That's different -- the Z4 has a tube connecting its intake to the passenger cabin to make the intake sound more noticeable.

 

Formula 1 cars have tuned exhausts.

 

Do they, I thought they just had straight pipes, but they're able to play music by altering the revs to achieve certain notes (ala top gear).
Yeah, S2000, all intake, less exhaust sound.

 

Yes, sir. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51Wgd...eature=related. They can also play other songs regularly heard at competitions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aArS...eature=related

 

nail in the head right here

Ferrari employs horizontal cranks

 

 

Pardon me if I laugh a lot while reading this thread.

Exhaust tuning is not primarily for the purpose of getting a specific sound. Exhaust tuning is done to enhance the flow of air through your air pump (Engine). More air flow = better effeciency.

Here's a little light reading for you:
http://microcarproject.tripod.com/html/tun...aust_system.htm

 

Not primarily with OEM manufacturers. They have to comply with noise levels.

Most cars are in fact tuned to be as quiet as possible. We (as enthusiasts who enjoy an exhaust note) are in the tiny, tiny minority.

 

I think you're misunderstanding our use of the word "tuning". There is tuning for power (adjustment of header tube lengths, collection style (4-1, 4-2-1, etc, etc), piping size, etc, etc) and then there is tuning of that system (without changing the above) for sound.

Sound tuning can include resonance chambers, baffling for sound suppression, and the occasional bend or restriction as well (which often result in a minor power loss). Don't think for a minute that companies don't often lose some power to get a better sounding (or quieter) car. It's all about comprimises to meet federal regulations and customer expecations/requirements.

You yourself used the term "primarily", which implies at least a secondary purpose, which I've outlined above.

Would you want your sports car to sound like a tractor if it made an extra 3 hp? Probably not...which is why they tune it for sound as well as power. More to the point, no one has said that exhaust tuning was primarily for sound, only that exhausts are tuned to improve the sound of the car.

 

dyhppy,

You've got to learn not to believe everything Jeremy Clarkson says. The fact that he said, in his piece on the Alfa 8C, that other cars have tuned exhaust that sound fake, and the 8C does not, doesn't mean it's true. JC has been doing this for years: telling "creative" comments on cars just to get his point across. He has to invent some fact in order to make his reviews interesting, otherwise he would just say the same thing over and over.

In this particular instance, he just wanted to say that the 8C sounded raw. But for the pleasure of the folks watching his show, he had to make it more vibrant, so he compared with other exotics, mentioning other car's exhaust notes are fake. Meaning they sound less raw.

Top Gear, as good as a show it is, is all about exaggerating.

That being said, I'm sure the Alfa's exhaust is as tuned as any Ferrari's.