walking, and Mrs dipst in the passenger seat had the decency to look sheepish, but not enough to stop chief dipst from revving over and over again in 1st gear.

V8s normally attract more class.

[SturdyHSV]

mat205125 said:

That's another part of the V8 appeal. The diversity of the configurations, noises and ultimately the personalities of the cars.

I used to help run V8UK, which is largely as the name suggests...

The diversity of cars that would attend events was the best thing about them, and the noise of a 100+ V8 convoy was fking epic

[Alex_225]

Welshbeef said:

Alex_225 said:

Yeah the noise, the torque and that smooth delivery is lovely. I think with the 63 engine for day to day use it was potentially pretty savage. I suppose like any car that's very quick. Mine isn't a daily car so always feels novel to me. I do like the idea of a daily car like an S500 (I have a diesel one) as that torque and relaxed power would suit daily driving very nicely, just not the fuel bills! haha

Mine is only the C63 not the S but to be totally honest it’s too rapid for road use.
Overtaking is fine but if you unload full or most throttle as your pulling out I get a oh poo tail wag / it picks up on the contour of the road so I’ve learnt to wait until I’m on other side of the road then dispatch.

Use the throttle as an on off Switch it will bite.

But of course you drive it sensibly and it’s a lot of fun - otherwise it’s a 509bhp (there are sources that state the C63 is actually putting out around 530-550bhp a bit like the under rated E55K to avoid higher price models losing sales).

Look at 0-100mph times E63s v C63 not much in it and for fast road driving no one would even notice the difference.

Love mine - gleaming polished black with non black wheels. I’d like an E63S wagon too but they are a lot

I don't there's such a thing as 'Just a C63' but I do know what you mean. My CLS is 510bhp and although I suspect heavier than your car you do have to give some thought before putting your foot down. More from the perspective of doing silly speeds everywhere. I'm happy having mine for non-daily duties in some respects.

[TurboHatchback]

It's mostly the noise, I don't really like screaming high revving engines but the deep bass rumble of a heavy calibre V8 idling or gently woofling is just delightful. They are smooth but I'm not convinced there's much tangible improvement over a six cylinder engine in that regard.

[DonkeyApple]

mhurley said:

I own a 2008 V8 Vantage , as much as I like the noise, I still miss the straight 6 on my BMW. A differerent sound but still enjoyable

A good straight 6 is as enjoyable as a good V8. It tends to be the type of car which suggests which is preferable.

[DonkeyApple]

mhurley said:

I own a 2008 V8 Vantage , as much as I like the noise, I still miss the straight 6 on my BMW. A differerent sound but still enjoyable

A good straight 6 is as enjoyable as a good V8. It tends to be the type of car which suggests which is preferable.

It does take a lot to beat a pushrod V8 in a larger car though.

[cerb4.5lee]

mat205125 said:

blueg33 said:

My V8 doesn't burble, it screams

That's another part of the V8 appeal. The diversity of the configurations, noises and ultimately the personalities of the cars.

Agree and the three V8's I've had were all completely different. The AJP V8 in my Cerbera was flat plane and it sounded very angry at high revs, but it made a fairly strange noise at idle. The N62 V8 in my X5 4.8iS was more to my liking of a traditional American V8, and it felt torquey and effortless. The S65 V8 in my E92 M3 was another strange V8 and that didn't really sound like a V8 to my ears, and I personally wasn't a fan of its very high rev/relatively low torque feeling.

I think that I would have enjoyed the S65 V8 from the M3 a lot more if it was under the bonnet of the Cerbera. That engine would be cracking in a much lighter body I reckon, and I don't think that you would notice how flat it can feel(at times) in something that weighs similar to the Cerb.

I certainly prefer something like the AMG 6.2 V8 engine to a high revving V8 like the one in the M3.

[Kent Border Kenny]

I’m getting rid of a normally aspirated v10 which will leave me with three turbocharged V8s, none of which I think are anywhere as nice, and feel a bit sad at losing something so special.

[AC43]

Tim bo said:

Yes, mainly the noise here too, C63 coupé.

Lovely for burbling down to the shops at 30mph in, which is 75% of my car's use.

Just don't be a dick though. Like the dipst in the Range Rover SVR last summer, who decided it was clever to drive around the narrow, crowded, pleasant streets of Richmond, accelerating hard in 1st gear, braking, accelerating hard, braking, over and over, and at least four times around the freaking town centre he looped, doing the same fking irritating rev routine.

He got at least three coffee-shakers from pedestrians that I saw whilst walking, and Mrs dipst in the passenger seat had the decency to look sheepish, but not enough to stop chief dipst from revving over and over again in 1st gear.

V8s normally attract more class.

I'm in NW2 and I can confirm that the new shouty ones attract some right bellends.

[anonymous-user]

Tim bo said:

don't be a dick though. Like the dipst in the Range Rover SVR last summer, who decided it was clever to drive around the narrow, crowded, pleasant streets of Richmond, accelerating hard in 1st gear, braking, accelerating hard, braking, over and over, and at least four times around the freaking town centre he looped, doing the same fking irritating rev routine.

I see these fairly regularly and they are always being driven in a totally bellend fashion as you describe. Horrible blaring flatulent noise they make too.

[AC43]

stickleback123 said:

Tim bo said:

don't be a dick though. Like the dipst in the Range Rover SVR last summer, who decided it was clever to drive around the narrow, crowded, pleasant streets of Richmond, accelerating hard in 1st gear, braking, accelerating hard, braking, over and over, and at least four times around the freaking town centre he looped, doing the same fking irritating rev routine.

I see these fairly regularly and they are always being driven in a totally bellend fashion as you describe. Horrible blaring flatulent noise they make too.

They sound SO st. Except to the blokes driving them with the mental age of a three year old.