Throughout history, cars frequently marked their character by soundtrack. After all, who didn’t make racecar noises as a kid? Even today, under the watchful eyes of noise, vibration and harshness targets, cars still make a wide array of satisfying noises, so let’s celebrate some of them. Today we want to know what your favorite car sound is.
As for engine sound, there’s nothing like the organ notes of induction noise. Sure, forced induction is cool, but indulging your senses in the sheer intake of internal combustion is pupil-widening stuff. It’s especially scintillating in a McLaren 600LT with a roof scoop, or a 718 GT4 RS that pulls air from vents in the quarter glass, or anything with open velocity stacks. Exhaust noise is so last decade, induction noise is pure selfish hotness.
However, there are also many car noises that don’t come from an engine, yet are equally mesmerizing. The tuk of an old Porsche door, the rifle-bolt confirmation of the power door lock actuators on a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the flexing of old leather seats, the brashness of a Cadillac four-note horn, I could go on.
I shan’t go on, though, because I want to turn it over to you. What’s your favorite car sound and why? Whether it’s the whirr of a V12 starter motor, the ground-shaking roar of a nitro dragster, the clink of a gated shifter, or something else entirely, we want to know.
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The THUNK of a door shutting on an old Mercedes. Especially a 1980s 190e. That TINY little car is the size of a 90s Honda civic yet it feels like its carved out of a block of granite. Even 35 years and 300,000 miles later.
Also good mention on the Cadillac horn. That was a unique calling card that they never should have gotten away from. My 91 Brougham had THE BEST factory horn ever, sounded like a tugboat lol
THIS
Rochester Quadrajet 4 barrel carburetor with an open air cleaner.
When the secondaries open up there is some kind of magic noise.
Funny, I never really thought of a bog as a good sound.
If it’s bogging something needs tuning.
The easily missed little whirring sound as the seatbelts are automatically tightened at some speed after you start moving. It’s like hearing the car whisper in your ear, “game on, sweetie.”
bring me the aircooled parsh flat-six
Just yesterday I test drove a Model 3. The subtle motor sound plus the exhilarating
push was one hell of a experience.
I love the cold start a v8 thought a good exhaust (ie not glasspacks). For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKkE1Cr8Lcw&ab_channel=PhilippFehr
The way it sounds like it will stall at any moment 🙂
The turbo whistle through my bone stock Fiat 500 Abarth exhaust.
An engine running properly. Less headaches for me!
Lots of great suggestions in here, but for me it’s a Porsche flat six with ITBs or Webers. Nothing sweeter.
Hearing an air cooled fan running is a good way to get my attention
Easy. The combination of the engine sound of the glorious 5 cylinder 20v Audi, and the Sequential Blow Off Valve that was the same on all the production cars with that engine.
Behold, in all it’s glory. There is no greater.
https://youtu.be/1AmcSdFS-yg?t=13
You can really hear what makes the BOV unique at around 30 seconds. Other cars just PSSHHHHTTTT and this one is more BEuuTuTUTUTuTuTuuuu which is a far superior noise.
I know they get a lot of hate (for sounding like a trombone) but a well made exhaust + VQ35 is my favourite
The sound of a Chrysler gear reduction starter motor from the ’60s.
The sound of the secondaries opening of any American car from the late 60 to mid 70s…..flip the top of the air cleaner over and let it moan. Any spread bore like a Q-Jet really sounds beautiful. One great memory is of my buddies grandmothers 70 New Yorker with a TNT 440. When that Thermo-Quad opened up people could not breath for two blocks from the amount of air being ingested.
2 stroke SAAB.
The Hellcat supercharger whine is awful if you’re outside the car (because someone’s being an idiot) and magical from the driver’s seat (because you’re the idiot)
A nice “snick-snick” 1-2 manual upshift sounds wonderful
The Jag F Type V8 on throttle lift made nice pops
Outdoor noises with the top down. Everyone should have a convertible for at least a summer. You’re no longer in a cocoon, hating everyone else who’s in your way. You’re outside. People smile. Convertibles are great and I miss having one.
You know when you shift too fast and come off the clutch too soon and cram it into gear anyhow and it makes that lovely crunching metallic melodious sound? Oh yeah, love that.
Not something I want to experience all the time, but a Top Fuel dragster going down the track is almost a religious experience. Sure it’s loud, but on another level. You feel it, deep down.
Wow. Brought back some memories of Englishtown.
Can’t believe nobody has said the two most obvious:
My serious answer is sitting at idle and going from Tour to Sport mode and hearing the additional exhaust sound when the exhaust valves open.
An early-90’s V-12 F1 engine shrieking at 18,000 RPM.
A stock Chevy 350 through equal length headers and dual glasspacks (preferably Thrush, Cherry Bombs if you must), no cats or H pipe.
That’s the sound of my youth as I became a car guy. That exhaust was one of the two attainable first stages of bolt-on power in those days, the other being a big Holley four-barrel atop an Edlebrock intake. The stereo deep purr of a stock cam through dual exhaust at 2-3k will forever be nostalgic for me.
Well, there’s nothing quite like a Roots-style supercharger whining.
Otherwise, the Mercedes 123 & 126 doors closing. Almost vault-like.
When we gently flipped my parts 300SD over to strip suspension parts, no windows broke and the doors still opened & then closed with that same secure SHUNK.
-gotta say, upside-down is the best way to get to the brake booster bolts inside 😉
A car door with a good “thunk” when closed.
Any VW VR6 or Volvo/Audi turbo 5 cylinder with a good non-factory exhaust, not too loud, just enough.
V8’s almost always sound good too, pretty hard to argue on that one.
The sound of a Volvo 240 door closing.
CBX 1000 is the most spin-tingling ear candy out there when it’s going through the rev range.
Gah, you already hit all the high notes Thomas.
The drawn out whirrrr of a BMW or Mercedes v12 starter lets you know there is something a little exotic under the hood.
I’ll never forget the first time I experienced solid clink of unlatching and closing an air-cooled 911. Ditto for the doors of an early 90s Geländewagen my family used to have.
Favorite induction noise would have to be a tie between the GT4 RS and OG McLaren F1
Favorite exhaust would have to be a the insane new GMA T.50/T.33, with a close second from the Carrera GT and Lexus LFA.
You beat me to the comment about the V12 starter noise. That smooooth whirring is so nice.