Ten More Great Sounding Engines

Way back in 2009, I made a top ten post I called  "Top Ten Great Sounding Engines."  It seems to have struck a chord with our readers, by the relatively steady influx of comments on it.  Most of the posts we publish here at Carthrottle will gather a few comments in the days after they're published, then go away.  Some of them - like the Ten Worst Performance Cars of 2009 continue to get comments sometimes years after they're published, usually thanks to google and enthusiast forums.

A lot of the comments in that previous article were along the lines of "how could you forget the xxx?"  Well, I didn't forget it.  There were only ten spots!  That was not intended to be a be-all-end-all post of the only ten engines I think sound good.  There are way more than ten engines that cause the hair to stand up on the back of my neck when they roar past.  I think I'm long past due for a sequel.  So here we go: and this time, in no particular order.

Ford SVT "Terminator" Cobra V8

Displacement: 4.6L Mechanical Layout: 90° V8, iron block and aluminum cylinder heads Valvetrain: DOHC, 32v Aspiration: Supercharged Application: 2003-2004 Ford SVT Cobra

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FV-EzEsd1U

They call it "The Terminator," probably because of all the other high-buck sports cars that the original supercharged Cobra could chew up and spit out in one bite.  The 03-04 Cobra was many things: an astonishing performance value, possessed of a remarkable amount of axle hop, and oh my GOD did it sound amazing.  It's like Dr Pepper: so many flavors!  There's the bassy, thumping undertone of the classic American V8.  The cammy, multi-valve howl of those DOHC heads.  Oh, and the piercing aneurism of the Eaton supercharger drilling into your very soul, like Satan's dremel tool.  Holy crap.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87n8jhVO784

The interesting approach and departure noises of a Cobra have become something of a cultural phenomenon in the car world.  The high-pitched whine coming, the V8 burble leaving, it's totally unmistakable.  In fact, this guy does a near spot on impersonation with his mouth starting at 1:56 in the video.  This was the most-cited example in the comments of the previous article, and I'm totally in the wrong for omitting it the first time around.  So there.

Mazda 13B-REW

Displacement: 654x2 cc's Mechanical Layout: Two-rotor Wankel Rotary Valvetrain: Rotary Aspiration: Twin-Sequential Turbocharged Application: 1993-1995 Mazda RX-7, Mazda Eunos Cosmo

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UR4dOqE3g0

Skip ahead to 1:20 for good sound.

Yes, like everything else in the world, the FD3S RX-7 is better off with a little LS1-FTW under the hood.  It's the answer to all of life's questions, blah blah.  But the engine the RX-7 came with can be something of an auditory gem - depending on how it's treated.  Let's put aside for a minute it's myriad of problems: torque-free power delivery, appalling reliability, ridiculous thirst, and the disposable nature of its apex seals.  The 13B is just a ridiculous sounding engine.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrihRHuhl0Y

Now maybe it's that there aren't a whole lot of other rotary sports cars to compare it to (NSU Prinz!), but the uniqueness of the RX-7's engine note is what does it.  In stock-exhaust form it does admittedly sound like a boosted vacuum cleaner.  But with some porting work, and a single turbo, and open exhaust... whoa.  The staccato brapbrapbrap at idle on a bridge-ported rotary doesn't sound promising - but the high-pitched yet smooth wail and the sound of a single turbo cramming in air makes up for it.  The video above is of a single GT35R-converted RX7 doing some pulls.  Me gusta.

Porsche 911 GT3

Displacement: 3.6/3.8/4.0L Mechanical layout: Horizontally Oppose six-cylinder Valvetrain: DOHC 24v Aspiration: Natural Application: Porsche 911 GT3 (1999-2008 3.6L, 2009+ 3.8L, 2011 GT3RS 4.0)

Another piece of low-hanging fruit in the "great sounding cars" list.  Porsche's flat-six should sound amazing: they've been progressively improving them since their debut in the 60's.  The GT3's engine is cut from a different cloth, though.  When the 911 went air-cooled for the 996 generation back in 1998, it retained the flat-six layout but got an entirely new engine design.  The GT3 continued on with the more robust "old-style" air cooled 911 block, which had a real dry-sump lubrication setup with a remote oil reservoir. This stronger block was also used in the 996 and early 997 Turbos and GT2's; which is why you don't hear about IMS-related engine failures on the GT3/Turbo/GT2 models.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRj8OEkkHfA

While that's mostly a piece of esoteric nerd trivia, the real result is that the GT3 has a much more animalistic sound to it than the "normal" 911's boxer motor.  While new 911s with sports exhaust sound a bit like older M3s, GT3s sound like... old 911s.  While some Italian engines can sound almost organic, the GT3 has a very clearly mechanical sound - valves whirring, exhaust pulses reverberating in an offbeat pattern, and that metallic rasp at high rpm's.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv0Gr5gz1Gw

I can't lie, the best sound sample of a road going GT3 is probably Chris Harris' video of his personal GT3RS 4.0 right before winter (above.)  Harris Monkey behind the wheel is always a guarantee that some shenanigans will occur, and he really puts the car to work on some curvy surface roads.  Amazing sound.

Nissan RB26DETT

Displacement: 2.6L Mechanical Layout: Inline 6-cylinder Valvetrain: DOHC 24v Aspiration: Twin turbocharged Application: R32, R33, R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUBmHtyOw_E

Ohhh, just listen to that thing take off.  2-step launch control, brake boosting, spitting fire and then annihilating all four tires.  The Skyline GT-R has always been something special: and a large part of its appeal is that engine.  The original GT-R's used a race-derived version of Nissan's RB straight-six block, but with some changes.  Compared to the RB25DET that powered Skyline GTS's, the 26 used six individual throttle butterflies instead of one big one, and a pair of Garrett T28 turbochargers replaced the larger single.  The goal was to improve both power and response, and in race trim the RB26-powered Skylines absolutely dominated Group A racing.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99goCYwhoVs

They are also renowned for their massively overbuilt internals and great natural balance at high RPM's, making them ideal engines to extract huge power from.  The GT-R road cars became legends, largely through the Playstation Generation pushing them sideways on many different copies of Gran Turismo, and many consider the RB26 to be the best engine Nissan's ever bolted together.  Hard to argue.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL7vcoPiepg

While similar in configuration to it's biggest domestic competitor (the Toyota 2JZ-GTE, which we'll see later in this list), the RB26 had a higher-pitched note to it, thanks to ITB's, smaller displacement, and higher revs.  A stock RB26 is a buttery-smooth sounding engine, but with a good exhaust and some modifications it's a whole different animal.  Most deserving of a spot on this list.

Alfa Romeo 24v V6

Displacement: 2.0-3.2L Mechanical Layout: 60° V6, aluminum block & cylinder heads Valvetrain: SOHC 12, later DOHC 24v Aspiration: N/A, some 2.0L fuel injected and turbocharged for tax purposes Application: Many Alfa Romeos, from the original Alfa 6 up to the final Alfa Romeo 147 GTA.  Also used in 75 (Milano), SZ, RZ, 155, 156, 164, 166, etc.

Alfa's home-grown V6 lived a long life, originally debuting in the less-than-successful 1979 Alfa 6 luxury sedan.  In that form, it had SOHC 2-valve cylinder heads and was fed by six carburetors, later replaced by Bosch fuel injection.  It went through many forms.  Some markets had a 2.0L version with a turbocharger to escape a higher tax bracket, there were 2.5L 12v and 24v models, 3.0L 12 and 24v models, and the final 3.2L 24v that was used in the 156 and 147 GTA (below.)

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3vvjrn5uTM

A V6 isn't a configuration that naturally lends itself to aural harmony.  There are just a lot of nasty-sounding units out there, from the angry iron lung GM 60° pushrod to the utterly characterless Audi 90° V6.  Somehow Alfa managed to get the sound right, with their V6's just on the right side of musical.  It's funny, reading period reviews of V6 Alfas, that's sometimes the one positive thing writers find to say about them.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4QG7QN0ZWE

Surprisingly bassy for a smallish V6, the Alfa 24v's tune turns to a metallic, throaty roar at higher RPM's.  The Kreissig full exhaust on the 147GTA in the video above is just shocking - imagine that sound coming from a small, Golf-sized hatchback.  It also doesn't hurt that Alfa's V6 is one of the prettiest looking engines out there - those chromed intake runners are just gorgeous.

Toyota 2JZ-GTE

Displacement: 3.0L Mechanical layout: Inline six, iron block, aluminum cylinder head Valvetrain: DOHC, 24v Aspiration: Twin-sequential turbocharged Application: MkIV Toyota Supra Turbo, Toyota Aristo

If you're not familiar with the 2JZ-GTE, that's... shocking.  This iron-block straight six has bee  a staple of the tuning community for going on 20 years now, capable of producing ridiculous amounts of power.  There are probably more aftermarket parts available than total 2JZ-GTE's ever built, and finding a Supra Turbo that's stock is like finding a Pinto that's not rusty.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vu7_ckKWWQ&t=53s

The fourth-generation Supra Turbo was a huge change from the chunky boulevard cruiser that came before it, dropping pounds in all sorts of creative ways and adding technology and performance in huge measures.  From the factory, it came either naturally aspirated (boo!) or with a complex twin-sequential turbocharger setup (much like the 3rd-generation RX7).  Unlike the parallel turbochargers on the Nissan RB26, the 2JZ used one small, low-inertia turbocharger for fast response at low RPM's, and a larger one for big power at high RPM's.  The results were impressive: 320 horsepower and 315lb-ft of torque, with smooth power delivery.  Even stock, it was a rocket: 0-60 in under 5 seconds, with a top speed limited to 155mph.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlp6mTHkGlc

Nowadays, many of them have had their twin turbos replaced with larger singles.  Turbo technology has advanced so far, with things like ball bearing center housings and twin-scroll turbochargers offering quick response and massive flow rates.  These single-turbo Supras also have the most turbo-rich sound of almost any engine out there.  I'm not sure what it is about them that's different, but the sound they make when they hit boost is borderline ridiculous.

Mercedes-Benz AMG M156

Displacement: 6.2L Mechanical layout: 90° V8, aluminum block and cylinder heads Valvetrain: DOHC, 32v Aspiration: N/A Application: Many Mercedes-Benz AMG models.  C, CL, CLK, CLS, E, ML, SL, SLK, R, SLS AMG (M159)

The M156 was the first engine designed entirely by the Mercedes' AMG division, not a hot-rodded version of a standard Mercedes-Benz motor.  It produces some impressive figures: between 453-581 horsepower depending on the model and configuration, with a lofty 7,000 rpm redline.  It's got astounding low-end torque and high end power, and that it manages to fit into so many different engine bays is impressive.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpClRYdGIWQ

What's most impressive is how absolutely insane it sounds, though.  There is not a single M156-powered car that doesn't sound like it's ready to remove your face from your skull with a dull, rusty spoon.  That's the wonderful thing about it: hearing that mental sound coming out the back of something relatively sedate looking like a C63 sedan, or E63 wagon, is just cognitive dissonance at a high level.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgaCZU0-oHY

It doesn't have the cammy pushrod lope at idle - the aural fireworks start higher up, like a classic European V8.  Once it starts going though, my god.  It's one of the few muscle cars out there that doesn't need an aftermarket exhaust.  Of course, a high quality system like an Akropovic doesn't exactly make matters worse (as heard above.)  The M156 is being gradually replaced by the M157, which is arguably higher-tech: direct injection and twin turbochargers mean that even though it's downsized (to a still large 5.5L), it makes considerably more power and torque with lower consumption and less emissions.  One thing it doesn't do: sound quite as ridiculous as the M156.  For that, I can forgive the blatant displacement fibbing.  Wonderful.

Ferrari/Maserati Tipo F136 V8

Displacement: 4.2-4.7L Mechanical Layout: 90° V8, aluminum block and heads Valvetrain: DOHC, 32v, later models with direct fuel injection (458 Italia) Aspiration: N/A Applications: (Ferrari) F430, 458 Italia, California (Maserati) Coupe, Spyder, GranSport, Gran Turismo, Quattroporte, Alfa Romeo 8C

The Ferrari Tipo 136 covers a fairly broad spectrum of cars, first used in the Maserati Coupe back in 2002.  It effectively replaced the Dino-based V8, last used in the Ferrari 360.  It could probably win an award for artful design: just the sight of that curved, arching intake manifold can crack a smile.  With power output between 385 and 582 horsepower, none of them hang around.  And they all sound awesome.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Wj5q2Z5Cwc

Maseratis always sound a bit more serious with a snarling, crackling, popping Tubi exhaust.  Thankfully, you don't even need that on the F430.  The dual-mode exhaust system opens up a freer-flowing path under heavy throttle, going from pleasant to alarming with the flex of your right foot.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RpQ8xB1dl8

That high-pitched yowl can't be anything but a Ferrari V8.  It's one of those instantly recognizable sounds that you know without even having to look - sort of like the "DUNN DUNNNN" from Law & Order.  Completely regardless of the speed, precision, beauty, rarity, and desirability of a car like this is the sound - absolutely incredible.

Toyota 1LR-GUE

Displacement: 4.8L Mechanical layout: 72° V10, aluminum block & cylinder heads, dry sump lubrication Valvetrain: DOHC, 40 valve Aspiration: N/A Application: Lexus LF-A

The Lexus LF-A is a lot of things.  For one, it's the most expensive car that Japan has ever produced by several orders of magnitude.  Those hand-built $90,000 Acura NSX's didn't have a thing on the LF-A's starting price of $375,000, or the $445,000 LF-A Nürburgring package.  It's also a technological tour-de-force, a car created because Toyota wanted to wave their metaphorical balls at the automotive industry, not because they wanted to do something as repugnant as competing with something.  Is a Nissan GT-R faster in basically every metric at a quarter the price?  Sure.  Are it's A-pillars made on one of the only circular carbon-fiber looms in the world?  Nope.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy4bNS7M81g

It's an extreme car, the LF-A.  They had to give it a digital tachometer, because an analog unit can't possibly keep up with the engine's ability to spin from idle to redline (9,000rpm) in around a half-second.  It's a sci-fi dream from the future, so totally out of place from the company that gave us the Prius.  And it's engine is an engineering masterpiece.  With a 72° bank angle to counter firing forces without needing a heavy split-pin crankshaft, each of the 4.8L V10's cylinders breathe through individual throttle bodies like a race car - for instant throttle response.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDYGdmNFxIo&t=2m25s

So of course it sounds nuts.  How could it sound anything but nuts?  The LF-A is angry.  It has a unique aural profile from idle all the way to it's F1-imitating redline, much higher-pitched than even the Lamborghini Gallardo's V10.  It makes BMW's V10 sound like a GM Iron Duke.  Lots of manufacturers talk about their "race bred" engines - which are really modified versions of street engines that make do for racing.  The LF-A engine is descended directly from racing engines, and it's clearly evident in the sound.  No matter how much leather and touch screens and glam they slather over it.

Chrysler SRT Hemi V8

Displacement: 6.1L/6.4L Mechanical layout: V8 in 90° V, iron block, aluminum heads Valvetrain: pushrod, 16-valve Aspiration: N/A Application: Chrysler 300C SRT-8, Dodge Charger/Challenger/Magnum SRT-8, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8

The last list included the "low hanging fruit" GM LS engine, the modern evolution of the traditional "Chevy Small Block" V8.  I would be remiss to not give credit where credit is due to Mopar here, because the the SRT variants of their new-style Hemi pushrod V8 push all the right buttons for the musclecar faithful.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmsSs4N8nGo

It's not to say that the 5.7L Hemi sounds bad - far from it.  It's just that the 6.1 and 6.4L high-output V8's have more of an edge to them.  While GM's pushrod LS motors have begun to lean more towards high-end output (especially the rev-happy 7.0L LS7), the 6.4L Hemi is more than happy to burble along just off idle, and you can almost hear every individual explosion.  They've got a barrel-chested roar when provoked: no small-displacement European DOHC V8 here.  It's hard to believe that the Ferrari Tipo 136 and the Hemi 6.4L even share their basic layout, so different are the sounds.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMfTQ2h1RmA

The newer 6.4L adds some eco-friendly tech, like cylinder shutdown and... Oh hell, there's nothing eco about this engine.  It returns shameful MPG.  It's not really competitive on power compared to Ford and GM's top-performing V8's (the quad-cam Shelby GT500 5.8L, and the Supercharged LSA/LS9), but when it comes to sound the Hemi holds it's own without a problem.  It might not run a quarter-mile as fast as  Shelby, but it can do a sun-hiding burnout, and sometimes that's good enough.  The sound is reminescent of old, big-bore high compression carburetted V8's - which the Ford and GM V8's really don't any more.  Gotta love that Hemi growl.

Well, that's Top Ten Number 2 - of course, with any list like this it's a purely subjective matter.  Let me know what you think of my choices, and what I should've included instead, in the comments box below!