Opinions on loud exhausts

[MitchT]

Depends on the engine. Less than six cylinders - don't bother. Also, however good your car sounds, don't go over the top. A guy with a very loud R8 used to visit someone down my street. It was comically loud and the eight year old boy in my was jumping for joy every time I heard it, but I'd have been acutely embarrassed to be a passenger in it!

[underwhelmist]

Four Litre said:

All down to the car and how its being driven.

It usually comes down to the amount of cylinders. 6 sounds nice, 8 even better and anything north of that is music to me!

I think different rules apply for bikes, V-twin Ducatis like AW111's are always going to sound better than in-line fours. But then there's Harley Davidson, they just sound broken.

[crankedup]

The Yowl of a lamborghini is lovely, popping and banging of a 1.2 hatchback is irritating. Nothing beats the screaming Honda 250cc six cylinder racing motorcycle from the mid sixties, although a F1 12 cylinder comes very very close

[JuniorD]

It would be cool if there was a lovely, sonorous loud exhaust that was only loud within 50ft, and beyond that was nice and quiet.

[matchmaker]

slopes said:

aka_kerrly said:

I have very little issue with a loud exhaust but don't get me started on pointless "pops, bangs and crackles" bullst - this is the most annoying craze of the last few years.

Can't agree more, i know i am getting old and i dont understand how cool it is but if you have to go racing past in a residential street just so your exhaust pops and bangs, to me it doesnt make you cool.

Couldn't agree more. There is a little scrote near us who loves screaming up and down the street in his Fester and lifting off at high revs to give a fusilade of bangs. Incredibly annoying.

[Ian Geary]

stinkyspanner said:

When I was in my twenties I loved them, and often had them on my cars. Now I'm nearer 50 I hate them

+1

My former mr2 turbo had a stainless de cat and blue flame exhaust. Droned like hell on the motorway and would set car alarms off (back in the day when everyone had dodgy after market car alarms) in multistory car parks.

But I did like it and it was legal/mot-able.

Nowadays though I see them (or should that be hear them?) as largely anti social.

The worst vehicle round out way though is a small single cylinder motorbike that is ridden WOT everywhere, with practically no exhaust system.

Not only does it sound st, it's so fking slow it takes ages to get beyond hearing distance.. literally minutes will pass before it's gone.

At least the tts with noisy cars have the decency to drive by and be gone promptly.

[cerb4.5lee]

cuprabob said:

stinkyspanner said:

When I was in my twenties I loved them, and often had them on my cars. Now I'm nearer 50 I hate them

I'm of the same opinion.

I'm not far off 50 and I still really enjoy a loud exhaust. I dislike how quiet most performance cars are now on their standard exhausts.

[juice]

I've got an X-Pipe and secondary cat removal on my SLK55. I thought the std exhaust was a bit too tame so popped up to Infinity for some surgery.. It (imo) sounds much better now.

Still have the centre resonator and secondary cat section in the garage should I ever sell it or decide to go back to standard.

[ARHarh]

I still don't understand the pops and bangs thing. I am in my fifties and back in the 80's when I messed about tuning cars if we built a car that popped and banged like that we would have been straight down to the rollers to get it tuned properly. Plus performance exhausts don't need to be noisy, a few extra decibels can sound nice, but hearing something coming from 3 miles away is just wrong. In my mind its about time they had noise limits as part of the MOT. If you want to take part in motor sport you need to meet the noise limits.

[Limpet]

cerb4.5lee said:

cuprabob said:

stinkyspanner said:

When I was in my twenties I loved them, and often had them on my cars. Now I'm nearer 50 I hate them

I'm of the same opinion.

I'm not far off 50 and I still really enjoy a loud exhaust. I dislike how quiet most performance cars are now on their standard exhausts.

Same here.

I’m running my i30N in its loudest exhaust setting and I love it. I’m sure a few people think I’m a bellend, but I’m not doing it for their benefit. I’m doing it because I like it.

I do make a point of not driving like a dick / blipping the throttle / using high revs in built up areas though.

[StuntmanMike]

Limpet said:

cerb4.5lee said:

cuprabob said:

stinkyspanner said:

When I was in my twenties I loved them, and often had them on my cars. Now I'm nearer 50 I hate them

I'm of the same opinion.

I'm not far off 50 and I still really enjoy a loud exhaust. I dislike how quiet most performance cars are now on their standard exhausts.

Same here.

I’m running my i30N in its loudest exhaust setting and I love it. I’m sure a few people think I’m a bellend, but I’m not doing it for their benefit. I’m doing it because I like it.

I do make a point of not driving like a dick / blipping the throttle / using high revs in built up areas though.

50 year here, I have a loud exhaust on my car and love it.

[Stick Legs]

I think they are tragic. Always have done.

I love fast cars, I love a car that makes a great noise. I see no reason why they should be excessively loud and when I do hear a car that has been modified to be louder I just think it's a bit sad IMHO.


Motorbikes are the worst offenders around my way and can be heard for miles. It's antisocial and not even a great sound.
I know that there is a school of thought that says 'Loud pipes save lives' but everyone I know with this badge also has a tinted visor and other cosmetic mods to their bikes which kind of dilutes their argument.

I'd say that on balance of fairness OEM +15% db is probably okay.
Beyond that lies the realm of chavdom.

[stinkyspanner]

About 18 months ago I bought a 2.8i Capri like my Dad used to have when I was about 14 and because I'm the sort of age group that likes a bit of nostalgia! Anyway it's a decent example, bog standard but came with a 3" stainless steel system which I would have loved back then. However on the 150 mile drive home from buying it I thought 'that exhaust has got to go', it was awful.. I managed to find a virtually new standard system, flogged the big boy pipes and now I can listen to the lovely V6 without all the racket

[Oilchange]

A nice sounding exhaust, not too loud, is pleasing regardless of how many cylinders.
You can take a 4 pot on throttle bodies sound brilliant but mostly they are just screeching loud with gunshot pops and bangs which are dreadful.

[Glosphil]

I have never liked a noisy car, regardless of how it sounds. A powerful quiet car does impress me.

[archie456]

AW111 said:

underwhelmist said:

When I bought my bike (900 in line four) it had a noisy can stamped “not for road use”. It was embarrassingly loud, hated it. Fortunately I got the standard can with the bike so that’s back on there now.

I bought a 70's Ducati with 'conti replica' mufflers - basically megaphones. Even in the shed with the door shut, it woke the neighbours' baby (who then cried) every time I started it.

I refitted the original Lafranconi mufflers that came with the bike after a week - it sounded a lot better, somewhat quieter, and no more crying babies

Ducati 900ss, MHRs and some Darmahs in the UK came with Contis as standard and bellmouths on the carbs. The replicas you have are likely identical to those originals, i.e. empty.

[hungry_hog]

Don't mind it if the engine is tuneful, as long as driver is not revving it needlessly.

Was in town the other day and there was an E63 on Sloane Street murdering the throttle in traffic. I don't know why. Most passers-by (of which there were not many) ignored him, Lambos and Ferraris are ten a penny round there. He would get more attention on a tandem or rickshaw if that's what he wants.

My F80 has a loud exhaust (Milltek) which came with the car. I'm not in love with the sound tbh, but the F80 is not a good sounding car (do miss my C63 some days!).

[cerb4.5lee]

Glosphil said:

I have never liked a noisy car, regardless of how it sounds. A powerful quiet car does impress me.

You'd love a Tesla then I reckon!

The powerful quiet car that always sticks in my mind is the Audi RS6, I've had a couple of them blast past me and their exhausts are incredibly muted for what is a fast and beefy engined car I reckon.

[BroadsRS6]

If it's a 1.2 Corsa with a 6 inch diameter end pipe. Forget it. If it's super powerful and at least 6 cylinders. I'm cool about it.

[cerb4.5lee]

hungry_hog said:

My F80 has a loud exhaust (Milltek) which came with the car. I'm not in love with the sound tbh, but the F80 is not a good sounding car (do miss my C63 some days!).

My F82 M4 has the emissions fuel filter on it so it is as quiet as a mouse(even on the cold start). I'd love it to be louder but like you I think the noise it makes isn't exactly great so it is probably better off being so quiet I reckon.

For noise thrills I do have the 370Z though which has hi flow sports cats on it and a full custom exhaust. I love the noise that makes(my neighbours probably don't though! ).