This is just ridiculous!

[sjordan2]

If a prerecorded engine sound gives accurate feedback regarding engine performance to the driver of an otherwise silent car, I'm all for it. The worst-performing cars in forever have been extremely weak in driver feedback, including every Corvette (and most US cars) made before 1992. Having had a number of turns behind the wheel of a C1, C2 and C3, I always experienced vague steering, ridiculous body roll and sloppy braking. My 1993 Corvette coupe was the first one I ever considered buying and didn't feel embarrassed about owning after many years of driving European performance cars. The sad part was that it was way too quiet. All of which goes to driver feedback and control.

Edited June 8, 2014 by sjordan2

[jaymcminn]

They have?

I've never heard of it until seeing the story this morning.

Yup. And they're not the only ones...

http://jalopnik.com/5973177/this-is-what-a-modern-bmw-sounds-like-when-engine-sounds-arent-piped-in-by-a-computer

[Dave Van]

What next? A Nissan Leaf with A HEMI engine's sound?

You laugh.......

Back in my college days.....not saying when but the Mustang II was a new car at the time......

I had a creative writing class......I had to write a short story.

I like cars and Sci Fi.

I wrote about a cop in 2020 that his personal car was a 70 Mustang. It was part of his intimidation MO.......

But it was electric powered with a sound system that made it sound like it still had a BOSS 429!!!

It was part of his image.

Maybe Audi read it.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Dave Van

[Harry P.]

Whooda thunk that one day the "driving" experience in their self-proclaimed "ultimate driving machines" would include cheesy sound effects...

[Harry P.]

Yup. And they're not the only ones...

http://jalopnik.com/5973177/this-is-what-a-modern-bmw-sounds-like-when-engine-sounds-arent-piped-in-by-a-computer

Hey, wait a minute! The article lists Mustang GT as one of the cars that does this. I have a Mustang GT! Have I been scammed all this time?

[Cato]

Hey, wait a minute! The article lists Mustang GT as one of the cars that does this. I have a Mustang GT! Have I been scammed all this time?

No-You've just had Def Leppard cranked off the scale while driving...............

[Harry P.]

No-You've just had Def Leppard cranked off the scale while driving...............

Def Leppard? No way. Pearl Jam, maybe...

[Harry P.]

I can see it now... you're driving somewhere and the scenery bores you. So you flip a switch and your choice of scenery is projected onto the windshield...

[Cato]

Def Leppard? No way. Pearl Jam, maybe...

Or what the Harry in your ID wrote???

[Harry P.]

Or what the Harry in your ID wrote???

Actually I'm not a big fan of that Harry's music...

[1930fordpickup]

The insulation in cars seal off to much road noise and engine noise. It was reported that the Monty SS stayed with a carburetor because the Boomers like the sound of the Secondaries kicking in.

Harry Harry Harry Pearl Jam ?

[Harry P.]

Harry Harry Harry Pearl Jam ?

Oh yeah...

[genesis]

This isn't new. They do in on their (gas powered) m5s as well. Have for several years now.

http://www.cnet.com/news/bmw-m5-generates-fake-engine-noise-using-stereo/

Crazy, silly idea.

Edited June 9, 2014 by genesis

[Rob Hall]

Hey, wait a minute! The article lists Mustang GT as one of the cars that does this. I have a Mustang GT! Have I been scammed all this time?

IIRC, that was a feature added in '11 when the Coyote 5.0 came out..

[Harry P.]

IIRC, that was a feature added in '11 when the Coyote 5.0 came out..

Ok, I'm safe then...

[charlie8575]

What next? A Nissan Leaf with A HEMI engine's sound?

I would think the sound of well-tuned 240Z with a sport exhaust might be a bit more fitting...with the shifts timed to the acceleration.

Charlie Larkin

[Pat Minarick]

There was an episode of Pimp My Ride that had something that made the car sound like different cars that you could choose , sports car ,Indy car , it was hooked up to the engine and changed as you drove it.

[ChrisBcritter]

Kinda gives new meaning to that old joke: "My car's engine was making this awful noise, so I took it to my mechanic and he put in a stereo."

[ToyLvr]

This really is nothing new.....

Am I the only one here who had a Mattel "Vrroom" motor mounted on his bicycle back in the 60s? ;-)

[kruleworld]

I had one to 'zizz' up my mother's 4 cyl toyota shazbox (my own car is a REAL v8)

[Danno]

Actually I'm not a big fan of that Harry's music...

I'm waiting for Deborah Harry's turn as the avatar.

[johnbuzzed]

There was an episode of Pimp My Ride that had something that made the car sound like different cars that you could choose , sports car ,Indy car , it was hooked up to the engine and changed as you drove it.

KInda like those toys in Target and Wal-Mart that can be found near the Hot Wheels cars. Four different buttons, four different noises. I've given some thought to incorporating that system into a model.

But seriously- we drove a rented Camaro on our last trip to L.I. That thing had more electronic BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH than you could shake a stick at. Whatever that means. Problem is, none of it was really user-friendly or intuitive. I shouldn't have a hard time just turning on the radio. And just last week, I received a brochure for the 2014 Dart. Again, more electronics than needed. You can even change the instrument display, not just the illumination colors. I can understand the need to have electronics for the fuel injection and related items, but how much entertainment does one need while one drives? I don't even answer my cell phone while I'm driving and I'll change a CD at a red light or before I hit the road.

[Harry P.]

I can understand the need to have electronics for the fuel injection and related items, but how much entertainment does one need while one drives?

I agree! So many of today's cars are just loaded with electronic gimmicks, not because they're needed, but just because they can do it. And then people start expecting this junk to be in their cars, and it just gets worse.

IMO, a technological advance should make something better, or easier, or more effective. When you need to read and study a manual just to learn how to turn on the car radio, that's not a technological advancement, that a step backwards.

[Rob Hall]

From what I've read, carmakers today offer a lot of cabin electronics as that is what the market (esp. younger buyers) demands. I can understand that, I usually like my cars loaded, and I suspect very few people today would buy cars as stripped down as were once offered...a car maker wouldn't sell very many cars if they were equipped with manual windows, manual seats, AM radio, etc.

[Harry P.]

From what I've read, carmakers today offer a lot of cabin electronics as that is what the market (esp. younger buyers) demands. I can understand that, I usually like my cars loaded, and I suspect very few people today would buy cars as stripped down as were once offered...a car maker wouldn't sell very many cars if they were equipped with manual windows, manual seats, AM radio, etc.

I don't think we're talking about going back to wind-up windows and an AM radio. We're talking about technology that's there just "because." Does a car actually need an I-Drive system, for example? Really? I don't think so. I think turning the radio on via the "ON" button on the radio makes a whole lot more sense than turning it on via some silly electronic process. Voice command? Again, a bit silly if you ask me. I agree that many people these days expect that sort of gimmickry in their cars, but I'm not one of them. KISS, as they say.

When you make a function simpler or more intuitive, that's progress. When you make a function more complex and less intuitive, that's not progress. That's gimmickry.