The rise of the "fake" engine roar

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CodyZoom

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2013 CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech Package (Sky Blue)
Wasn't sure where to put this.

I read a very interesting article today found here about manufacturers using speakers near the firewall to mimic engine noise. The GTI and the M5 use these speakers to send noise to the innocent and unaware driver. This is the first I've heard of these devices. Now, when I punch the gas in the CX-5 I sure do like the exhaust note. One poster on this forum described it as "interesting" which I thought was pretty neat. My friend's Ford Escape sounds absolutely nothing like the CX-5 when the throttle is jammed. It is quiet, so I wonder how Mazda gets a much better exhaust note from a smaller engine. I know we have the 4-2-1 exhaust, but I wonder if Mazda may have sneaked in one of these noise machines too. I hope not!! I only say that because the GTI owners were unaware their vehicles had one. Check out the article, it's fairly short.
 
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This by far is the stupidest thing I've heard in a long time. While I doubt mazda does have this (i think its louder due partly in design and part to less sound deadening in the firewall) I'd be pissed to find out it did.
 
Weak, but not surprising...

What is surprising is that is was VW that did it..

I would expect GM to do this,
 
I read it started with Hybrids when running on batteries. The concern was one of safety because drivers couldn't hear an engine and the vehicle was accelerating abet slowly. I think it carried over to where macho guys needed to hear the sound of a powerful engine from the little 4 cylinder jobs. Mazda would never stoop that low or would they? :) Ed
 
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I thought VW just used a tube from the intake to the firewall to transmit actual noise a bit better. They've been doing that for quite some time now. I guess the speaker is new.

The problem really results from cars getting better and better sound deadening and there isn't a good way to let just the 'good' sounds into the cabin. So if you end up with a quiet cabin you lose the vrooom of the engine. And just like when you put an intake or exhaust that makes the car louder the sound makes you think you are going faster.
Who wants a sporty car that just goes 'woosh' inside.

Plus with my old 240Z I rarely watch the tach, I can tell when to shift by the sound the engine makes. That's a bit harder in modern cars.

As long as the sound being transmitted is basically what you'd hear if there wasn't a ton of sound deadening between you and the engine then its fine with me.

I think Mazda hit a good balance in the CX5. If I really stand on it the engine sounds good. The rest of the time I don't hear it all when driving. On a recent trip into the mountains it didn't sound loud or bad at all when it was doing 4,000 rpm up hills.
 
Pretty interesting stuff. Some great points made here such as safety. I love the exhaust note from the CX-5, but as technology gets better and we potentially see more of these devices, they're going to take some getting-used-to.
 
If you read the stuff about Bose, it produces some noise canceling from cabin noise to make the car quiter...
 
I think it all started with the electric cars that are silent and people kept walking out in front of them. Thats where the idea originated anyway.
 
I think the sound tubes on the VW and A3 came before the electric cars got popular enough to get people calling for them to make sounds at low speeds to protect the vision impaired.

shoot, I remember years ago on pimp my ride they added speakers to the outside of the car and could select things like helicopter sounds that went with the engine revs. And I don't think the hybrid/electric car noises are even car revving sounds ( I think they should sound like the Jetson's cars )

The noise cancelling inside the cars has been used for some time now too. The Terrain we rented back in 2010 warned that if you blocked the rear speaker you'd hear more engine noise as it cancelled some of it and Acuras had similar setups before that.
 
Automakers have been doing this for years. With stringent noise regulations in Europe (restricting external noise), it's how they still get the vroom effect for driver/passenger.

Regarding the CX-5, I think Mazda primarily focused on isolating the passenger compartment from 4 banger engine noise. But I do detect something like an exhaust note, so maybe the exhaust system is more freeflowing than usual.

IMO, in this class of SUV only the CRV is better isolated at high revs.
 
CX-SV said:
IMO, in this class of SUV only the CRV is better isolated at high revs.
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You are probably correct as I don't have much experience with the CRV, but IMO a sense of connection with the vehicle is lost without some engine noise. Same thing with motorcycles. Too much of a good thing (read: Harley's) can, however, spoil the whole experience too. LOL.
 
There's a couple different ways of doing this. Some cars use speakers, but others use resonators that open up during heavy throttle. The Subaru BRZ does this. Interesting ideas.
 
Nodnerb said:
I think it all started with the electric cars that are silent and people kept walking out in front of them. Thats where the idea originated anyway.
Click to expand...

This

The first I heard about it was in an article about Fisker back in 2008 when the whole thing was still a concept at it's early stages. Jokes were made about being able to download engine noises to make your car sound like a space ship or a heard of goats.
 
I'm still waiting for the driver selectable fake engine roar setting of "full rice" or "11" of doing by the numbers.

btw - Does the CX-5 gasser have a bit of a exhaust note? I seem to detect some (separate from the usual 4 bangerm mechanical roar), or maybe I'm hearing the cold air intake.
 
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