Best V8 sound?

[Eye of the Tiger]

I submit to you all, that if you took typical American V8 engine, like a Chevy 350, and put on a set of equal-length headers that paired up each cylinder with a the one that fires 180? opposite of it, thereby spacing all exhaust pulses equally, that the Chevy 350 would no longer sound like a Chevy 350, but more like that Ferrari that everyone says doesn't really sound like a V8. In addition having the smooth, almost 4-cylinder like rasp ofa Ferrari, it would show a large gain in power and efficiency. Did I already mention this? I can't remember. Anyhoo, y'all can take this poll and shove it.  :P

[FoMoJo]

I chose American V8.? Italian V8s sound nice but they don't sound like the old American V8s that I am accustomed to.? The V8 in a Merc sounds okay as well, but not as nice as most American V8s.? Of course my favourite engine sound is a 289 HiPo with free-flow mufflers.

Fixed?

I like 'em, too, and you must know that one of my tertiary goals in life to own a 350 chevy-powered 914 Porsche, but I can't not love an F430 winding out every gear to 8,500 rpm.

That's a good point.? Any sound, as with music, becomes engrained during specific phases of our lives...usually during puberty when everything is quadraphonic and in technicolour.? As I mentioned, the urgent bark of a 289 HiPo under acceleration offset by an exquisite ripple of backdraft when the throttle plates snap closed on the 600 cfm holley is sweet, sweet music to me.? This is what I was driving during an adventurous time in my life.? Equally as sweet is the soft, pattering burble of an old flat-head V8.? This was the sound I grew up with.? Of course I love the urgent sound of a little Ferrari 308 under full thottle with the background slurp and hiss of a stack of Webers.? But it just doesn't create the same sensations for me.

[FoMoJo]

I submit to you all, that if you took typical American V8 engine, like a Chevy 350, and put on a set of equal-length headers that paired up each cylinder with a the one that fires 180? opposite of it, thereby spacing all exhaust pulses equally, that the Chevy 350 would no longer sound like a Chevy 350, but more like that Ferrari that everyone says doesn't really sound like a V8. In addition having the smooth, almost 4-cylinder like rasp ofa Ferrari, it would show a large gain in power and efficiency. Did I already mention this? I can't remember. Anyhoo, y'all can take this poll and shove it.? :P

It's been done a million times.  The little 4.2 Windsor small-block with its 'bundle of snakes' headers that dominated the Indy 500 for so many years is a good example.  They really didn't sound much at all like a production HiPo.

[Eye of the Tiger]

It's been done a million times.  The little 4.2 Windsor small-block with its 'bundle of snakes' headers that dominated the Indy 500 for so many years is a good example.  They really didn't sound much at all like a production HiPo.

I know, I just think that all of the die-hard "American" V8 fans should realize that they are actually drooling over the sound of inefficiency.  :P

[FoMoJo]

I know, I just think that all of the die-hard "American" V8 fans should realize that they are actually drooling over the sound of inefficiency.? :P

We do, Sunshine .  If you want the sound of power from a N/A V8 look no further than a contemporary F1 engine.  I love the sound, but it hurts my ears.  An altogether different experience.  From the first ear-splitting wail, even from a distance, it hits you right in the pit of the stomach.  It's an awesome sound that is, almost, preditory; as if it belongs in the paleontolic era.

[Eye of the Tiger]

We do, Sunshine .  If you want the sound of power from a N/A V8 look no further than a contemporary F1 engine.  I love the sound, but it hurts my ears.  An altogether different experience.  From the first ear-splitting wail, even from a distance, it hits you right in the pit of the stomach.  It's an awesome sound that is, almost, preditory; as if it belongs in the paleontolic era.

But don't you just love it when the sound of an engine is so awesome that it literally makes you sick!? That is what I am talking about! 

[JYODER240]

Now this is a V8

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1745193252578484928

[Minpin]

Now this is a V8

[url]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1745193252578484928[/img]

It says in the comments thats a V10..dunno who's right but if its really a V10 thats quite comical. 

[JYODER240]

It says in the comments thats a V10..dunno who's right but if its really a V10 thats quite comical.?

Actually it might be. F1 just switched to V8s so it depends what year that car is. Either way the V10s and V8s sounds similar.

[SVT666]

Those engines sound good....but only in a race car.  Give me a big displacement thumping V8 over small displacement "screamers" any day.

[JYODER240]

How does it sound good in a race car but not in a road car?

[SVT666]

How does it sound good in a race car but not in a road car?

Could you honestly listen to a tiny V8 screaming at 14000 rpm on a daily commute?  It's a pitch that gets tiring awfully fast.  About the length of a race is all I can handle.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Could you honestly listen to a tiny V8 screaming at 14000 rpm on a daily commute?  It's a pitch that gets tiring awfully fast.  About the length of a race is all I can handle.

Big-o-American V8's have mufflers for that very reason.

[Onslaught]

I couldn't listen to the rumble of a domestic V8 because the sound would become just as annoying. I'd have to invest in one incredible sound system to drown it out.
Some of these cars sound like big boats putting around the ocean.

[ChrisV]

Wow. the narrowminded insulting of things outside people's comfort range in this thread boggles the mind. And here I though t we had a board of enthusiasts, not flamers.

I'm severely dissappointed in a lot of you.

It's good to have favorites, it's bad to be insulting pricks about things that aren't your favorites.

[Submariner]

Wow. the narrowminded insulting of things outside people's comfort range in this thread boggles the mind. And here I though t we had a board of enthusiasts, not flamers.

I'm severely dissappointed in a lot of you.

It's good to have favorites, it's bad to be insulting pricks about things that aren't your favorites.

Japanese V8's made by a certain company owned by Toyota shoehorned into small cars are rubbish.  Get over it. 

[SVT666]

I hope you're not talking about me Chris, I admitted in this thread that I like Italian V8s, I just love the rumble of an American V8 more. 

[JYODER240]

As much as it pains me to say this. I agree with Clarkson on this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdqu8GsA6i0

[SVT666]

As much as it pains me to say this. I agree with Clarkson on this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdqu8GsA6i0

The F430 certainly sounds great, but that 390GT was just orgasmic.

[hounddog]

Nothing will ever replace the sound of the old 427 Super Cobra Jet engines.  Best sounding engine ever.  Game over.

[ro51092]

Nothing will ever replace the sound of the old 427 Super Cobra Jet engines.  Best sounding engine ever.  Game over.

[FoMoJo]

But don't you just love it when the sound of an engine is so awesome that it literally makes you sick!? That is what I am talking about!?

As I was saying, different (engine) sounds create different sensations...for me at least.? I take pleasure in the sound of most engines, not so much in loud 4 or I6 buzz buckets, but any V8 and V12 that I can hear, I appreciate...but some sound better than others.? For me, it's a high-compression small-block with a lopey cam and free-flow exhaust.

Last night was the local Chicken'n'Rib 'appreciation' cruise.? They had 1,000+ cars, mostly '60s muscle...just about all of them hot-rodded...and a good selection of restored, antiques, rods, rat rods, led sleds and a few exotics...even some Beetles .? There was a couple Vipers and even a Lamborghini Murci?lago.? When the shows over, we all stand at the exit and watch and listen to them roar off into the distance.? It was a good night to compare exhaust notes.? I loved the sound of them all but, still, the small-block HiPo has a sweeter note to me...except for the little deuce coupe with a 'built' flathead I never saw before.? It had 3 (about) inch-and-a-half straight pipes on each side from each exhaust port.? It didn't sound like a flathead, but it sure sounded nice !

[Eye of the Tiger]

I really like the sound of anything that explodes and makes power. While some people are disgusted by the sound of a riced out Honda with a fart-can, I enjoy it. The only thing that disgusts me is the attitute the p0ser n00b that is likely behind the wheel. I like the sound of my bike's 500cc parallel twin with gutted mufflers. Some people might compare it to the sound of a lawnmower, but I like lawnmowers. My lawnmower has a straight pipe. I'd put a straight pipe on anything and like it. The only reason I don't is so I don't go completely deaf, but mostly so it doesn't bother other people. I love the sound of all V8's, but mostly the fast ones. Aside from the contruction of the engine, I think a big part of how "good" an engine sounds has to do with how strained it is under acceleration. You can have a 250hp V8 in a 6000lb truck, and it might sound good, but it would sound much better if it was in a 2000lb car. Like the school bus I used to ride back in middle school. That sucker was running big-block Chevy V8, and a suprisingly evil sounding exhaust exiting out the side just behind the driver (I liked sitting there with the window open). I guess the school department was too strapped for cash to afford real mufflers, anyway, except in low gear, it didn't really sound super great under acceleration beacuse it was attached to a giant bus (it was still cool, though).

[Soup DeVille]

The only thing I can add to this is that the exhaust notes that I like seem to be the one that just happen- the ones that are the result of tuning for power and the exhaust note is actually just a byproduct of other intentions.

Harley for instance has put a lot of work into making their bikes sound good- but none of the stock modern Harleys sound near as good as an old straight piped Triumph Bonneville to me.

Then there's the Z4 with that silly resonant chamber on it just to pipe sound into the cabin. Not a bad effect overall, but compared to an E30 M3 its a whole lot of blehh.

[JYODER240]

Now here is an American V8 that sounds good

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNnSs_oN704

[TheIntrepid]

Sound? AMERICAN ftw ftw ftw.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Sound? AMERICAN ftw ftw ftw.

You mean, you don't like the sound of a Camry? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh3bzypWgZI

[TheIntrepid]

Mine is barely audible, so no I don't like it. I like a good roar every now and then. The Trep sounds awesome when it's revving.

[Eye of the Tiger]

V8's suck     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRYYe0kLCto

[Galaxy]

Now this is a V8

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1745193252578484928

That is awesome!