For most of the 130-ish years of automobile history, most cars could be counted on to make some kind of sound via their propulsion system. The ring-a-ding of a two-stroke engine, the clatter of a diesel, and of course the many variations of four-stroke engines and their equally varied cylinder counts and configurations all provide wonderful mechanical songs to enthrall enthusiasts – not like those silent, souless machines that don’t ignite fuel and air to create motiv power (I’m talking about steam cars, of course). Which sounds are your favorites?
Now, you may find the science-fictiony warble of a Tesla or another EV’s “hello, electric car behind you” sound to be your favorite “exhaust” note, but for the purposes of this Autopian inquiry, I’m primarily interested in the piston-popping sounds delivered via pipe that most entertainingly tickle your tympanic membranes.
I fully expect many answers will be in the vein of tough/cool/powerful-sounding exhausts, and one of my faves certainly qualifies, but I also greatly enjoy engines and exhausts that just sound interesting, or even cute. Consider the Volkswagen Beetle (the “real” ones) and their signature whistling exhaust note (attached here to a Ford Raptor, because I’m a lil’ stinker):
OK, I’m just gonna say it: the Ford Raptor R’s exhaust sounds terrible. Sound up on this clip from @DougDeMuro‘s review ???? pic.twitter.com/djFZ94cVph
— Peter (@Peter_M_V) November 27, 2022
It’s a fun sound, right? Puts a smile on my face every time. On the other end of the sonic spectrum, we have a sound I’ve only heard once: the wail of a North American Aviation P-51 Mustang performing a fly-by at near 400mph, its Packard V-1650 Merlin (licensed from Rolls-Royce) at full deafening song. Man, what a roar – it was like nothing I’ve heard since both in quality and volume. I do get to enjoy the occasional flyover from the T-6 Texans flown by Texas Warbird Adventures, and three or four Texans in harmony is a wonderful sound indeed, but that Mustang was on a whole ‘nother level.
Your turn:
What Are Your Favorite Exhaust Sounds?
Top graphic image: stock.adobe.com
The burble pop of an F Type is very good, but my favorite this year was the Aston Martin Valkyrie GTP car at Road America…wowza.
The sound of Joby S4 flying nearby without a helicopter videoing the scene with about 2000 folks standing nearby. The crowd noise was louder.
Audi Sport quattro Group B rally car, in maximum attack mode. Sounds like all of Hell’s demons howling.
Favorite: my 1972 Datsun 240Z with ANSA over / under shotgun exhaust. Brass section of a Classical Orchestra.
Worst: my parents 1969 Chevy Impala 350 / 4 bbl / single exhaust. Sound of an old Electrolux vacuum cleaner, with a full dirt collection bag, while sucking in insert your preference here.
Top 4 of my fav: 90° V8, VR6, Subaru pancake 4, and this might sound weird… but the GM 60° pushrod V6.
The V8 being the top, the others no particular order.
Of course the caveat with all of them is that they need to be opened up a little bit.
the personal ones I miss the most:
Audi 3.1 liter v6, after 4,500 rpm
Whish whoosh turbo sounds of the LNF in the HHR SS
Modern? Fiat Abarth 500. The thought of the exhaust note makes me giggle. And I only got to borrow the car for a day.
I seriously love a built NA Honda B series.
Other loves: Cosworth BDT & DFV, all Rotaries, BMW S14, S52, S54, and S62, V10s which are not made by Ford & Dodge.
Continental R-670 As found on the Boeing-Stearman Model 75 PT-17
John Deere 830, 472 cubic inch two cylinders. You can start it by hand but stopping it takes some doing.
Any V1O fi engine, oh and that BMW S75 is neat sounding .
Fiat S76 — 28.3 liters spread amongst 4 cylinders. Exhaust you can feel.
Those Alison engine tractors at the local tractor pull.
Oh, and this
https://youtu.be/MlDyypYt-jI
Funny you mentioned planes in there, because one of the most amazing engine/exhaust sounds I’ve ever heard flew over my head in my yard one day. My house at the time wasn’t far from a general aviation airport, but also was less than a mile from three different intersecting six-lane major streets that saw a lot of speeders. At first, I thought someone was driving too hard a few blocks away in an old muscle car or something, but I loved the noise it made, whatever it was. Next thing you know, it’s actually a small prop plane going by overhead, probably flying a bit too low and hauling way too much ass. I’m not enough of an aerophile to tell you what it was, because it was gone in a flash, but MAN did it sound good. It sounded like a 1970 Ram Air IV GTO Judge flew over my house.
The other one was at work on a farm one day when I was in high school in the late 80s and heard something awesome-sounding and rumbly coming down the road. I looked up expecting, again, something American and V8. Imagine my surprise when a sleek black Mercedes-Benz 560SEL passed by making that sound instead. In hindsight, since this would have been outside of Lexington, Kentucky in the heart of horse country, I almost wonder if some wealthy breeder who lived somewhere out that way had himself an AMG Hammer. I’m also not enough of a Germanophile to say for sure, but I can say for sure that I’ve never heard another Mercedes sound that mean and angry.
Almost any V8.
Pretty much any VW VR6. I has a 2002.5 GTI 24v VR6 I put an AWE exhaust on and LOVED it (a bit loud though): https://youtu.be/_kCMciOzR-Q?si=gUsUHFBePxpxFYJq&t=13
I had a 2008 VW R32 that also made good Wookie sounds. https://youtu.be/GW8eq0_hEaU?si=bm8nCMbmbp4cg7Hq
Audi R8 V10+ is GLORIOUS.
I’m no VW apologist (will never buy another) but they make some pretty sounding engines.
R8 V10 Plus audio: https://youtu.be/s5VfpM-vSgg?si=Itz6jAMI7HcM84oF
Your GTI sounded great! Not too loud IMO cause it’s a nice loud sound. Not some fart can open 4cyl. Nice job sir
I made this its own comment elsewhere, but how do you feel about the Passat W8 exhaust note? It’s like V8 noises and VR6 wookie noises combined! IMO it’s one of the coolest-sounding engines of all time.
It sounds lovely and more complex and sophisticated than a normal V8. But I would never want to own one! (Timing Chain maintenance every 40k miles sounds like a nightmare)
Oh, absolutely. They all basically explode at 120K, and every public sale is like the same 5 units getting hot potato’d around by someone who wants to have fun for a few thousand miles and pass it along to someone else before they’re in for an awful repair bill.
But my dream is to be one of those people at least once in my life.
7.3l IDI or PowerStroke. From a brief personal experience, and also in general; such a loud, low, growl-y sound.
My camper van has a 7.3IDI in it. When that engine starts up, it’s one hell of a rumble.
I’m probably biased because I have one but I do love the way a 7.3 Powerstroke sounds. Although, the distinctive 7.3 clatter is because of the injectors and not necessarily the exhaust.
A Harley-Davidson with straight pipes.
Fiat 500 Abarth–That sound should not be coming from a 1.4 liter motor. But it does
Any C2 Big Block Corvette
Who knew with that Raptor that Ford Exhaust Engineers were aiming their audio sound with the Classic VW Beetle as it’s goal?
+1 for the Abarth, like a cross between a lawnmower and a Ferrari.
We had a Dodge Dart with what is largely the same motor. I was surprised at how cool it sounded completely stock. One of the few non-V8 motors I get excited about.
I’m still thinking someday I might pick up a Fiata, which also has largely the same motor. I bet that could sound pretty good!
Having had both a 500 Abarth and a Fiata, yes, with a muffler delete the Fiata sounds pretty much the same. Delightful!
Growing up my mom had a ’65 Stingray with a Big Block, love that noise!
I love the sounds of a Mustang GT, from the Fox body to present. The V8 sound is distinctive and it makes me smile.
Any Mustang GT made from 1999 on.
Ford SVT Contour.
Ferrari F355
Porsche Carrera GT… that high rev’ing v10 is glorious.
Well not a fucking Beetle that’s for sure. Noise pollution of the worst fucking kind.
Honestly? None.
I like not having tailpipe emissions.
Imagine being this miserable, good god.
I’m honestly very happy with my BEVs so far, just wish that the majority of the ones on the market were not so technophilic.
Thats wonderful, you never answered the question though.
What was the question?
My favorite exhaust sound?
I really don’t have one, I can think of ones I hate (far canned 4 cylinders for one) but not any favorites really.
Funny now that you mention it the loudest car I’ve ever heard in New York City was a LM002 on bleaker street.
I wonder if someone stole it’s cat, as the one I drove sounded pretty tame tbh.
A 907 Lotus engine paired up with a OEM exhaust from a Jensen Healey.
True, my mom told me to pick out a car for my sister to take to college, and we got one of those. It still sounds nice.
I would not have left the sister take it give her the Toyota
I’m letting my redneck show here, but I’ve always loved the sound true dual straight piped 4.6 and 5.4 fords.
I’ve always liked the stock 6.7 cumins exhaust sound out of rams gen 4 maybe sounds a little better then the others but could be phycological. 12v cumins also nice both trucks and marine. 6.0 ps sound good . Ford 302 with racing headers and side pipes is nice. Chrysler 360 / 5.9 can sound decent in both automobiles and marine.
I can’t stand coyotes with valved exhaust. Vq35 can sound decent and absolutely garbage the way they normally are found now.
I had a 72 Dodge “conversion van” that I bought used with a thrashed 318. I replaced it with a used 360 (cheaper than the equivalent 318, it was the gas prices). It had dual exhaust w/ a crossover pipe and turbo 2-1/2” mufflers. Sounded mighty fine.
Who can resist the siren call of a Honda CBX? I love to hear a Harley with stock exhaust idle. Don’t rev it, Skeeter. Just let it idle.
Some of those hondas had a separate pipe for each cylinder, didn’t they?
To have so much torque and still reach 9000 rpm!
The CBX was eye catching enough. For a work of art check out the Honda CB400F pipes.
The whispering beautiful murmur of an Iron Duke/Tech IV in a Grumman LLV with 300,000 miles
Lol my dogs hear that sound from a mile away and bark like crazy. They must hate it too.
Automobiles? My favorites are all from the motor sports arena- the BRM 1.5 liter V-16 comes immediately to mind, as does the Cosworth DFV. If you ever get the opportunity to hear a pack of DFV powered 70’s Grand Prix cars howl by, take it. I’m also a fan of prewar Bugatti engines, they truly have a unique sound.
Radial aero engines also tend to sound pretty unique. My favorite is probably the Pratt & Whitney R-2800, but the quartet of Wright R-3350 Cyclones in Fifi is a special experience.