Fake Engine Sound

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Oct 28, 2008
Messages
1,942
Location
MD
I seem to recall that I heard that a few new cars have some set up where they pipe fake engine noise through the audio system? Is this true? If so, which cars do this?
 
Harley Davidson is supposed to have an electric bike coming out that has the classic Harley sound.
 
I think the better question is who *doesn't* do it.

Who does:
BMW
Mini
Ford (most, if not all, Ecoboost vehicles)
Cadillac (CTS and ATS with the 2.0L turbo)
Chevrolet (Camaro with the 2.0L turbo)
VW
Nissan
Lexus
Mercedes Benz
Audi
Kia

I think a fair assessment is to say it is often used in "sport" vehicles that have performance intentions, but aren't a true sports car. Anymore, most of these vehicles are using a turbo and sound... meh.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Mickey Mouse gimmick. When an engine has some real steam in the boiler you know it, its not just about the sound.


This^^
An engine sounds like what it sounds like.
A turbo four BMW probably doesn't make any wonderful noises, but it is what it is.
Way back when, I can recall seeing really fast 934s as well as a turbo toolshed BMW raced.
What was so impressive about these cars was how quietly they went about their business of speed.
OTOH, any Chevy whether SBC or BBC would shake your guts with its thunder while still not being in the running with the turbo Porsches. Then their was the Aston-Martin V-8 powered Nimrod, which made wonderful noises while running well behind the leading cars. There were also a couple of very aggressively driven Toyota silhouette racers that made the most pleasing high rpm wail. These stock-based looking cars were revealed as tube frame silhouette cars when one of them had some sort of tangle which ripped up its bodywork.
Where might one have seen all of these cars raced on the same track at the same time?
Anyone ever heard of the Lumbermans 500, which was run at least a couple of times IIRC?
An entertaining event from our pre-childbirth days when we rarely missed an event at this track.
 
A few trends have come together, good and bad:

1. Chassis engineers are better at filtering out noise from outside the cabin. Whether they intend it or not, those efforts also affect the volume and character of the engine sound in the cabin.

2. We need to keep fuel economy high and emissions low, but cars are heavy and have lots of drag because people insist on buying unnecessarily tall vehicles and regulations require big frontal areas. So, manufacturers are turning to smaller turbocharged engines. Turbochargers reduce engine noise.

All well and good for a big luxo-barge or something. The problem is when you have a mass-market car that's supposed to have good performance (e.g. VW GTI), or a performance car built on the same platform as a mass-market car (e.g. M3, M5). There's no way to make the engine sound louder in the cabin without letting in other undesirable noise and/or making the engine unacceptably loud on the outside. The easiest way to have engine sound in the cabin is just to simulate it over the speakers.

The car that made simulated engine noise famous is the previous-generation BMW M5, which is a great example. That car was obviously built on the 5-Series, which shared a platform with the 7-Series. It was inherently quiet. Engineers tried all sorts of things -- sound tubes, removing insulation, etc. -- but nothing sounded loud enough and good enough at the same time. That's why the just simulated it.

I don't think anyone would describe that engine as lacking "steam." It has the better part of 600 horsepower. The problem isn't the engine; it's the car around it.
 
Ford f150 3.5 in the platinum trim have it. I turned it off with forscan. I know the 3.5 has the grunt and I like it quieter. It is there for the people who equate sound with power imo.
 
Its "enhanced" sound.

Just like "enhanced" boobies, you may know their not entirely real but they still put a smile on your face.
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
Makes you wonder about the people engineering this stuff.
BMW has a staff of audio engineers. I'm sure other auto makers do, too.
 
I rather like the electric motors, and wish the racket of the Harley could be reduced, but I'm afraid choking off the exhaust will reduce it's power to a go kart. I do wish the stupid space ship sound could be reprogrammed on my oversized Prius though, I'd put in a weedwhacker, or a horseshoe tapping, maybe a
 
My Mustang had a sound pipe. I took it off since I needed that spot for something more important. I saved it in case I ever sell the car and the person that buys it wants the parts. I also put on a Borla ATAK catback so the exhaust is plenty loud enough now.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: CT8
Makes you wonder about the people engineering this stuff.
BMW has a staff of audio engineers. I'm sure other auto makers do, too.


Would someone please inform the Japanese audio engineers that the purpose of this technology is to "enhance" engine sounds, not amplify road noise.

Ed
 
I like the burble of a v8, the rattle of an old IDI diesel, and the smooth increase of an I6. I also like turbo whistle.

I don't care for them to be fake. Ill take rolling the windows down and hearing what I can hear.

My 135 sounds perfect to me, but I can't hear much of anything from inside. That's progress.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
When an engine has some real steam in the boiler you know it


That's even true with the Tesla Model S P100d. You really do know when the electric motors are cranking out 700HP. No fake sound required, it's clearly the sound of power, and it's pleasing.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top