The worst sounding engine. Ever.

anything with a fart cannon and a 200ci i6 ford with a straight pipe. i regretted starting it just to see what it sounded like.

ronbros9 wrote: you guys should hear my V12 Jaguar all 12 cylinders from a single 5" diameter outlet! especially,full throttle, after peak torque at 4200 rpm all the way to 7000 rpm. it turns into a scream, not harsh, a touch of bass! makes your hair stand up.

A 5" exhaust? Is this a diesel jaguar? Is this whats his name?

In reply to z31maniac:I do agree with you.. a single 5inch exhaust pipe to listen to 12 cylinders? One of the beauty's of a V12 is it's unique ability to hear each cylinder. If you take a V12 with it's even 60 degree separation you hear all 12 cylinders. Listening to a V12 at a 600RPM idle it sounds like it's turning 1500 RPM. At high RPM a V12 can have a scream unlike any other engine..

Unlike V8's which are cursed with an odd fire arrangement. Adjacent cylinders could be 90/180/or 270 degrees apart in their firing order giving a V8 an awkward stumble at idle. While the sound gets louder it never really smooth's out..

My favorite sound is the Old 270 cubic inch Offy throwing dirt at about 5500 RPM Because of it's long stroke it would burn the alcohol completely in the cylinder and not leave any to burn as it exited the cylinder.. That gave the old Offy a bark with real authority.

The smaller shorter stroke Offy's couldn't replicate that authority because even with the fuel mixture perfect a little unburned alcohol remained to burn in the tailpipe and muffle the bark..

I don't know if anyones mentioned it yet, as I didn't feel like going back and checking, but any air cooled engine sounds terrible. But to me, it's a good kind of terrible. It's so bad, it's good? Or iconic. Not sure which one is a better fit.

In reply to Desy: I don't know man... I sold my dual port 1600cc bug about a week after owning it. Never cared for These, gave it a try. And was even more let down when I owned one. Saddest car ever. Dat exhaust note is bleh!

frenchyd wrote: In reply to z31maniac:I do agree with you.. a single 5inch exhaust pipe to listen to 12 cylinders? One of the beauty's of a V12 is it's unique ability to hear each cylinder. If you take a V12 with it's even 60 degree separation you hear all 12 cylinders. Listening to a V12 at a 600RPM idle it sounds like it's turning 1500 RPM. At high RPM a V12 can have a scream unlike any other engine.. Unlike V8's which are cursed with an odd fire arrangement. Adjacent cylinders could be 90/180/or 270 degrees apart in their firing order giving a V8 an awkward stumble at idle. While the sound gets louder it never really smooth's out.. My favorite sound is the Old 270 cubic inch Offy throwing dirt at about 5500 RPM Because of it's long stroke it would burn the alcohol completely in the cylinder and not leave any to burn as it exited the cylinder.. That gave the old Offy a bark with real authority. The smaller shorter stroke Offy's couldn't replicate that authority because even with the fuel mixture perfect a little unburned alcohol remained to burn in the tailpipe and muffle the bark..

What are you agreeing with? I made no statement about it's aural pleasure either way.

But, V10 > V12

Desy wrote: I don't know if anyones mentioned it yet, as I didn't feel like going back and checking, but any air cooled engine sounds terrible. But to me, it's a good kind of terrible. It's so bad, it's good? Or iconic. Not sure which one is a better fit.

A 911 sounds amazing though......

Nice, you people drove Adrian away. Are you proud of yourselves?

Trackmouse wrote: In reply to Desy: I don't know man... I sold my dual port 1600cc bug about a week after owning it. Never cared for These, gave it a try. And was even more let down when I owned one. Saddest car ever. Dat exhaust note is bleh!

Did it have the stock peashooter exhausts or a dual quietpack? Too bad you didn't live with a 1776cc or larger Bug engine with a performance exhaust. Sounds great. Source: I've owned over 30 air cooled VWs. Love them.

I like Subarus. My kid had a mildly modded '11 STi that sounded great (and he doesn't wear hats, doesn't drink Monster, etc. he just likes fun cars). I also like porterd rotaries, especially my 12a powered RX3. I also agree with those talking about so many good V-twins, and I even like the S&S Harley based engine in the new Morgan 3 wheelers.

For me, the worst sounding stock engines are the early to mid 70's VW diesels and older GM and Mercedes diesels. Not so much the exhaust note, but the overall sound of that diesel clattering away. But I like modern turbodiesels, even with a bit of clatter.

Also as to engines under 3 liters sounding bad? The SVT Contour has one of the best sounding stock engines out there in a non-exotic and it's only a 2.5 liter V6.

Fobroader wrote:

Desy wrote: I don't know if anyones mentioned it yet, as I didn't feel like going back and checking, but any air cooled engine sounds terrible. But to me, it's a good kind of terrible. It's so bad, it's good? Or iconic. Not sure which one is a better fit.

A 911 sounds amazing though......

Especially an early 2.0 liter 911S with the air cleaners removed, breathing through the 6 individual carb barrels as it screams towards it's 8000 rpm redline.

This thread's got me wondering... why does our old 02 Jag xtype sound so much nicer than my bride's '11 c300? Both V6's, one is 500cc bigger, both stock exhaust, one of them sounds like it wants to play and the other just doesn't. Of course the Merc will leave the Jag for dead, but it doesn't sound like it..

In reply to Trackmouse:

heck i cant even put pix of my Jaguar V12, much less do a video.

this site is not old people friendly,AKA computers,put many pix on most of the sites i visit, BUT not here!

but i think its in my garage! odd i can put pix in garage,but not forums,DAMIFINO.

ronbros9 wrote: In reply to Trackmouse: heck i cant even put pix of my Jaguar V12, much less do a video. this site is not old people friendly,AKA computers,put many pix on most of the sites i visit, BUT not here! but i think its in my garage! odd i can put pix in garage,but not forums,DAMIFINO.

This sounds pretty good.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrXEy6daay0

This is better https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmpnU6-rP_o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70nyn9LH_bQ

Just link it. Like YouTube or botophuket

In reply to z31maniac:

the only V10 engines we have available are Ford and Chrysler(Viper), both 90 blocks,so uneven exhaust pulses,they dont sound smooth! most V12 blocks are 60 vee, very smooth sound and smooth to nothing for vibrations!

some useless trivia , a 4stroke 4 cylinder fires 2 exhaust pulses per revolution! a 6 cylinder fires 3 times per revolution.

a 12 cylinder fires 6 times in one revolution! = a long torque curve period.

there is a guy couple houses down from me, has a 2014 Subaru BRZ, he has a custom exhaust , and i have to say ,it is the nicest sound(for 4 cylinders i,v ever heard). deep muffled,not harsh, seems as tho it has some serious acoustic design, in the very low frequincy range, he starts it and the air seems to reverberate, BUT not disturbing!

again something you have to hear to appreciate.

and like frenchyd said ,you aint lived till you hear a 270 OFFY, comin off the 1st turn, slinging dirt into the grand stands, ask my wife ,she was eating a hambuger,YUP you guessed it , but the counter man gave her a free one

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine:

that 2nd vid is fantastic, V12 at full song, whats not to like!

There's a guy in my neighborhood who has either a V-twin or V-4 Honda cruiser with an aftermarket exhaust and it has to be the worst sounding motorcycle that I've ever heard.

z31maniac wrote:

frenchyd wrote: In reply to z31maniac:I do agree with you.. a single 5inch exhaust pipe to listen to 12 cylinders? One of the beauty's of a V12 is it's unique ability to hear each cylinder. If you take a V12 with it's even 60 degree separation you hear all 12 cylinders. Listening to a V12 at a 600RPM idle it sounds like it's turning 1500 RPM. At high RPM a V12 can have a scream unlike any other engine.. Unlike V8's which are cursed with an odd fire arrangement. Adjacent cylinders could be 90/180/or 270 degrees apart in their firing order giving a V8 an awkward stumble at idle. While the sound gets louder it never really smooth's out.. My favorite sound is the Old 270 cubic inch Offy throwing dirt at about 5500 RPM Because of it's long stroke it would burn the alcohol completely in the cylinder and not leave any to burn as it exited the cylinder.. That gave the old Offy a bark with real authority. The smaller shorter stroke Offy's couldn't replicate that authority because even with the fuel mixture perfect a little unburned alcohol remained to burn in the tailpipe and muffle the bark..

What are you agreeing with? I made no statement about it's aural pleasure either way. But, V10 > V12

I agree. And any V10 i've heard, Viper or the Audi R8 one. (I think Gallardo V10 is the same as R8 but that one too if not).

IDK why but I just don't like V12s. Too much going on I guess.

My vote is for anything that my friends and I drove in high school (80's and 90's big 3 4 cylinders). I had an 88 Cavalier, with a 2.0 turd and that was THE WORST sounding thing I've ever heard this side of a tractor. My friend had a Chevy Celebrity, with the Iron Duke and that had a uniquely bad sound, maybe even worse than the Cavy.

Some of you listed the 'ol GM 2.8/3.1/3.4, and I would have killed to have one of those over my pile of crap 4 banger. My mom had an STE back in the day and I used to hear that thing a block away - or maybe it was one of my neighbor's Lumina Euros :).

I'll have to disagree with the D series mention too. If you keep it stock, without a fart can, they are far from the worst sounding. Also, a Maxima 3.0 VQ is one of the best sounding engines I've ever had.

how many have ever heard a 1939 Ford V8, with dual ECHO Can exhausts, way back in the day, when custom exhaust systems were 1st coming out??

You'll have to ask iceracer, I don't think anyone else on here is old enough to know

Desy wrote: I don't know if anyones mentioned it yet, as I didn't feel like going back and checking, but any air cooled engine sounds terrible. But to me, it's a good kind of terrible. It's so bad, it's good? Or iconic. Not sure which one is a better fit.

I can think of quite a few good sounding aircooled engines.

Ducati.

Norton.

Porsche.

Honda CBX.

Corvair with Yenko exhaust.

In reply to HappyAndy:

Yeah, we occasionally get air cooled Porsches at out autocrosses. Those things have a fantastic howl to them.

Any four cylinder Honda with a fart pipe attached to it.