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Old 06-08-2014, 03:31 AM
 
Location: Between Heaven And Hell.
13,535 posts, read 9,944,973 times
Reputation: 16917

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Let’s delve into the psychology of sound, and the car.

I was just thinking this may be of some interest.

How important is the sound that a car makes?

Do you think that it adds to a car's safety?

Can you describe the feeling you get from a certain car's, or engine's sound?
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Old 06-08-2014, 07:01 AM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX USA
5,251 posts, read 14,130,361 times
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I would rather my car sound like a Jaguar F Type then a Prius. The sound(engine/exhaust) a car makes has nothing to do with safety.
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Old 06-08-2014, 07:35 AM
 
Location: Prosper
6,255 posts, read 16,981,593 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Me007gold View Post
The sound(engine/exhaust) a car makes has nothing to do with safety.
I think what the OP is alluding to is that a car with a louder exhaust can be heard by other motorists. An electric car for example, if you didn't see that one was in your blindspot, you wouldn't be able to hear it at all and probably have a greater chance of getting into an accident with one.

As far as my own cars sound, I prefer an exotic note to them, especially in the upper rpm ranges. I love the sound my Cayenne makes, 4.5 liter, so it's a deep enough sound, and when it gets above 5k rpm, it sounds amazing. It's downright mean at full throttle. Probably the best sounding engine/exhaust I've ever had.
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Old 06-08-2014, 08:04 AM
 
Location: Between Heaven And Hell.
13,535 posts, read 9,944,973 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MckinneyOwnr View Post
I think what the OP is alluding to is that a car with a louder exhaust can be heard by other motorists. An electric car for example, if you didn't see that one was in your blindspot, you wouldn't be able to hear it at all and probably have a greater chance of getting into an accident with one.

As far as my own cars sound, I prefer an exotic note to them, especially in the upper rpm ranges. I love the sound my Cayenne makes, 4.5 liter, so it's a deep enough sound, and when it gets above 5k rpm, it sounds amazing. It's downright mean at full throttle. Probably the best sounding engine/exhaust I've ever had.
That's exactly my point, plus, the throaty growl that some engines have. Something that I believe many manufacturers put a lot of research into, and money.

I'll give a little example of why I think there is a safety aspect to this.
I live in an area that has a lot of tourism, and largely, these tourists, for some odd reason, are oblivious to traffic. I've just changed car, and I've notice that now, with this car, the tourists, and other pedestrians, step back and look around as I approach. This has to be safer than almost silence.
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Old 06-08-2014, 08:30 AM
 
Location: Southern NJ - USA
414 posts, read 924,444 times
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I do prefer to hear a nice exhaust note..either coming from my own car or other people's cars. It's like music to my ears! Plus, it does have its safety advantages, being able to hear them if they approach my blindspot.

What annoys me are the powder puff Prius's that creep up on you in stealth mode ..you never hear them coming or going.

Also, the Honda Civics with the giant fart can mufflers and exhaust systems dragging on the ground...I can hear them from 3 miles away and the smell of burnt metal is always a delight.
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Old 06-08-2014, 08:37 AM
 
35,309 posts, read 52,002,522 times
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If my car is making noise its probably time for a muffler,
If i need to make the car ahead of me take notice i use the horn.
As for defining ones manhood by the sound their car makes does this odd affliction transfer to the lawn mower, the washing machine,etc.
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Old 06-08-2014, 08:49 AM
 
5,075 posts, read 11,007,724 times
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If loud exhaust were an important safety factor, high end luxury cocoons would have some of the highest accident rates and fart can civics would almost never be involved in collisions.
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Old 06-08-2014, 08:52 AM
 
Location: Texas
44,257 posts, read 64,067,741 times
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Sound as a safety feature is dumb.

It would have to be hella loud and anything that loud would simply be an unnecessary annoyance.
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Old 06-08-2014, 08:55 AM
 
Location: Between Heaven And Hell.
13,535 posts, read 9,944,973 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mkarch View Post
If loud exhaust were an important safety factor, high end luxury cocoons would have some of the highest accident rates and fart can civics would almost never be involved in collisions.
I don't think it's just down to the exhaust, my high end luxury cocoon, sounds like a truck, so I'm told.
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Old 06-08-2014, 09:39 AM
 
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA
392 posts, read 1,545,970 times
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Some cars actually do a little bit of sound engineering to get a pleasant exhaust note played into the cabin. Some use special valves or noise pipes that let some of the exhaust noise into the cabin under certain circumstances. Others use a prerecorded soundtrack stored on the cars hard drive and play the appropriate exhaust note through the speakers.

From a car designers point of view there is a certain logic to this. Sometimes drivers want peace and quiet and other times they want to hear the engine roar. How do you provide both?

The Rise of the Fake Engine Roar - Popular Mechanics

Faking It: Engine-Sound Enhancement Explained - Tech Dept. - Car and Driver
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