What makes an engine sound like it does??
Discussion
Apologies in advance if everyone knows the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway....
As car enthusiasts, we all know when a particular car is approaching. Notable sounds include all variants of 911, the Subaru Impreza, a Ferrari V8 and a BMW six. But in addition we know when an engine is a V8, we know when it's a six, but how?
What determines that familiar sound??
As car enthusiasts, we all know when a particular car is approaching. Notable sounds include all variants of 911, the Subaru Impreza, a Ferrari V8 and a BMW six. But in addition we know when an engine is a V8, we know when it's a six, but how?
What determines that familiar sound??
Garlick said:
I hope so.
Another recognisable engine is the Land Rover TD5
Another recognisable engine is the Land Rover TD5
There's nothing like it.
Another few to add is the sound of a Metro 6R4 and a Mk2 Escort, they sound quite similar in my opinion (Despite being different configurations) but nothing like anything else...
ETA: Also, 4 rotor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JBXsUPvS1c
Edited by P I Staker on Thursday 19th January 23:56
Garlick said:
Apologies in advance if everyone knows the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway....
As car enthusiasts, we all know when a particular car is approaching. Notable sounds include all variants of 911, the Subaru Impreza, a Ferrari V8 and a BMW six. But in addition we know when an engine is a V8, we know when it's a six, but how?
What determines that familiar sound??
Here's an actual scientific paper about it.As car enthusiasts, we all know when a particular car is approaching. Notable sounds include all variants of 911, the Subaru Impreza, a Ferrari V8 and a BMW six. But in addition we know when an engine is a V8, we know when it's a six, but how?
What determines that familiar sound??
http://tc.engr.wisc.edu/uer/uer96/author8/index.ht...
It's for motorcycles, but the concepts are still good.
Noise is one of my favourite things about cars! I love the burble of Imprezas. The offbeat, 5 cylinder warble of my Volvo S60 2.0L Turbo with it's mild thrumming exhaust note. The whirr and woosh of the raspy twin cam in my MR2 Turbo, made all the more exciting by the sounds of the turbo coming to life. It truely is a joy.
I can't say why they sound the way they do other than to skim simply over the variables of cylinders, manifold size, shape and material, exhaust shape, material etc etc...
I can't say why they sound the way they do other than to skim simply over the variables of cylinders, manifold size, shape and material, exhaust shape, material etc etc...
The exhaust and the timing of the exhaust pulses do it.
The main thing would be the firing order, coupled with the exhaust design, so some exhaust pulses will interact with others, some won't.
The pulses from one manifold might all be regularly spaced, or they could be irregular, and that could further be changed if the exhaust is linked further down the line, or remains two separate pipes.
edit-
http://www.doudna.com/Subaru/
There's some stuff on Subarus, and why they sound like a VW Beetle.
The main thing would be the firing order, coupled with the exhaust design, so some exhaust pulses will interact with others, some won't.
The pulses from one manifold might all be regularly spaced, or they could be irregular, and that could further be changed if the exhaust is linked further down the line, or remains two separate pipes.
edit-
http://www.doudna.com/Subaru/
There's some stuff on Subarus, and why they sound like a VW Beetle.
Edited by TheEnd on Friday 20th January 00:50
Alx323 said:
I remember a thread on here that explained it perfectly.. I'm sure whoever wrote it will show up. Can't top that off-beat AJP
This one? A few months old but answered a lot of my questions!My favourite engine sounds are the off-beat Impreza rumbles, the howl of a Lamborghini V12, the M3 CSL lump, and a Ferrari V8!
ETA: for mobile users, here's the link:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
sebhaque said:
This one? A few months old but answered a lot of my questions!
My favourite engine sounds are the off-beat Impreza rumbles, the howl of a Lamborghini V12, the M3 CSL lump, and a Ferrari V8!
ETA: for mobile users, here's the link:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Yes that's the one!! The Impreza burble is one of my favourites too, but a Busso V6 is closeMy favourite engine sounds are the off-beat Impreza rumbles, the howl of a Lamborghini V12, the M3 CSL lump, and a Ferrari V8!
ETA: for mobile users, here's the link:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Subarus (and VW horizontally opposed flat-4s) sound that way because the exhaust headers are unequal length, so the pressure pulses effectively cluster together.
A 4 cylinder engine with equal length exhaust would sound: pop pop pop pop pop pop pop...
Clustering them together would give: poppop poppop poppop poppop...
A 4 cylinder engine with equal length exhaust would sound: pop pop pop pop pop pop pop...
Clustering them together would give: poppop poppop poppop poppop...
Zad said:
Subarus (and VW horizontally opposed flat-4s) sound that way because the exhaust headers are unequal length, so the pressure pulses effectively cluster together.
A 4 cylinder engine with equal length exhaust would sound: pop pop pop pop pop pop pop...
Clustering them together would give: poppop poppop poppop poppop...
So tweaking with exhaust length on the MX-5 would give it an Impreza-ish sound?A 4 cylinder engine with equal length exhaust would sound: pop pop pop pop pop pop pop...
Clustering them together would give: poppop poppop poppop poppop...
I may have found something to spend my bonus on
, if Mrs Pints doesn't spend it first. 
davepoth said:
Don't know why but I prefer the Merlin in the P51Dhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uBHX35FD70&fe...
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