Exactly.

My (gone) VR6 (24 V) Jetta did have a sweet motor, along with the 6 speed manual. Not really a "V" thankfully. Problem was the front wheel drive. Can't imagine why anyone would add more power.

Also, I hate 4-cylinder buzzing sounds.

I love the M54 3.0L six in my used Bimmer. It's a staid (yet quiet) workhorse. And not too hard to work around with my ape-like hands! More power than I need even at 231hp.

I love this country! A nice Bimmer is "old" at 60K and I can pick it up for the price of a new crapmobile.

I have three variations of the six: Flat in the 911, straight in my 330i DD and my wifes v6 in her ML320, which is a great engine BTW. I think 6 is all you need.

And you gotta love the sound of this old V6:

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We also have an ML 320. But like the man from Leeds might suggest, turbo diesel V6s are a whole 'nother ball game from gas-powered V6s.

And to point, I thought this thread was focused on gas V6s, not inline or flat sixes or diesel V6s --

The V6 in the Buick Grand National series cars was very impressive, IIRC. The V6 in the Ferrari Dino...also impressive.

Otherwise...?

Hate to do this... But the VR6.... Is not a V which makes it mildly irrelevant guys....

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k1...8hgR32head.jpg

I hate to do this, but the staggering of the cylinders still imparts torsional vibration that does not exist when the cylinders are in-line or opposed. Albeit a shallow one, it is still a V.

From AutoZine Technical School - Engine :

nearly as smooth as an inline-6.
nearly as smooth
nearly

+1 (and not nearly +1).

MB bases their entire powertrain lineup on their modular V6 and V8 engines. I don't see them scrapping them soon. Too much invested in engineering, design and manufacturing at this point.

Maybe we shouldn't be hung up too much on the details (e.g. no. of cylinders, CID, sound and such). If a car can get to 60 in 4 seconds and 150 mph in 13 seconds, does it really matter how many cylinders are pushing it or how much power/torque it produces? As for sound, modern audio devices can replicate almost any sound. Personally, I wouldn't mind my 911 alternately sounding like a V12 Ferrari, 917 Porsche, 3.8 liter cup car or maybe a noise-cancellation mode while gingerly driving home to the hood at 2am.

I wonder what the hot rodders of years gone by talked about when they had steam-powered vehicles? Wood species for increased BTUs?

Sherwood

uh, we are really supposed to take the word from someone in DETROIT on what the car buying public wants? come on where are all these companies from that we just bailed out?

a while ago they said the small car is dead...then the large car is dead...then the 4banger is dead...then the big v8 is dead...now the v6 is dead?

there is a market somewhere for all kinds of cars/engine platforms...the trick is to build enough of everyone the market can handle...build too many, company screwed...not enough, the customer is screwed...

Tell me about it. A 4 cyl engine with a performance exhaust sounds like a lawnmower or something.

Just hideous.

It matters. Nothing sounds like a V-8 (or larger) engine. Six cyls fail miserably...and 4 cyls are total abortions when it comes to the "music to my ears" test.

These threads about how we all need to be driving 120 HP 4 banger cars amuse me. On a Porsche BBS no less!

I have to agree with Sniper, its damn hard to beat the sound of a V8. I've owned a number of very good 4 cylinder turbo cars, but nothing could compare to the sound of my BMW 540i, or my 390 HP supercharged V8 Jaguar XJR. V8 undertone with the supercharger whine, damn I miss that car..... The only exception is Italy, where everything sounds like sex. Alfa V6 and 4 cylinders sound spectacular.

In regards to need, who buys based solely on that? Especially in this crowd. The aforementioned XJR was total overkill, but it made me laugh like a schoolgirl when I mashed the pedal.

Hey: I have the same three cars. What are the odds?

Not always. The V6 in my old Alfa Romeo GTV6 (non-turbo) sounded pretty darn good at higher revs.

You have clearly never heard the music of a 4-pot Alfa Guilia.

You have no idea what you are missing.

Since you can find great-sounding examples with every engine configuration from I-4 to V-12, I conclude the "music" is due as much to exhaust system as to number and layout of cylinders.

A Honda I-4 will never sound like an Alfa. Even my 951 sounded so badly with a high quality stainless exhaust and test pipe that I reinstalled the stock system. The Italians have some special magic.;)

i'll take the sound of flat-6 with a hot MFI setup over any V8-rumble..

Well...I love the factory exhaust of the Bullitt Mustang...a special cross over pipe & mufflers for that model alone...tuned by Ford to sound like the movie car. Seriously...they listened to the movie soundtrack, played with various exhaust set-ups before deciding on the one for the Bullitt model.

On the other hand, it isn't the exhaust note sound of the old 911S I miss...the moan/shriek of the tuned MFI intake stacks as the car approached redline was indeed sweet music.

To each his own...(edit)I consider myself fortunate to be able to have enjoyed both the V-8 rumble and the MFI sound.

Another sound I enjoyed was three deuces on a Pontiac GTO...sucking air & dead dinosaurs at 1400 cfm!

Stijn...a shame it isn't practical to bring your S targa to Oregon...I'd be delighted to let you listen to a V-8 exhaust over our nearby mountain pass. ;)

Compared to an 8??? I've never heard a six that can compete with the music of a headered- and high performance exhausted V-8 (or larger).

I've never heard a 4 cylinder that didn't sound like something you'd find on the back of a landscaping truck.

Please feel free to link to clips of these glorius sounding 4 bangers.

Clip to the best sounding V-8 on earth is in my signature line. :)

I challenge that assertion.

Let's hear these great sounding 4's and 6's. I disupute that they exist.

While i am trying not to double over in laughter, i will simply ask for a sound clip to back your point. I suspect though, that you are just an EXTREME oddball to think what you just typed. :)

Seriously, listen to the V-8 in my signature line. No six on earth that i've ever heard can come close to that note. I had a Buick 231 V6 turbo running 18psi of boost. It sounded great at idle, but when nailed, it could not even compete with the note of any V-8 with performance exhaust. Not IMO. I personally think Porsche flat sixes sound very ordinary.

Just watched your vid...all I can say if you ever get the chance to listen to three deuces suck air at 1400 CFM in an old goat...do it!

You forget that I've been there, done that?

i haven't, but snipe wanted sound, so i posted sound.

Yep, the old tri power GTO's sounded great!!!

I LOVE the sound of a tunnel rammed dual quad V-8 too.

I will say that your link sounds WAY better than any 4 i've ever heard, but not as good as my old Buick's 231 V-6 turbo.

This is clearly very subjective. :D

The best sounding V-6's i've ever heard were the Bridgeport 2.8liter 2 stroke turbo outboard motors on my dad's old 31 foot racing boat.

Here's what Ford has on tap for 2011...on a dyno. Note the rev counter.
Video: 2011 Ford Mustang 5.0 V8 on the Dyno

never said i liked 4's... just don't think a V-8 is all that compared to F6 with mfi.... or what 917's brought along... I just find V 8'es loud and rumbling... I like the angry sound MFI does when going in to the higher revs...
Same thing when talking about bikes, don't like Harley sound, do like Ducatti sound.

And i prefer the sound of high strung NA, over turbo or supercharger sounds..


2 stroke is not what we are talking about here... car engines generally are 4 stroke...
If we start discussing 2 stroke, i might just as well add turbines in the mix.. like engine sounds that came out of an F-14 when they spools up for a cat launch...

Well if i can't include 2 strokes the best sounding V-6 i've ever heard (at least in person) was my racing exhaust equipped 231 Buick V-6 SFI turbo.

As my sister once remarked while standing behind it at idle, "It sounds like daddies cigarette boat" (the one with the 2 stroke bridgeports).

6900 for a factory V-8 is quite a few RPMs......How does that compare to other late model factory V-8s???

might just be they over rev em during testing, then set the red line lower for production cars.
for one thing, the safety margin, for another thing, to make sure they last long enough for warranty to run out.

I don't think it really will compare. At least to other American V8s. The Coyote is a very nice engine. Ford definitely is in competition with BMW and MB on this front.

A modified two-stroke scooter in Florence definitely sounds like sex -- between feral cats.

True. I have Webers on my 2.7, and the induction noise is simply intoxicating. No new V8 can compare to it. They're just all exhaust noise IMO.

Alfa's, when wound up, sound great. (and I have wound them up). No, I don't have sound bite's, probably won't bother looking, I know what I heard. The 'sound' building about 5500 and up is very nice.

Hadn't heard the Alfa turbo V6 before. I think it sounds great. Yes the Italians seem to have found some magic. 4,6,8, and 12.

It is subjective, (very) Snipe's V8 does sound great, as well as the goat, and a number of other properly tuned V8's.

Right now I'm thinking about the 'song' I want from the 3.2 As much as I love original, there are some exhaust systems I've heard on this board that I may need to explore.

Karl
88 Targa

Redline on the 4.6 modular Bullitt engine is 6,500. 500 more than the GT's...The 5.0 will have a 7K redline. Overhead cams work pretty much the same in a V-8 as they do in flat 6's...the 5.0 will be 4 valves per cylinder...Bullit has only 3, 2 intake, one large exhaust.

Ford publicity dept. says they are aiming for M3 performance envlope with the 2011 GT...

Some 4-bangers I wouldn't kick out of bed:

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My buddy's 455 Cutlass has the giant scoops, sounds like it would suck a seagull in there when he is on it.

Thanks Karl! :)