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Stomp on the gas in a new Ford Mustang or F-150 and you’ll hear a meaty, throaty rumble—the same style of roar that Americans have associated with auto power and performance for decades. Now Drew Harwell reports at the Washington Post that the auto industry’s dirty little secret is that the engine growl in some of America’s best-selling cars and trucks is actually a finely tuned bit of lip-syncing, boosted through special pipes or digitally faked altogether. "Fake engine noise has become one of the auto industry’s dirty little secrets, with automakers from BMW to Volkswagen turning to a sound-boosting bag of tricks," writes Harwell. "Without them, today’s more fuel-efficient engines would sound far quieter and, automakers worry, seemingly less powerful, potentially pushing buyers away." For example Ford sound engineers and developers worked on an “Active Noise Control” system on the 2015 Mustang EcoBoost that amplifies the engine’s purr through the car speakers. Afterwards, the automaker surveyed members of Mustang fan clubs on which processed “sound concepts” they most enjoyed.
Among purists, the trickery has inspired an identity crisis and cut to the heart of American auto legend. The “aural experience” of a car, they argue, is an intangible that’s just as priceless as what’s revving under the hood. “For a car guy, it’s literally music to hear that thing rumble,” says Mike Rhynard, “It’s a mind-trick. It’s something it’s not. And no one wants to be deceived.” Other drivers ask if it really matters if the sound is fake? A driver who didn’t know the difference might enjoy the thrum and thunder of it nonetheless. Is taking the best part of an eight-cylinder rev and cloaking a better engine with it really, for car makers, so wrong? "It may be a necessary evil in the eyes of Ford," says Andrew Hard, "but it’s sad to think that an iconic muscle car like the Mustang, a car famous for its bellowing, guttural soundtrack, has to fake its engine noise in 2015. Welcome to the future."
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday January 23 2015, @06:10PM
it's not simply that more-efficient engines make less noise. If the engine is noisy, energy is being expended that could otherwise go towards the drive train.
My elderly mother once owned quite a quiet, comfortable car. Overpowering a car gives it a more-comfortable drive, something my mother is into. That's why I once laid a rather noisy three hundred yard long scratch with my mother's quiet car.
It was a Toyota, I'm not sure but maybe a Camry.
I myself prefer the rumble of old pickup trucks such as my grandfather's Chevy Indian, but really it's more important that we reverse global warming, cut air pollution and stop killing people in the middle east. Those come at the cost of quiet engines.
Did you know that you can buy aerosol containers full of "New Car Smell"? It's plasticizer - the chemical that makes plastic flexible, and is commonly carcinogenic.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday January 23 2015, @10:18PM
it's not simply that more-efficient engines make less noise. If the engine is noisy, energy is being expended that could otherwise go towards the drive train.
I wonder if that is really true.
After all, mufflers do sap considerable horsepower compared to straight pipes.
True, the exhaust valves open and closes with a small degree of lead and lag [cdxetextbook.com], but by this time, all available power has been transferred to the drive shaft, and the lead in opening before bottom dead center is within that part of the stroke where there is little motion of the piston. Unless you are running way too rich, all fuel has already been burnt, and your cylinders are as close to ambient pressure as it is practical.
Add a muffler and long tail pipes and you can waste a lot of power pushing exhaust. Back pressure is not your friend [veryuseful.com], and most modern engines sacrifice a little (or a lot) of power to quiet the exhaust.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday January 23 2015, @10:58PM
Engines are always mounted one some manner of spring mechanism, typically heavy rubber pads with pins through their middles.
An older engine will shimmy a great deal while it is running, as well as vibrate the entire car. A modern engine, I expect will to a modest degree but definitely not as much.
I would find artificial engine sound quiet dissatisfying. I want my hot rod to throb, when I rev its engine.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by hash14 on Saturday January 24 2015, @02:14AM
it's not simply that more-efficient engines make less noise. If the engine is noisy, energy is being expended that could otherwise go towards the drive train.
Exactly this. This vanity flush is about as important as choosing between slightly differing shades of off-white for the dining room curtains. I'll take things that aren't even first world problems for $800 Alex...