Ask the Best and Brightest: What's the World's Best Sounding Passenger Car Engine?

by Robert Farago

Published: April 16th, 2009

Don’t forget idle. Whether Bimmers, Audis or Lambos, V10s sound like the Four Hoarse Men of the Opera-calypse at full chat. But I’ve yet to hear one that sounded even vaguely stimulating at idle. (Remember the SRT-10 pickup?) On the other hand, the E39 BMW M5 V8. Or . . . what?

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Mistrernee on Apr 18, 2009

The old Dino based Ferrari engines come to mind. In my opinion V8's and V4's have a certain sound that is actually nice to listen to, either a screaming Ferrari or a rumbly GM small block or a Honda Interceptor for that matter. V6's and V10's sound harsh, don't like them at all. I haven't heard that many V12's in person so I can't really comment on how awesome they are or aren't. The winner though? Mercury Marine 2-stroke Straight 6 (in a just world with a benevolent god it would have been in a passenger car).

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Mirko Reinhardt on Apr 18, 2009

Porsche Carrera GT, E39 M5, all fine, but... Take a seat in a Smart Roadster and listen to the thing. It only has 0.7L displacement and three cylinders, but sounds like a wild animal. It pops, it whistles, it rumbles. And it's literally directly behind the seats. Yery entertaining. @willbodine : I’d say that Alfa Romeo deserves special recognition. They make, unquestionably, the best sounding in-line 4s. Their V6s are among the world’s most musical also. Their new, GM-based V6es are very "meh" One awesome sounding engine though is Volvo's 2.4L 5-cylinder diesel. It doesn't clatter, it burbles.

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TAP on Apr 18, 2009

I'll never forget the unmuffled roar of a black Jaguar XK D-Type cruising past Harrod's in downtown London, echoing off all the hi-rises. Sir William's sixth symphony indeed! Second place was riding in a friend's '66 350 Shelby after we tuned it up. It had that same uncivilized snarl to it. The Lancia Scorpion-tasmanian devil sound! I like the sound of Porsches best in modern cars.

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Niky on Apr 20, 2009
# Bunter1 : April 17th, 2009 at 6:16 am niky-A lot of bike guys adore Triumph triples. I suspect a lot of people choose to love the sound of cars they like. That is why I put more store in the sound that swiveled my head before I saw the car. Cuts out the emotions attached to brand and configuration. Bunter Probably a bit late to respond to this, but before I'd driven the dinky little Indian car, I'd never heard a triple before... But just listen to it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aqS4LpiXJc The offbeat pulse of the three makes it sound remarkably like a V8. (albeit much quieter... with an exhaust pipe the diameter of a soda straw, and all...). I let people listen to it, and I get everything from "V12" to "new Focus RS" as a guess to what the car is. Not bad for a car that costs pennies and has a whopping 40-60 horses... - The only engines that will never sound right to me are V10s and MOST modern I4s. Boxer-fours are okay, but most fuel-injected I4s sound terrible without a lot of aural massaging via the exhaust (and even then... Mazda's new direct-ignition I4 in the Miata can't even approach the sound of the original Miata). V10s are appropriately manic, but nowhere near as characterful as a V8 or V12. They're just so... flat. V6s are all over the place... some are great, some suck. V-twins are an interesting thing. The mechanical cacophany of a Harley is an incredibly weird but strangely addicting sound.

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