Le Mans Diesels sound dull!

[veloce]

Don't about everyone else but I think about 80% of motorsport appeal is derived from the glorious sounds petrol engines make. Diesels just sound dull...

here's my favourite sounding Le Mans car...Matra 670B V12 - if this doesn't make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up it's either not loud enough or you already own a diesel...

http://www.balancemotorsport.co.uk/images/matra%20...

[ninjaboy]

You can't stand in the way of progress but from what i've heard the rules suit Diesels and give them an unfair advantage. I must admit on a level field i can't see a diesel being the way to win a race.

[Mikey G]

As a spectator i cant imagine the sound of a diesel being that great, also as a driver it would be a similair experiance, but again the driver must feel a different challenge behind the wheel trying to harness all that torque! remember Audi put a lot of effort and changes into the car to go from the R8 to R10, even down to the tyres had to be completely redeveloped and made bigger to cope with the ooodles of torque these things push.

[r56_ollie]

The Diesel's are awful - Yes a technological marvel, but not for me im afraid. The V12 of the DBR9 makes me feel weak at the knees...

[lazyitus]

veloce said:

Don't about everyone else but I think about 80% of motorsport appeal is derived from the glorious sounds petrol engines make. Diesels just sound dull...

r56_ollie said:

The Diesel's are awful - Yes a technological marvel, but not for me im afraid. The V12 of the DBR9 makes me feel weak at the knees...

Had this discussion with my Dad last night. Sure, you can't and shouldn't stop progress but a massive part of motorsport for me is the noise.

Surely, if they have all this technology, couldn't they manufacture an exhaust system for the diesel cars that emulates a better (petrol engined) sound? Or have the manufacturers absolutely no interest in what motorsport means for true fans.

Just there to make money instead, obviously. If the trend continues, races like Lemans will end up going the same route as football. It will lose its hardcore base of fans and its credibility and will become just one big business with no trace of 'sport' involved.

[The Penguin]

Mikey G said:

the driver must feel a different challenge behind the wheel trying to harness all that torque!

A driver whos name escapes me likes the quiet diesel as it means he can hear missed gear changes and other cockups by the driver ahead which enables him to react makes sense to me.

I also belive that most drivers in the car for 3 hours + would prefer the quiet of the diesel over a v12 but as a spectator I hate them. They can never make a nice sound even with a fancy exhaust system im afraid.

Hopefully the ACO will level the playing foeld for next year would love to see the pecarola take a real challenge to Audi and peugeot would also love to see an Aston or Jag in LMP1

Edited by The Penguin on Sunday 17th June 09:08

[veloce]

OK I'm sat hear watching a lap of Villeneuve in the Peugeot and it sounds like an old Nissan Patrol I got a lift in once. The hairs on the back of neck are now flush...
anyone remember the Ferrari 333sp (1996) awesome noise. instead of flames spitting out the back it was like the ignition mapping on the overun had been designed to make a flame dance in the exhaust. a thing of beauty.

Edited by veloce on Sunday 17th June 09:25

[nubbin.]

There was a chap on Motors TV commentary yesterday (chairman of Matra I think) saying that rule changes are afoot because of the diesel advantage in terms of economy and torque - and that there will be a need to consider eco-fuels and even new rules for hybrids in the near future. The diesels have already had their fuel tank capacity reduced from 90 to 81 litres, but it's not making any difference! I think the easiest option would be to make petrol (or bioethanol)the only fuel, and screw the eco-babblers whilst retaining the glorious noise.

[Famous Graham]

nubbin. said:

I think the easiest option would be to make petrol (or bioethanol)the only fuel, and screw the eco-babblers whilst retaining the glorious noise.

Or have a separate TDI class.

[veloce]

Famous Graham said:

nubbin. said:

I think the easiest option would be to make petrol (or bioethanol)the only fuel, and screw the eco-babblers whilst retaining the glorious noise.

Or have a separate TDI class.

yes with cloaking devices so we didn't see or hear them..

[JD streetlifeTV]

they both make an intresting noise but Le Mans is not Le Mans without the sweet sound of a vette thundering past your tent at 4am

[t1grm]

ninjaboy said:

You can't stand in the way of progress but from what i've heard the rules suit Diesels and give them an unfair advantage. I must admit on a level field i can't see a diesel being the way to win a race.

Well they banned electronic driver aids that are common place on modern road cars from F1 back in the 1990’s so just because an idea is new doesn’t mean it should be left to run riot in the interests of progress. What about 4WD and 6 wheel F1 cars? Surely that’s progress if they go faster but both ideas were banned. I guess it’s a compromise between progress and stability and for me the diesel engines upset the stability of the series.

[V8BJC]

Le Mans racing cars without the noise is like Christmas without turkey.

You can do it but it just aint right.

For me, its the noise that gives me the major buzz. Now talking about bio diesel.

Snore..... snore .......................

[johnph]

I wouldn't worry - Porsche are due back in 2010 with petrol car, and David Richards dropped the biggest hint possible on RLM that we'll see an Aston LMP soon. There is also take that Toyota are going to be dropping F1 and going back to LM with a hybrid LMP1. Also Acura (honda's lexus brand) are looking at an LMP


Biofuels aren't all bad - a car running bioethanol or biobutanol will sound like any other car. Remember the Nasamax? - if they running on biodiesel then yes they will sound like diesels.

[ninjaboy]

johnph said:

I wouldn't worry - Porsche are due back in 2010 with petrol car, and David Richards dropped the biggest hint possible on RLM that we'll see an Aston LMP soon. There is also take that Toyota are going to be dropping F1 and going back to LM with a hybrid LMP1. Also Acura (honda's lexus brand) are looking at an LMP


Biofuels aren't all bad - a car running bioethanol or biobutanol will sound like any other car. Remember the Nasamax? - if they running on biodiesel then yes they will sound like diesels.

Oh god not a hybrid, i would rather watch diesels.

[richardmancunian]

They need a separate class for the diesels LMP D!

Noise = greater entertainment so they had beeter make sure petrol stays!

[johnph]

ninjaboy said:

johnph said:

I wouldn't worry - Porsche are due back in 2010 with petrol car, and David Richards dropped the biggest hint possible on RLM that we'll see an Aston LMP soon. There is also take that Toyota are going to be dropping F1 and going back to LM with a hybrid LMP1. Also Acura (honda's lexus brand) are looking at an LMP


Biofuels aren't all bad - a car running bioethanol or biobutanol will sound like any other car. Remember the Nasamax? - if they running on biodiesel then yes they will sound like diesels.

Oh god not a hybrid, i would rather watch diesels.

The hybrid is rumoured atm, but the Aston and the Porsche will make plenty of noise.

[Tiger]

Going to go against the flow here.

Vette's sound awfull just a big fat bag of nails.
Astons sound great, esp with the overun
Panoz & Spyker both awfull
Ferrari great, Saleen superb, The Lambo for the 1.5 laps or so sounded awesome, probably the best.

The Audi sounds like a Jet!! Quiet yes but still good. They don't sound like diesel due to the particulate filter. And as the top man at Audi said, Noise is energy and a lot of noise is a lot of wasted energy.

[Inigo]

We noticed that the Audi seemed louder than last year - in 06 it was plain spooky.

Probably Pub Science (tm) but I was wondering whether they knew they had a major advantage last year and were able to run more silencing to emphasise the landmark change diesel brought (and push Audi TDI refinement). Couldn't wonder whether they needed a more aggressive exhause this year to release more power to counter the Peugeot threat?

[M3MTH]

Vette's sound awfull just a big fat bag of nails.