Are Automakers Lying to Your Ears? | WheelHouse

**The Evolution of Car Sounds: A Deep Dive into Artificial Engine Noise and Automotive Innovation**

**Introduction: The Primal Connection with Car Engines**

The sound of an engine roaring to life is more than just noise; it's a primal, exhilarating experience that sends adrenaline pumping through any car enthusiast. The moment we step on the gas and hear that powerful roar, it's as if the vehicle itself comes alive, speaking directly to our senses. However, this connection is no longer as natural as it once was. Modern cars are becoming quieter due to advancements in technology, such as government noise regulations and turbochargers that muffle engine sounds. Yet, drivers still crave that dynamic feedback, leading car manufacturers to turn to artificial sounds—engineered and enhanced—to fill the void.

**The Rise of Artificial Engine Sounds: skeuomorphs in Automotive Design**

In an era where older technologies are being phased out, we often see remnants of the past in the form of skeuomorphs. These are ornamental design elements that mimic their original counterparts. For instance, linoleum tiles resemble wood, and synthetic leather mimics real animal hides. In cars, this concept extends to sound with "audio skeuomorphism," where sounds are artificially created to replicate older engine noises.

This phenomenon isn't confined to visuals; it's deeply embedded in the auditory experience of driving. Car manufacturers now simulate sounds that were once naturally occurring but have since been eliminated by technological advancements. For example, the turning signal sound was originally caused by electrical contacts and coil springs inside the dashboard. Today, these sounds are recreated digitally, providing a sense of familiarity while driving.

**Engine Sound Enhancement: A Modern Necessity**

The evolution of engine sound enhancement is evident in BMW's Active Sound Design technology. Introduced with the 2011 M5, this system replaces the naturally aspirated V10 engine with a twin-turbocharged V8. While horsepower increased, the iconic roar of the previous model was lost due to a quieter cabin and smaller engine size. To retain that beloved sound, BMW incorporated an audio track played through the car's speakers, replicating the engine's roar across different RPMs, torque loads, and speeds.

Volkswagen took a different approach with their "soundaktor" technology—a speaker that amplifies real engine sounds. Despite claims that these noises are pre-recorded, Volkswagen insists they capture authentic engine tones. This method adds depth to diesel engines, making them sound more like gasoline-powered ones. Ford's "sound symposer" offers another layer of customization, allowing drivers to amplify engine noise when accelerating by opening a resonator pipe.

**Design Beyond Function: The Sound of Car Doors**

Beyond engine noises, car manufacturers pay close attention to the subtleties of design that influence sound. For instance, the closure of a car door is more than just functionality—it's an auditory indicator of quality. Higher-end cars produce a deep, satisfying thunk, while cheaper models may emit a tinny clunk. In response to stricter safety regulations requiring stronger doors, manufacturers faced a challenge: how to maintain the desired sound without compromising on safety.

Engineers innovated by adding dampeners and tuning locks to create that perfect关门声 (door slamming). This auditory tweak isn't just about aesthetics; it's crucial in making an immediate impression on potential buyers during showroom visits. A satisfying door closure can make or break a sale, highlighting how design influences perception.

**The Unsettling Feel of CVT Transmissions**

The shift toward continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) has introduced a new dynamic to driving experiences. Unlike traditional automatic transmissions with noticeable gear shifts, CVTs seamlessly transition through gear ratios, leading some drivers to feel unsettled by the lack of tactile feedback. To address this, engineers incorporated simulated gear changes, replicating the experience of conventional transmissions even when unnecessary.

This artificial intervention ensures that drivers remain connected to the driving experience, despite the shift in technology. It's a testament to how deeply ingrained sensory feedback is in our perception of vehicle performance.

**Electric Vehicles: Redefining Sound for Safety and Style**

The rise of electric vehicles (EVs) presents new challenges and opportunities in sound design. EVs are typically quieter than combustion engines, which can be a safety hazard as they may go unnoticed by pedestrians. In response, regulations mandate that EVs produce an audible sound when traveling under 19 mph. This requirement ensures visibility through sound, enhancing pedestrian safety.

Jaguar's I-Pace exemplifies how EVs are tackling this challenge. Initially designed to emit a spaceship-like hum, it was revised to resemble traditional engine noises after pedestrians looked up in confusion. This balance between safety and authenticity is crucial as the automotive industry transitions to electric power.

**The Future of Car Sounds: Customization and Beyond**

As technology advances, car manufacturers are exploring new avenues for sound customization. From BMW's detailed audio tracks to Ford's customizable resonator pipes, drivers now have the freedom to tailor their auditory experience. The future may even see options for paying extra for cooler-sounding engines, much like upgrading stereo systems.

This shift toward personalized auditory experiences raises questions about authenticity and the boundaries of artificial enhancement. However, it also opens doors for creativity and innovation in automotive design.

**Conclusion: The Symphony of Automotive Innovation**

From engine roars to door slams, every sound in a car contributes to its identity and driving experience. As technology evolves, manufacturers are tasked with balancing the need for efficiency and safety with the primal desire for engaging auditory feedback. Whether through artificial enhancements or innovative engineering, the future of car sounds is promising—a symphony of tradition and modernity, where every note is carefully crafted to resonate with drivers and passengers alike.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(car engines roaring)- The sound of an engine makes us excitedin the most primal way.We step on the gas,feel that engine roarand our adrenaline just starts pumping- Whoa whoa what are you doing man?- What do you mean?- What's up with your voice?I always sound like this.- No and it sounds low and weird.Just be yourselfalright,it's enough.Alright we ready?Rolling?- Sound.(chuckles)What about a car makes it iconic?Is it the body?The engine?The sound?(car engine revving up)(laughing)- That was cool- Well as technology advances,cars are becoming moreefficient in nearly every aspectincluding sound.(car accelerating)Cars are quieter than ever beforebecause of reasons rangingfrom government noise regulationsto turbo chargerswhich can muffle engine noiseto increasingly insulated cabins.But it's not what weas car fansare used to.Drivers need dynamic feedback.How do you give them that?It's simple really,artificial sounds.Your phone clicks like a real camerawhen it takes a picture,right?And your girlfriend laughs atyour jokes that aren't funny.It's pretty likelythat the sound of the engineyou hear from your driver's seatis not the actual soundyour engine is making.It's enhanced.It's a skeuomorph.What's a skeuomorph?Well it's a derivative objectthat retains ornamental design attributesfrom the structures thatare inherent to the originallike linoleum tileand that weird plasticthat looks like leather.That stuff freaks me out.Audio skeuomorphism refers toornamental sounds that arerelics of older technologies.As we advance beyondolder technologies likefilm cameras and hard cover books,transitioning to new techcan sometimes be jarringand cars are no exception.You car's blinker is an example of this.The sound of the turninghah, turd.The sound of the turning signalused to be caused byactual electrical contactsand coil springsinside of the dashboard.But since cars have evolvedto not use those technologies anymore,those sounds are simulated now.(turning signal ticking)Engine sound enhancementhas only become prevalentin the last ten yearsbut engineers have beentweaking your car's soundsfor a long time.Around 2011,BMW came out with a new gen M5.They swapped out theirnaturally aspirated 5 liter V10for a twin turbo charged V8.Although the horse power went up,the sound that many hadknown and come to lovewent down.The smaller engine and quieter cabin meantthat drivers couldn't hear that M5 roarquite like they used to.(engine roaring)While less noise mightsound like a good thing,you don't buy an M5 to feellike you aren't driving an M5.So BMW's solution to this new,quieter cabin,was to play an audio track of the enginethrough the car's speakers.(engine roaring)The technology called Active Sound Designis linked out to the M5's ECUand accurately replicatesthe sound of the engineover the full range of RPMs,torque loadsand vehicle speeds.So while it closelyfollows the engine levels,it's still just an audio trackthat plays through your speakers.Volkswagen has their own methodsof beefing up engine sounds too.(engine revving)VW started using a devicecalled a soundaktor,German for sound actuator.This hockey puck shaped speakeris said to amplify realengine sounds from the car.Others say that the noisesare just pre-recordedbut Volkswagen adamantlydenies these claims.What are you hiding this time Volkswagen,other than your emissions!?Woo!Some diesel that Volkswagen manufactureshave exhaust soundaktorsthat produce a low-end roar.The sound actually comesfrom a speaker mountedwithin the exhaust systemand is intended to make the diesel enginesound more like aconventional gasoline engine.Honestly with all the emission stuffthat came out about them,I really don't know who to believe.Truth is out there,somewhere.Ford has patented theirown sound technologydubbed the sound symposer.This function works differentlythan BMW or Volkswagen's systems.When cruising the car is quiet(engine revving)But when the driver smashes on the gas,(engine revving louder)a resonator pipeconnecting the engine bay to the cabinopens up,amplifying natural engine sounds.The best part about this systemis that it's customizable.If you like the sound,you can choose when the valve opens.If you don't like how it sounds at all,you can turn it off completely.The Mustang eco boost however,uses a different systemto boost engine sound.active noise controlis modeled after BMW's active sound designand plays augmented engine noisesthrough the car's stereo speaker.It also uses noise cancellationwhich is a whole other beast.Active noise cancellationemploys the same physicsas your noise canceling headphonesyou might have at home.Small microphones record ambientnoise from outside the car,then replay the audiobut invert it so it cancelsout the outside noise.Um,I'm not qualified toexplain how that worksbecause I got my degreein television productionand not physics.Much like a meal at a fancy restaurant,presentation is muy importantewhen it comes to selling cars.The first impression isoften the lasting-estYou can usually tell the quality of a carbefore you even turn the engine on.Obviously,looks and styling are a big part of thatbut a more subtle featureyou might not have been conscious aboutwas the car door.(doors slamming)You can tell a reallynice car from a cheap carby the sound of the door closing.A satisfying deep thunk(door thunking)is preferable to a plasticy(weird door slamming sound)Engineers took note of this when new,stricter safety regulationswere put in place to strengthen car doors.Extra metal needed tobe added to car doorsto bolster safety during crashesand car manufacturers had to strip weightfrom other parts of thedoor to balance it out.The result changed theway the car doors soundand ended up making them sound tinnierFrom a sales standpoint,the car door provides the first impressionof a car to a consumer.If a potential buyer iswalking around the showroom,they open up the doorsof many different carsbefore they even havea chance to test drive.So manufacturers can't have a rogue soundmessing up potential sales.Engineers got to workredesigning the door sound.Dampeners were used tocounteract the tinny soundand locks were tunedto provide the perfect(door slamming)Consumers got that satisfying(door slamming)but it's not always the soundthat needs augmentation.Sometimes the feel of shiftingneeds artificial help too.Ever heard of a continuouslyvariable transmission?CVTs as they're often called,are found on many, many vehicles nowadays.They're different from atraditional transmissionbecause they seamlesslytransition through gear ratios.When using a traditionalautomatic transmission,it is apparent when you shift gearsbecause you can feel it.There's a drop in the RPMand a jerk from the gear catching.But it's different with a CVT.There are no gears to shift toso there is no delay or drop in RPM.When CVTs or shiftless transmissionsfirst made it into production vehicles,the feel of it wasunsettling for some drivers.The high and continuous revwhen accelerating gavedrivers a motorboat feeling.(motorboat engine)So engineers programmedin fake gear changesto appease peoplethat were used toconventional transmissionseven when it served no real purpose.(car engine roaring)When we think of loud engines,electric vehicles don'tusually come to mind.EV's are usually silentor quietly whirring away(electric car engine revving)This is actually a problemas EV's are sometimes too quiet to noticewhen they're coming straight at you.A study done by the Universityof California Riversidefound that their subjectshad to be 74% closerto hear an electric vehicleover a combustion engineand another study doneby the Guide Dog's forthe Blind Associationfound that pedestrianswere 40% more likelyto be hit by an electricor hybrid vehicle.I read all the studies done by guide dogs.They're great authors.Both the U.S. and European unionhave set mandatory guidelinesfor sound produced by electric vehicles,set to go in effect in 2019.The guidelines statethat electric vehicles must producean audible sound when travelingunder 19 miles per hourto alert people in the car's vicinity.At any speed over 19 miles an hour,the wind and tires produce asufficient amount of noise.Law makers are thinkingof allowing car makersto let the driver choosebetween different car soundswhich will be either really awesome,or just totally lame.What if they charge youfor like a cooler sounding car?Like your base model islike this little 'vroom'but then like you paylike an extra $ 4 000and it sounds like a(loud, cool engine revving)- There's fire in the system- One car trying to purr a little moreis the brand new EV from Jaguar.The I-pace is Jaguar'sfirst electric vehicleand boy howdy it's fast.I'm talking 1.8 seconds from 0 to 60.Woo!Jaguar's new technology,the acoustic vehicle alert system,fits inwith the new guidelinesimposed on electric vehicles.It used to sound kind of like spaceship(I-pace car engine revving)but people kept looking upso Jaguar had to redesign it totally.Sound is an incredibly important partof the driving experience.It's the whole reasonhighschooler's put fart canson their car.(trumpet)It's fun to have something loud.It's like the car is talking to you.(car engine revving)But how far will we let car companies gopumping fake noise into our ears?Maybe it's better not knowing it's fakeand living the rest of ourdays in ignorant bliss.But if you're still watching thisthen I guess,too late for that.Alright guys I'm walkingaround the office again.You know what that means,it's time for the sponsorship.This week's episode ofWheelhouse is brought to you bySquarespace.You know what Squarespace is,you've heard it allover.It's the all-in-one platformthat makes it easy to build a beautifuland vibrant websitefor your brand or business.Ferrari dude.Sweet.Guys,2019 is gonna be herefaster than you know itand if you're thinking aboutstarting a business next year,there's no better platform for youthan Squarespace!With Squarespace you canbuild an online store,easily track orders and inventoryand you can track analyticswith super easy to use tools.It's so easy guys.If you already own a domain name,which a lot of you do,Squarespace makes itsuper easy to transferthat domain name overto a Squarespace site.The name of the gamewith Squarespace is just,it's easy.Everything is easy to do.Even I,someone who often has problemsconnecting to a printer,can use Squarespace.It's just that easy.Guys, when you're ready to build a websitego to squarespace.comand then when you're readyto launch that website,go to squarespace.com/wheelhouseand save 10% off your first websiteor domain name.Guys I don't walk around the neighborhoodtalking to my phone likea lunatic for nothing.I do it because these sponsorshelp us make these showsso please,use their stuff.Alright, bye.Thanks for watching Wheelhousewe look at the weird stuffin the car world every weekso hit that yellow subscribebutton right there.If you like good sounding cars,check out this episodeof Up To Speed right hereand check out last week'sepisode of Wheelhouse right here.Follow me on instagram @nolanjsykefollow donut @donutmediaBe nice,I'll see you next time.