For those who love nothing more than the noise a performance car makes, we have some seriously bad news for you – particularly if you live in the EU. Strict European regulations mean that car makers are having to tone down those growling engine sounds, or, worse, fake them. But how bad is it getting? And will we soon say goodbye to engine sounds for good?
Tough Rules
In a large European Union regulatory document, surrounded by legal jargon and all sorts of things nobody really understands, European Parliament have set out some rules and regulations when it comes to exhaust sounds. While we’re not lawyers, we get the gist of it… No loud cars! Car manufacturers have to provide sound levels for their cars, to ensure they are under the strict limits imposed by the EU rules. However, while most vehicles fall under these sound levels as standard, it seems as though performance cars are finding it tough.
Quiet Cars
Several car manufacturers have already found issue with these new regulations, particularly when it comes to their sportier models. After all, people love a noisy sports car, right? Unfortunately, this has led to them opting to make performance cars quieter than the growling vehicles of yesteryear… But there is a solution – faking it.
Exhaust Noises
Some car manufacturers are all too aware that there are plenty of people who buy a car like this because it’s noisy. So, in order to combat the EU regulations and provide people with the driving experience they’ve come to expect, they’ve opted for faking it into the cabin of the car.
It might seem odd, but it seems to meet their needs. We just don’t know if this fake noise could ever replace the real thing.