Good 4-banger exhaust for deep throaty sound?

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
4 cylinders sound very raspy and noisy,like a BLAT.
6s,particularly inline 6s sound very agricultural.
Nothing sounds like an 8.
Wonder what a 3 cylinder GEO sounds like? Must be like a blender.


Ever hear a BSA Rocket 3 or Triumph Trident?

They sound pretty darn good. Unique. The Yamaha XS750 sounds pretty good. I've even heard a Subaru Justy (inline 3 - not a boxer) sound decent.

For some reason, that sound does not seem to be able to be duplicated by the Suzuki G10 (Geo Metro) make a sound like that

As far as the 4 cylinders, ever hear a VMax?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
4 cylinders sound very raspy and noisy,like a BLAT.
6s,particularly inline 6s sound very agricultural.
Nothing sounds like an 8.
Wonder what a 3 cylinder GEO sounds like? Must be like a blender.


Ever hear a BSA Rocket 3 or Triumph Trident?

They sound pretty darn good. Unique. The Yamaha XS750 sounds pretty good. I've even heard a Subaru Justy (inline 3 - not a boxer) sound decent.

For some reason, that sound does not seem to be able to be duplicated by the Suzuki G10 (Geo Metro) make a sound like that

As far as the 4 cylinders, ever hear a VMax?


The 'max made 145HP out of 1.2L. With that kind of power density, it is going to sound a LOT better

 

[SteveSRT8]

No offense to anyone, but when I was car shopping in 05 one requirement was no 4 cylinder or V-6 noises allowed.

No one can make one of those sound right, even if they sweat it. I'm just biased towards that relaxed V-8 noise. Not saying that a nicely tuned 4 banger can't sound good, but that noise gets tiring to me quickly.

Chrysler really got it right on my 300, it's quieter than their V6 model in normal driving yet has a nice bark when you get on it.

 

[A_Harman]

3's can sound as good as 6's if the exhaust system is designed right. I once heard a Geo Metro with a performance exhaust that sounded surprisingly good. (Probably cobbled together from various bits because what aftermarket exhaust company would bother?)

I've never liked the sound of Flat or Inline 4's, no matter what was done with the exhaust.

V4's such as VMax's and V65 Magna's can sound like V8's with 2-plane cranks.

I5's are just plain weird, but I don't mind them because they're not I4's.

6's can sound good if they rev high enough. Who out there can honestly say they don't like the sound of Porsche H6's or BMW I6's?

V8's have an apple-pie, flag-waving, American sound if they have 2-plane cranks.

I've never like V8's with flat cranks, even if they do rev to the stratosphere. They just sound like I4's on benzedrine.

V10's have burbly overtones that can sound odd if they're in an early Viper with sidepipes. But I loved the sound of Honda's F1 V10 that I heard at Indy in 2000. Rich, and with a maniacal edge that gave me chills.

The sound of any V12 ever built is just fine with me.

 

[TFB1]

Put the quietest muffler you can find(maybe two in series), then install a pounding amp and speakers in the back that plays V8 clips...

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
4 cylinders sound very raspy and noisy,like a BLAT.
6s,particularly inline 6s sound very agricultural.
Nothing sounds like an 8.
Wonder what a 3 cylinder GEO sounds like? Must be like a blender.


Ever hear a BSA Rocket 3 or Triumph Trident?

They sound pretty darn good. Unique. The Yamaha XS750 sounds pretty good. I've even heard a Subaru Justy (inline 3 - not a boxer) sound decent.

For some reason, that sound does not seem to be able to be duplicated by the Suzuki G10 (Geo Metro) make a sound like that

As far as the 4 cylinders, ever hear a VMax?


The 'max made 145HP out of 1.2L. With that kind of power density, it is going to sound a LOT better

Bikes are a WHOLE 'NOTHER WORLD! (As are F1 powerplants.)

We were speaking of CAR engines, maybe that should have been specified (and maybe it should be in the future, unless otherwise noted).

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: TFB1
Put the quietest muffler you can find(maybe two in series), then install a pounding amp and speakers in the back that plays V8 clips...


No joke, they have them on the market in V8, V10, V12. Give it a listen here:

http://www.soundracer.se/

Problem is, guys get so into it they rip the guts out of their family passenger car/van.

Oh and my 2.3 Ranger is a 4-Banger.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
4 cylinders sound very raspy and noisy,like a BLAT.
6s,particularly inline 6s sound very agricultural.
Nothing sounds like an 8.
Wonder what a 3 cylinder GEO sounds like? Must be like a blender.


Ever hear a BSA Rocket 3 or Triumph Trident?

They sound pretty darn good. Unique. The Yamaha XS750 sounds pretty good. I've even heard a Subaru Justy (inline 3 - not a boxer) sound decent.

For some reason, that sound does not seem to be able to be duplicated by the Suzuki G10 (Geo Metro) make a sound like that

As far as the 4 cylinders, ever hear a VMax?


The 'max made 145HP out of 1.2L. With that kind of power density, it is going to sound a LOT better

Bikes are a WHOLE 'NOTHER WORLD! (As are F1 powerplants.)

We were speaking of CAR engines, maybe that should have been specified (and maybe it should be in the future, unless otherwise noted).

That's why I used '60s and '70s bikes for examples rather than the current crop of Triumph Triples. (with the exception of the VMax but the only V4 I can think of prior to the 90° Honda V4s, VMax/Venture, and the Suzuki Maduras is the Ford Taunus V4)

The BSA/Triumph 3 was an OHV air cooled engine with something like 9:1 Compression. The OHV Toyota slant 4 2K engine had a 9:1 compression ratio. I'm sure the cam profiles were quite different than the Toyota's but otherwise the engines were not really that different.

 

[dwcopple]

This guy drove past me in a 350Z yesterday and had the most obnoxious exhaust. Sounded like a car in a burnout box when he punched it. Couldn't see the muffler as he was going in opposite direction. Too bad, 'cause the Z is a sweet ride otherwise.

 

[SteveSRT8]

^^^and what really stinks is the Z has a beautiful musical exhaust note from the factory!

Somebody has to wave the "loud is not the same as fast" flag!

 

[d00df00d]

I'm pretty sure there's nothing I like about the 350Z, other than the fact that it's RWD...

 

[artificialist]

I had a 2.5 in/out Magnaflow round muffler that was 4 inches wide and about 24 inches long, followed by the largest 2.5 in/out round Dynomax Super Turbo on my Saturn. It sounded pretty good, and the increase in power was amazing. It was as quiet as stock at low RPM, but got a little bit louder at full throttle.

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
I'm pretty sure there's nothing I like about the 350Z, other than the fact that it's RWD...
that's a shame. The engine is a thing of beauty.

 

[d00df00d]

That 3.5 does have nice throttle response and great midrange punch. I just don't like how it runs out of breath at high RPMs and sounds like a video game.

 

[Carmudgeon]

Speaking of exhaust notes, the sound of a freer-flowing rotary is, well, an acquired taste.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
I'm pretty sure there's nothing I like about the 350Z, other than the fact that it's RWD...


IDK, we still have a convertible in the family bought new back in 07. It's so small inside that I am not a fan, but it is solidly built and trouble free even after a lot of whipping.

Maybe not the BEST car but a very competent GT.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: Carmudgeon
Speaking of exhaust notes, the sound of a freer-flowing rotary is, well, an acquired taste.


My old 12A Wankel wasn't particularly loud....I liked the way it sounded. But once the baffle plate in the exhaust port is removed....yeah, loud is an understatement. There are no valves to block the soundwaves and very little redirection in the exhaust at all.

 

[Eddie]

I love the sound of a Porsche 4 RSK at a full 8,500 RPM

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: Carmudgeon
Speaking of exhaust notes, the sound of a freer-flowing rotary is, well, an acquired taste.


My old 12A Wankel wasn't particularly loud....I liked the way it sounded. But once the baffle plate in the exhaust port is removed....yeah, loud is an understatement. There are no valves to block the soundwaves and very little redirection in the exhaust at all.


Not to mention those 12 ga. shotgun blasts when the racing ones got out of the throttle quickly!

 

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: Carmudgeon
Speaking of exhaust notes, the sound of a freer-flowing rotary is, well, an acquired taste.


My old 12A Wankel wasn't particularly loud....I liked the way it sounded. But once the baffle plate in the exhaust port is removed....yeah, loud is an understatement. There are no valves to block the soundwaves and very little redirection in the exhaust at all.


Not to mention those 12 ga. shotgun blasts when the racing ones got out of the throttle quickly!

An unmuffled Wankel is just plain annoying, but amazing to hear once you consider all that racket is coming from 80 cubic inches. I liked the 3-rotors that Mazda ran in GTU for a few years, and the 4-rotor in the 787 prototype that won LeMans in 1991. And now there is a guy that's building 12-rotor Mazda's for offshore powerboats. That thing probably sounds like an F1 V8 at 24,000 rpm, only a lot louder.