Good Sounding Cars

Lexus LFA for me. I'll never forget being at a Goodwood Breakfast club meet, someone floored it whilst leaving and my fooking god. I've never heard a road car like it, the sheer scream was incredible. 

Cheaper stuff; current RS3 with the sports exhaust sounds brilliant. BMW N52 in the 130i and Z4 Si also sounded brilliant as stock. 

I'm more of a V8 fan than a V12 in a road car. There's no getting away from the sound of an LFA which is just awesome but most of the time you don't hear that scream, so a V8 like the C63 or E63 for the constant reminder that there is something special under the bonnet. The old SD1 V8 3500S also sounded wonderful. RS3 is definitely up there as a daily but who remembers the sound of an original Quattro under full acceleration - at the time that was just music to the ears.

Any 1967 F1 engine.

As with most questions of this type. far too many to consider really. Road cars, it's a tie between the Lambo V10 and Merc's V8; (R)S3's is nice, but I'm with Blarno on the fake-bangery. My favourite engine sounds are racers though, from the 1-litre screamers in '70s  and '80's clubman cars - notably Davrians and Stilettos - the BDA's in rally Escorts (which I mentioned on another thread a few days ago) to 'proper' DFV Cosworths, as found in so many F1 cars over many, many years. 

Aah, memories .. .. ..

My favourite is a Rover V8. Simple engine but a great noise without any artificial nonsense.

The wail of a nice 6 is pretty good too. Again, I like old school. Porsche 911 air cooled. The TVR Speed Six sounds shit at low speed, but wind it up and it will send a tingle down the spine.

V12 Jaguar sounds pretty good at full chat too.

I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube content on the Challenger Hellcat Redeye, so that gets my vote. The V8 rumble overlaid with demonic supercharger whine is just fabulous.

I don’t like the current super car crowd much, just listen to a Countach 5000S or the 400 GT and compare to the latest equivalent and there is no comparison.

Whilst I love a straight 5, as has been mentioned, the latest Audi unit is not a patch on the older Audi or Volvo units, the stupid pops and bangs ruin the tune somewhat.

Vauxhall and Ford's 2.5 V6s from the 90s\00s sound good as well.

Of course, you are all wrong and the Rolls-Royce Merlin stands head and shoulders above all other engines on sound and everything else.

On more normal engines for me it has to be a V8, with the various Rover derivatives being among the best and I also like a big vintage thumper like a 1920s Bentley.

I'll second this. 5 pot turbos with a free flowing exhaust sound magnificent.

I heard a 991.2 GT3 RS being given the beans the other day, and that engine sounds fantastic.
Agree about the V10s: LFA, Carrera GT, R8 all sound terrific.
And of course a big V8 - probably the really big Ford and Chevrolet engines from the 60s onwards are my favourites for sheer intense rumble, with the 2000-era Mercedes worthy of an honourable mention.
Aston Martin V12 engines sound pretty good to me as well.

I do love the sound of the Ferrari f12

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V8 Diesel

I have a client with one and rumble it does indeed. I thought it was a V8 petrol when I heard it for the first time. He traded his A8 with the 4 litre diesel for it and loves the commanding driving position. He's not so sure about the size of it on country roads though.