Why do American V8's sound so different to European V8's?

Question

They always sound very bassy, with a constant rumble. I only hear something similar in supercars, but even they don't sound so deep and rumbling.

Answer 1

An American Mustle-car is designed to attract attention. They get fitted with a larger intake manifold which gives a deeper tone when accelerating. European cars are fitted with exhausts that make no real noise at all. Any European car makes all it's noise with it's engine. You imagine if an owner of a V8 Vantage Aston Martin had a Mustle-car exhaust on it? you'd know it was running if you were on Saturn!!!!

Answer 2

The are several problems with " Beelzebub " answer is WRONG & completely stupid, another is the vast majority of questions answered by people on Yahoo Answers (and the internet for that matter) are usually sarcastic response's you get from a smart mouthed 13yr old trying to be funny. I'll have to answer this in 2 parts (Part 1) The are several factors they sound different but the 2 main REAL reasons "supercars" with V8 engines sound different then American V8's have to do with the crank shaft type and the firing order.On cars like Ferrari's & Lamborghini the have what's called a "flatplane" crank where an American V8 like LS from a Corvette has a "cross plane" crank. I'll try to make this part simple when a car's engine is running every time it fire's there's a pulse on a car like a Ferrari it would be like "dot,dot,dot,dot,dot,dot,dot,dot" very smooth and rythmic (not to say American V8's aren't bad or smooth, just different ) and continues on that pattern. (Continued in part 2).

Answer 3

there's a video on youtube for a civic with a corvette v8 engine in it. RWD too, kinda werid, yet they pronounced it did now not final long because of the fact the physique bend because of the engine. The nsx is in all probability the sole game motor vehicle honda made. Fyi, the civic became by no capacity a game motor vehicle possibly the si version. Civic are compact automobiles, like gas performance. possibly they ought to be a v8 engine into it, or a v12. yet many times american muscle use their v8 engines or v10(for the vipers) it particularly is been like a prepare for American to place v8 into activities motor vehicle.

Answer 4

Well maybe the Europeans use more insulation and sound deadening material then we in the states do. Another possibility is the engines are completely different. By that I mean that there are some engines that use a different shape crankshaft. The most common in the US is what is called a "cross-plain" crankshaft. Some of the european makes, especially sports cars employ a "flat-plain" crankshaft. A flat plain will make the engine run and sound completely different. They also have different firing orders and other thing as well.

Answer 5

RC got it right... The most common american V-8 is probably the chevy 350 (5.7L) and revs to.... on average 5500 rpm stock, with max hp at around 4000ish. Look at your european v-8's like in the ferrari 360 modena... it has a 3.6L V8 and produces max power at 8500. it all has to do with displacement, where power is generated and engine speed.
The big block american steel is even deeper sounding than the small blocks...

Answer 6

Because Euro engines are a lot more advanced. Yank V8's still use 2 valves per cylinder, Euros use 4 and clever ECU's to get more power than American versions. European petrol is of a higher RON rating than American, making the engine's sound more refined.

Answer 7

The basic answer is size .But you could add in that the U.S V8s use 2 valves per clynder where as european V8's commonlly use 4 or more.with more comes along 2 smaller openings to let the exhaust out of hence affecting the overall sound. I hope you view this information as useful to your answer.

Answer 8

Cars and every other products are made for the markets it's designed for. Smells, sounds, feel, touch are all very different in different markets. American and Aussies like the big noisy sounds. European and Asians on general don't. Car designs are also tailored to the market.

Answer 9

i am not 100% but my dad has always said its because American motors pull off of lowerend torque verse the European motors horsepower. He drives a 55 Chevy; I drive a BMW 330. He also says the European motors are geared lowered, but I am not quite sure what he means. Hope this helps and not confuses?

Answer 10

As with most things; Europeans are a tad more subtle and understated that our Atlantic cousins! The European market just demands a a different sounding product.