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Also note a lot of luxury performance cars have the opposite - the engine noise is amplified by the stereo system. It makes sense as sounds is so dampened now b

Also note a lot of luxury performance cars have the opposite - the engine noise is amplified by the stereo system. It makes sense as sounds is so dampened now but you want to hear that sweet engine note when you hit the gas.

hammock 6y ago
Ford Mustang does this too, except it's not amplification of the engine, it's actually pre-recordings of engine noise pumped into the sound system when you step on the gas.
- p1necone 6y ago
  This seems so... American.
  - CamperBob2 6y ago
    You'd think so, but BMW did it first, as far as I'm aware. Anyone know of an earlier system?
    - detaro 6y ago
      VW also did it quite early in the Golf GTI, but I think that is around the same time (2011?), although not with recordings but actual engine noise, or so they claimed.
      - p1necone 6y ago
        You could argue that being able to hear the actual engine noise more clearly does have some practical benefits especially with a manual transmission, although only really if you're driving it around a track (or if it would be totally silent inside otherwise).
      - raxxorrax 6y ago
        I know the E-Golf does generate sound to warn pedestrians. Most modern upper class cars have noise cancelation by now. It is ridiculously silent in some of them.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - adrianmonk 6y ago
      This 2012 article seems to be a good overview: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15117726/faking-it-engine-sound-enhancement-explained-tech-dept/ https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15117726/faking-it-en... At that time, Porsche, VW, BMW, Ford, and Lexus had various types of system to enhance engine noise. It seems Porsche and Ford channeled the real sound through mechanically. VW started off doing that but then switched to an electronic system called Soundaktor. Lexus hired Yamaha to do an electronic system. BMW did it electronically. Things may have changed since then. The article makes it sound like Lexus did it before BMW. And probably VW too, although that's less clear.
      - _ah 6y ago
        My 2004 BMW did this mechanically: there was a tube connecting the passenger compartment with the air intake to pipe in that sweet engine noise. (There was a membrane inside to prevent actual airflow). Interestingly, the sound was actually too loud, so they stuffed some foam blocks in the resonator pipe to deaden the sound. But if you really wanted extra noise just remove the foam!
  - bigbubba 6y ago
    It's very Disney Land. A superficial facade you're not meant to look behind.
  - m463 6y ago
    I drove a mustang recently and it shone a mustang logo on the ground when you opened the door. To me american would be to actually have a v8. (like italian would be a 12). But honestly this really reminds me of shitty pro-look electronics. Like crappy RGB car stereos in every corner of the world, or old style "fake stack" home audio system with a loudness button and permanently wired plastic speakers with 22 gauge wire.
- sliken 6y ago
  As do many others. I was shopping a VW Golf R. Apparently there's a motor at the base of the windshield with an offset weight. So it adds vibration. I can somewhat understand doing this for people who expect v6 noises from v4 turbos. But not providing the ability to turn it off seems silly.

hammock 6y ago

Ford Mustang does this too, except it's not amplification of the engine, it's actually pre-recordings of engine noise pumped into the sound system when you step on the gas.

p1necone 6y ago
This seems so... American.
- CamperBob2 6y ago
  You'd think so, but BMW did it first, as far as I'm aware. Anyone know of an earlier system?
  - detaro 6y ago
    VW also did it quite early in the Golf GTI, but I think that is around the same time (2011?), although not with recordings but actual engine noise, or so they claimed.
    - p1necone 6y ago
      You could argue that being able to hear the actual engine noise more clearly does have some practical benefits especially with a manual transmission, although only really if you're driving it around a track (or if it would be totally silent inside otherwise).
    - raxxorrax 6y ago
      I know the E-Golf does generate sound to warn pedestrians. Most modern upper class cars have noise cancelation by now. It is ridiculously silent in some of them.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - adrianmonk 6y ago
    This 2012 article seems to be a good overview: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15117726/faking-it-engine-sound-enhancement-explained-tech-dept/ https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15117726/faking-it-en... At that time, Porsche, VW, BMW, Ford, and Lexus had various types of system to enhance engine noise. It seems Porsche and Ford channeled the real sound through mechanically. VW started off doing that but then switched to an electronic system called Soundaktor. Lexus hired Yamaha to do an electronic system. BMW did it electronically. Things may have changed since then. The article makes it sound like Lexus did it before BMW. And probably VW too, although that's less clear.
    - _ah 6y ago
      My 2004 BMW did this mechanically: there was a tube connecting the passenger compartment with the air intake to pipe in that sweet engine noise. (There was a membrane inside to prevent actual airflow). Interestingly, the sound was actually too loud, so they stuffed some foam blocks in the resonator pipe to deaden the sound. But if you really wanted extra noise just remove the foam!
- bigbubba 6y ago
  It's very Disney Land. A superficial facade you're not meant to look behind.
- m463 6y ago
  I drove a mustang recently and it shone a mustang logo on the ground when you opened the door. To me american would be to actually have a v8. (like italian would be a 12). But honestly this really reminds me of shitty pro-look electronics. Like crappy RGB car stereos in every corner of the world, or old style "fake stack" home audio system with a loudness button and permanently wired plastic speakers with 22 gauge wire.
sliken 6y ago
As do many others. I was shopping a VW Golf R. Apparently there's a motor at the base of the windshield with an offset weight. So it adds vibration. I can somewhat understand doing this for people who expect v6 noises from v4 turbos. But not providing the ability to turn it off seems silly.