Does McLaren know its cars sound crap?

[br d]

GTrr said:

Guys, just get the MSO exhaust, I assure you it is brilliant.
No, not like a screaming V10 or V12 but still bloody fantastic.

Not available for the 720.

[Gameface]

Only a matter of time, surely?

[Sarnie]

Gameface said:

Only a matter of time, surely?

Yep, they need to clean up on everyone ordering the standard sports exhaust................before introducing the MSO version a year or so down the line to get people to upgrade to it.................

[br d]

Sarnie said:

Gameface said:

Only a matter of time, surely?

Yep, they need to clean up on everyone ordering the standard sports exhaust................before introducing the MSO version a year or so down the line to get people to upgrade to it.................

Oh so cynical!

[Sarnie]

br d said:

Oh so cynical!

Cynical............and correct!

[RamboLambo]

Sarnie said:

Cynical............and correct!

Yep I would agree. definite ploy. Its like deferring the 720S spider as long as possible to enable them to sell coupes.

If the MSO sounds awesome then at least they are capable of doing it. Would love a retro MSO for the 650S Spider if I could get it and surprised they haven't exploited that market although its a bit of a blast from the past now

[Bispal]

1:20 & 6:15. Its a standard 12C with standard exhaust. Personaly I like that the P11 is quiet when you want it to be (cruising to the Alps) but sounds great when you give it some beans. I prefer it to many other super cars which are too in your face and 'look at me'. Horses for courses if you don't like it get something else.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LKvuHA2lvk&t=4s

[Thom]

There are several ways to get pops and bangs on the overrun. One would be to lean the mixture to an extent detrimental to engine health over the long run, another one to keep injecting fuel for a short while after closing the throttles, and the fuel will self-ignite somewhere past the exhaust valves due to the high heat of the exhaust.
While the average supercar owner may not care about additional fuel consumption this may cause longevity issues with turbochargers which do not like excessive heat and probably why the most recent turbocharged engines on the quoted cars do not sound all that great, notwithstanding the flat plane crank design that will always sound more or less like a busy 4 cyl on a V8 engine pretty much regardless how much exhaust and pops/bangs efforts we put into it.
I find a little odd that Audi keep doing this sort of programming on Lamborghini engines which probably do not need this to sound good already, and it tells pretty much about how much the pathetic marketing game has plagued the engineering.
It shouldn't take more than an hour or two to a proper tuner to modify when the overrun fuel cut kicks in to get your average McLaren or 488GTB to get to pop and bang on the overrun, and sorry but it will still sound like a flat plane crank V8 engine.

Edited by Thom on Wednesday 28th March 13:53

[gtsralph]

Here's a different exhaust system..

https://www.fabspeed.com/mclaren-570s-540c-918-sty...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SyMZDpMzoGE&ebc=...

[crinkleshoes]

I love the sound.

It's not the high-revving epic-ness of an NA Ferrari V8 or V12 or Lambo V10.

But... when you're in the cabin... the noises made by the turbos spinning up and the blow off valves... it's incredibly addictive just to enjoy the sound.

Outside the car they can be a bit meh sure... but for whoever is in the car... they make a great noise.

[jimmybell]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I guess everyone's priorities are different, some presumably just buy McLarens because of the sheer technical superiority regardless of whether it be usable on a road or not. Perhaps one day they'll move away from the current engine layout and accidentally introduce some passion in to the techfest.

[Larry5.2]

As they say, more fun driving a slow car fast...

[justin220]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I think you are right. But when it comes to buying cars like these, it is almost a purely emotive choice. People get excited by different things which is a good thing. It would be ashame if we all liked the same. I've just moved from a V8 Vantage, to a McL, and I was worried I would miss the sound. I can't say I am really. Sure it sounded better, but the McL sounds good in a different way IMO.

They are all far too quick, all way above the capabilities of most for road use

[The Surveyor]

jimmybell said:

I guess everyone's priorities are different, some presumably just buy McLarens because of the sheer technical superiority regardless of whether it be usable on a road or not. Perhaps one day they'll move away from the current engine layout and accidentally introduce some passion in to the techfest.

maybe you just need to accept that a McLaren isn't for you. You don't like cars that have more performance potential than you can use on the road, you don't like technically advanced cars, and you don't like a modern 'race-car' derived flat-plane engines.

Have you tried the current Mini Cooper, that's swift but won't be too fast for you and it has a large speaker under the drivers seat that makes it's 3 cylinder engine sound good too. It'll be perfect for you

Oh and if you get a moment, have a watch of this, you won't like it because you'll disagree with a respected journalist but it may help widen your blinkers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz8J7QEtirk

[crinkleshoes]

gtsralph said:

Here's a different exhaust system..

https://www.fabspeed.com/mclaren-570s-540c-918-sty...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SyMZDpMzoGE&ebc=...

I'm not so keen on the potential it has to void the engine warranty...

[Thom]

The Surveyor said:

Oh and if you get a moment, have a watch of this, you won't like it because you'll disagree with a respected journalist but it may help widen your blinkers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz8J7QEtirk

Kind of worrying that an open top car still sounds like a vacuum cleaner with a few loose nuts banging around in its engine while the old thing linked below sounds clearer, cleaner and overall better... all of it with a roof. And with pushrods. And the video was shot with most likely a go pro which most likely does not match the professional recording equipment of your "respected journalist". Go figure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_M3kX3nbVY

[The Surveyor]

Thom said:

.....Go figure.

Nothing wrong with the sound of a 50 year old V8, especially an old race V8, but that's hardly the ethos of McLaren, or indeed any other car in that segment. Go figure

[Thom]

Indeed, and if the cars were exciting enough thanks to McLaren's "ethos" perhaps no one would complain about their lack of a proper soundtrack. I guess there is a minority of idiots who will always expect to get some thrills driving their P&J at legals speeds between two speed bumps - maybe we have reached days where manufacturers will engineer a proper soundtrack into their lift systems to cover the increasing aural deficiencies of their turbocharged engines

[The Surveyor]

So... Nothing to do with noise after all Thom, it's all about the number of speed bumps?

Go drive some driving roads

[Gameface]

McLaren certainly make the poorest sounding supercars IMO.

From one of the best, the F1, to this. It's a shame.