Lowest noise limit in the UK

[Chris71]

Seems these appear to be coming up a lot regularly I thought I'd pose the question, where's worst?

What's the most gruelling noise requirement at a proper UK circuit?

[thegreenhell]

Thruxton, 90dB static. Hence why there are so few trackdays there.

[Chris71]

Interesting. Are there many in the '90s? I thought Bedford was one of the lowest at 98dB static?

[Dan7357]

thegreenhell said:

Thruxton, 90dB static. Hence why there are so few trackdays there.

Whats that electric cars ?!

[thegreenhell]

Dan7357 said:

thegreenhell said:

Thruxton, 90dB static. Hence why there are so few trackdays there.

Whats that electric cars ?!

My Elise, back when it had a completely stock exhaust including cat, measured 89dB static at both Bedford and Goodwood. Our E36 M3, again with completely stock exhaust with cats, measured 82dB static.

When we did Thruxton earlier this year, there were a few 911s of various vintages and S2 Exiges on track, so it really isn't as strict as it sounds.

Edited by thegreenhell on Monday 27th April 15:09

[GW65]

I'll be at Thruxton in a couple of weeks in a Corvette C6 with stock exhaust. According to US numbers it's 79db static at 4K rpm from 10ft away and even drive-by under hard acceleration it tops out at 85db. So it should be way under the limit. Of course, the exhaust I'll be fitting shortly afterwards would fail dismally even though it's probably in the mid-to-high-90s db so OK elsewhere.

[RB Will]

GW65 said:

I'll be at Thruxton in a couple of weeks in a Corvette C6 with stock exhaust. According to US numbers it's 79db static at 4K rpm from 10ft away and even drive-by under hard acceleration it tops out at 85db. So it should be way under the limit. Of course, the exhaust I'll be fitting shortly afterwards would fail dismally even though it's probably in the mid-to-high-90s db so OK elsewhere.

Just remember most tracks test at 50-100cm and 45degrees from the exhaust not 10ft away!
My standard BMW 325 was 88-89 at 4500rpm My subarus average about 96 no idea what drive by is though but I have never been black flagged except at the Ring

[ARAF]

My 325 Compact was 81dB static at 5k revs, at Oulton last month.

It's still the best fun you can have with your clothes on.

Anyone know what Goodwood's limit is, as IIRC that's pretty low....

[Munter]

ARAF said:

My 325 Compact was 81dB static at 5k revs, at Oulton last month.

It's still the best fun you can have with your clothes on.

Anyone know what Goodwood's limit is, as IIRC that's pretty low....

My MX5 comes out at 82 normally.

I know we all like LOUD cars. I'd love to hear cross plane crank V8s with race exhausts on trackdays. But I think we have to accept that we need to start falling below the radar of the noise nazis and let them move on to whineing about the noise of wasps. And mainstream road car noise levels may be the way to go.

[ARAF]

Munter said:

I'd love to hear cross plane crank V8s with race exhausts on trackdays. But I think we have to accept that we need to start falling below the radar of the noise nazis and let them move on to whineing about the noise of wasps. And mainstream road car noise levels may be the way to go.

Yup. I've seen it all happen with bikes.....

Let's face it, tracks wouldn't be there without motorsport, so the noisy times really should be left for when they're playing.

[Chris71]

Munter said:

ARAF said:

My 325 Compact was 81dB static at 5k revs, at Oulton last month.

It's still the best fun you can have with your clothes on.

Anyone know what Goodwood's limit is, as IIRC that's pretty low....

My MX5 comes out at 82 normally.

I know we all like LOUD cars. I'd love to hear cross plane crank V8s with race exhausts on trackdays. But I think we have to accept that we need to start falling below the radar of the noise nazis and let them move on to whineing about the noise of wasps. And mainstream road car noise levels may be the way to go.

It's an interesting one.

I agree that preserving the future of track days (and indeed full-on competitive motorsport) is important and noise reduction will have to be a part of that.

However, we already have enough tracks where a standard road going TVR is marginal if not a clean fail on the noise limit. Okay, they are loud, but I'm not talking cherry bombs or race exhausts here, just the standard stainless pipe. It seems a bit unfair when the car is sometimes older than the local houses from which people issue their complaints.

As I've moaned before my local kart track when I was growing up was a very well established club, based on the site of a pre-war airfield and it was on the brink of closure due to complaints from a part complete housing development. I do think a degree of perspective is needed when people choose to move in next to something like that. I don't particularly like my neighbours either - it doesn't mean I can petition the council to remove them.

[Cavey]

+1

If people move to an area knowing they're going to be close to a track they have no grounds whatsoever to object.