So for whatever reason I was daydreaming the other day and started wondering what gives certain cars their distinctive exhaust note. Is it the muffler only or the engine, or all sorts of things? Now before I get flamed terribly, I have installed and/or have been around cars with full turbo-back exhaust systems, cat-back systems, and just universal mufflers on them. I see how they completely change the exhaust note. But the muffler from a V8 car put on a 4-cyl, isn't alone going to make the 4cyl sound like that V8. So the engine has to be a part of it as well as the pipe diameter.

Take for instance Pontiac...there is a distinctive sound that a Pontiac makes(thinking about Grand Ams, Grand Prix's). Also Infinti G35 Coupes(and the FX) and Nissan 350Z's also have a very distinct sound. But I would'nt expect to get that same sound out of another car simply by welding up one of their mufflers to it...or would you?

Jason

General overview: it's a combination of many things, including muffler design, pipe length & diameter, exhaust crossovers, exhaust pulse overlap & number of pistons. You can change the sound by changing either the pipes or the muffler(s), but one engine is unlikely to sound very close to another of a different configuration (ie: pipes & mufflers aren't going to make a V-6 sound like a V-8...).

Edited July 7, 200619 yr by balthazar

Another thing, If the exhaust system has a resonator before the muffler, that'll quiet down the exhaust note a great deal on any engine, no matter what it is. Now if you remove that and straight pipe the area, you'll gain some sound, but just like what everyone else said, you can't make a I4 sound like a V8.

Another thing, If the exhaust system has a resonator before the muffler, that'll quiet down the exhaust note a great deal on any engine, no matter what it is.  Now if you remove that and straight pipe the area, you'll gain some sound, but just like what everyone else said, you can't make a I4 sound like a V8.

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Unless you have a VERY loud sound system and an excellent recording of a 454.

Yeah, but you'd have to synch it with the idling of your engine, the acceleration, etc to make it match right.

Yeah, but you'd have to synch it with the idling of your engine, the acceleration, etc to make it match right.

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Oddly, there is a device out there that'll do that..... at least for the occupants of the vehicle.

Oddly, there is a device out there that'll do that..... at least for the occupants of the vehicle.

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OMG, really, that's too funny. Must help those ricers out there feel like they have something with power. Me, I'll take an engine that will produce the sounds itself.

I love the sound of a V-8!

I love the sound of a well tuned, high performance, aggressively cammed small block GM engine....(yes, the sound from a small block ford is different, so is a dodge).

Maybe I didn't state what I was asking for correctly...although I think some of you did sorta answer it.

I'm not asking if a 4cyl would ever sound like a V8 if I put a Corvette muffler on a civic. Its not about the loudness, but more the distinct tone.

Again going back to my original example...Infiniti has a very distinct sound. So take that muffler(G35 Coupe V6) and install them on some other V6. Would I expect to get a similar sound? I understand the loudness may vary depending on the other engine factors(compression, cams, etc...), but would it still sound like an Infiniti?

Again going back to my original example...Infiniti has a very distinct sound.  So take that muffler(G35 Coupe V6) and install them on some other V6.  Would I expect to get a similar sound?  I understand the loudness may vary depending on the other engine factors(compression, cams, etc...), but would it still sound like an Infiniti?

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I would assume its distinct tone was engineered to an extent as it was on the new GTO. Taking elements from the GTO's exhaust system and mounting them on, say, a DeVille would surely give it more of a rumble, but I doubt it would sound exactly like the GTO. Ditto with Infiniti's VQ.

In constrast, you can slap a fart can muffler on a VVT Prelude and a 2.2l Cavalier and it would produce generally the same sound because of the lack of tuning.

So, I guess the answer would depend on the level of overall engine/exhuast-specific tuning.

So for whatever reason I was daydreaming the other day and started wondering what gives certain cars their distinctive exhaust note.  Is it the muffler only or the engine, or all sorts of things?  Now before I get flamed terribly, I have installed and/or have been around cars with full turbo-back exhaust systems, cat-back systems, and just universal mufflers on them.  I see how they completely change the exhaust note.  But the muffler from a V8 car put on a 4-cyl, isn't alone going to make the 4cyl sound like that V8.  So the engine has to be a part of it as well as the pipe diameter. 

Take for instance Pontiac...there is a distinctive sound that a Pontiac makes(thinking about Grand Ams, Grand Prix's).  Also Infinti G35 Coupes(and the FX) and Nissan 350Z's also have a very distinct sound.  But I would'nt expect to get that same sound out of another car simply by welding up one of their mufflers to it...or would you? 

Jason

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well there are a lot of things that go into noise... and it all comes down to vibration... friction of air...

things that generally make up the sound of a vehicle include

Engine Size

Cylinders

Firing sequence

Exhaust pipe diamater

muffler

Catilatic converter

Angle of Cylinders (example V8s V6s can be 90* 75* 60* 45* etc...)

Degree of Camshaft

distance from end pipes from engine, and the length of tubing the gas travels

Material of engine (iron, aluminum)

Angle of Heads

Angle of Exhaust mafolds or Header pipes

Bore and Stroke of the Cylinders (this is kind of part of Engine Size)

The material of the Exhaust pipes & muffler (steel, iron)

the general balance of the engine

the general tune of the engine

Newbiewar pretty much covered it.

What I love:

1. Newer Mustang GTs

2. Many/most V8s

3. Cars that sound meaner than you'd expect*

*For example.. my car doesn't sound like a 6 cylinder. My dad and his friends say it sounds like a 7 haha.. it doesn't QUITE sound like an 8, but it definitely doesn't sound like a 6.

Edited July 9, 200619 yr by NOS2006

Newbiewar pretty much covered it.

What I love:

1. Newer Mustang GTs

2. Many/most V8s

3. Cars that sound meaner than you'd expect*

*For example.. my car doesn't sound like a 6 cylinder. My dad and his friends say it sounds like a 7 haha.. it doesn't QUITE sound like an 8, but it definitely doesn't sound like a 6.

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yea to go along with that... my buddy has a lt1 camaro with headers and exhaust... and that thing dynos at 287 hp at the rear wheels... (pretty much stock)

that thing sounds like it has 600 hp! sounds like a damn dragster goin down the track... i remember the first time we realized how good it sounded... he let someone else take it for a spin, and more then a mile away you could hear him get on it... got pulled over for being to loud once, but he was right under the buzzer....

he gets thumbs up anytime he guns it... but best he's ever got at the track is a 14.0

yea to go along with that... my buddy has a lt1 camaro with headers and exhaust... and that thing dynos at 287 hp at the rear wheels... (pretty much stock)

that thing sounds like it has 600 hp! sounds like a damn dragster goin down the track... i remember the first time we realized how good it sounded... he let someone else take it for a spin, and more then a mile away you could hear him get on it...    got pulled over for being to loud once, but he was right under the buzzer....

he gets thumbs up anytime he guns it... but best he's ever got at the track is a 14.0

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I raced a guy I know with an LT1 Z28 who runs a best of 13.5 and I kept right with him until about 65. His car sounded awesome (exhaust/headers too plus some others) and he complimented mine saying it's loud as hell when his window is at my back bumper lol

The new water-cooled Porsches have exhausts/mufflers that are

engineered to make the car sound as if it was still air cooled... &

for the most part the enormous money they spent to pull this

off has been a waste. Sure they sound a lot like an air-cooled

Porsches but they should have stayed air cooled to begin with!

I've always been a Camaro guy but the 3rd& 4th gen F-bodys

always sucked exhaust note wise compared to the Mustang 5.0

(4.9) & even the 4.6. True dual exhausts is where it's at!

My Q45 has true duals all the way up to the muffler.... WTF?

NOS i think it might be the 3800 II that has the ridiculous "noone will beleive im a V6" exhaust note... because people ask me all the time...

my favorite part is when goin from like 0-20 to around 45-60... it sounds so ridiculous durin that... and then it changes gears and quiets down... it gets loud again as i keep accelerating... but nothing matches that first roar

NOS i think it might be the 3800 II that has the ridiculous "noone will beleive im a V6" exhaust note... because people ask me all the time...

my favorite part is when goin from like 0-20 to around 45-60... it sounds so ridiculous durin that... and then it changes gears and quiets down... it gets loud again as i keep accelerating... but nothing matches that first roar

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Yeah.. yours is supercharged while mine is cammed with headers. Freaking awesome, dude.. let me tell you.

I've been thinking of running a second pipe down my Impala's underside, but right now I have to get ahold of some of those nice things called money.

The engine on my 95 Z/28 is stock. Most of what I have done is let it breathe better with the ram air and the exhaust. Those LT1s have a nice sound with a bit of exhaust system work. I've gotten lots of compliments.

I know running headers and 2-1/2 in pipes down my truck along with the aluminum high-flow intake and the bigger carb helped out on both ends with its power, I just wish I could find a good set of headers and an easy way to eliminate the exhaust crossover and everything for my Impala and help it out too.