I'm surprised after this many replies no one mentioned that cars do have something pretty close to this across virtually every modern ICE: knock sensors. Knock

I'm surprised after this many replies no one mentioned that cars do have something pretty close to this across virtually every modern ICE: knock sensors. Knock sensors are just ruggedized piezoelectric microphones that bolt onto your engine: when they detect a knock it's by transmitting the sound a knocking cylinder makes as an electrical signal to the ECU.