Cars You Can Identify From Noise Alone

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Sometimes I think it makes me sad, but I can tell if a car is a small Vauxhall from the transmission noise alone, much to the, er, amazement of the girlfriend I used to have (now ex-girlfriend...).

The BMW e46 m3 is the same - you can't mistake it.

What can you identify from noise before it gets in view?

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Impreza is a good one. Two went by me recently, one was heavily modified but they both had the same individual 'beat'.

Escort 1.8 diesel van - sounds like a 'proper' diesel should!

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Another one: MINI- wine wine wine from the steering pump

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Waiting for the "cars you can't tell apart by noise thread". Based on a 5 minute walk:

Octavia (taxi so a PD)
Modern fiat van
Merc c240
Mondeo (standard looking so 2 litre petrol)
Ford c-max

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Formula 1 cars

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jbi said:

Anything with a V8

So do you identify the model, or just "that's a v8"? If so it's like identifying a 4 cylinder diesel!

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StottyZr said:

Havent read any other responses but Corsa 1.2s are sooo easy to hear because of the timing chain whirring constantly, impreza are very distincitve and a 20v Turbo with miltek makes a distinctive noise (when given the beans) that can only be compared with an aeroplane engine spooling up. Also, VAG TDI engines with straight pipes make a very distinctive "coo" when changing gear.

My most proud car engine noise identification... moment... ... came last week. I was taking a lunch time walk with a colleague down a road near work when I heard a car accelarating from behind. Mid convo I said "Audi TT" and to my amazement 1 second later the car came past need I say more...

Thank god he heard me say Audi TT then saw it with his own eyes. If I had called that on my own I would be gutted nobody was there to see it

Was it the 180 or 225 version?!

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StottyZr said:

Thinking back I don't actually know. It didn't really have a distinctive engine note I have no idea how I guessed it from all the cars possible (without ever trying to guess one before) It was a 08 plate so take your best guess I think they do them in 200, 210 or 265 versions? Definatly a turbo engine so not the 3.2

I think the TTs do sound different from the rest of the Audi/vw range powered by the 1.8t engine, from the outside at least.

O/t I love the mk4 r32 noise, but the same engine in the TT sounds rubbish, what happened?

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A transit went by earlier - a noise (horrible) you can't mistake, why do they sound so distinctive?

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Why the Focus? We have one and it is ultra dull

Subaru seems to get the vote here

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melvster said:

Any petrol engined Rover/MG as the head gasket is bound to have given up

BMW X5 3.0D

You're strange!