The Ferrari Sound- Why does no one else duplicate it?

It's exactly like the Harley Davidson uniqueness in its exhaust and engine. It's easy to recognize, hard to replicate. They even tried to patent or trademark the sound

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/law/st_org/iptf/articles/content/1998101101.html

 

See this thread:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174959

LOL

James in Denver

 

I actually prefer the Lamborghini V10 and V12 sound to the current Ferrari V8 and V12 sound.


The current V8 has lost some of its scream in favor of deeper rumbling...typical of higher displacement engines.

 

If I could get a Honda Accord that sounded like one of my F cars I would buy 10 of them. Maybe we should contact Honda of North America. The Harley sound is a good comparison. Honda has certainly made motorcycles that look so much like a Harley that even I have to look 2 times to be sure. The Honda motorcycles also are trying to copy the sound but at this point sound bad. I would buy a S2000 and put a Tubi on it.

 

I agree the Ferrari sound is truely unique. Everytime I hear it, I turn my head to see which Ferrari.

 

Not sure if displacement has a much to do with it. I'd guess if you took a poll the 355 would come out on top as far as engine sound, putting it ahead of the 308/328 and 360.

Random thoughts:

1. The Porsche 911 is the 'other' iconic sports car, and its distinctive sound (through '98) was also a result of its technical design (flat six, air-cooled). There is probably no sensible way to make a flat six sound like a flat-crank V8 or V12.

2. Ferrari and their customers probably care about this stuff more than normal carmakers/buyers do.

3. Most of us probably wouldn't want our daily drivers to sound like a Ferrari. Much as I think the 328 sounds night-and-day more exciting than my Audi, the 'normal' car is better for long trips and conversations.

 

best explanantion I have seen by Mitch Alsup

The classic Ferrari 'sound' comes from a number of interacting elements that line up n a synchronized chorous.

First comes the flat plane crankshaft. This gives each cylinder bank an even firing order LRLRLRLR whereas the typical american V8 has an off kilter firing order LRLLRLRR. The even firing order means that the intake and exhaust pulses are also synchronized and evenly spaced.

Next comes the headers. These headers are tuned for the power band of the engine, not too big, not too small, not too long not too short. The headers cause much of the low frequency rumble from these engines by setting up a standing wave pattern of pressure pulses.

Next come the intake system. Here the air path is essentialy straight (e.g. no turns) that enables the air to flow into the cylinders with minimal resistance. The straignt air flow and low resistance enables the velocity stacks to be tuned with the header to broaden the power band.

As the intake valve opens (with the still open exhaust valve) air begine to travel into the cylinder even before the piston starts dwonward from the negative pressure wave from the header. As the intake valve closes, there is considerable momentum in the air flow. When this reaches the closed intake valve, pressure builds until a positive pressure pulse runs up the intake and velocity stack finds air at atmosphereic pressure and sends a negative pressure wave back down. This negative pressure wave runs into the intake valve and sends a negative pressure wave back up the intake and VS, causing a subsequent positive pressure wave. much of the high frequency music of these engines comes directly from this process.

Just under the resonance point of the header there are an even number of intake cycles so that when the intake valve opens there is already positive pressure and momentum to take the fresh charge into the cylinder (also) even before the piston starts downward. Just above the resonance point of the header there is another even cycle count in the intake puls train. There are generally 8 or 10 cycles on the low intake resonance and 8 or 6 on the high RPM intake resonance. These broaden the powerband of the motor.

Finally, the throttle plates are positioined at the center of the intake path and at anything less than WOT damp out even order harmonics in the intake resonance so one hears the primary, 3rd order, 5th order,... of the air movements turned into that sonorous chorous. Even order harmonics end up sounding like an amplifier with cross over distortion, while odd order harmonics sound like an amplifier cliping the peak. Any music buff will tell you that odd is much better than even in sound quality.

The modern V8 engines also employ a 2 stage set of resonators. The air box covering the intake tracks is tuned such that at header resonance a positive pressure wave is above each intake velocity stack just before the intake valve opens. The great rush of air into the cyclinder reinforces this 'standing' wave resonance. These are known as helmholtz resonators.

At the end of this resonator is a smallish tube leading to the largish air filter box. The size and length of this tube damp out the resonator standing wave such that the mass air flow sensor gets a nice smooth flow of air and can thereby be used to give precise control to the FI system.

The difference betewwen Ferrari systems and other manufactures, is that Ferrari works to get the sizes, volumes, and resonance points to actually line up and sing. Whereas others just get them close enough to deliver the power.

 

Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTkZ40Ycdzw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlfgNVdTqJo&feature=related

 

I've noticed that the Nissan Altima G35 has a very Ferrari like burble these days. Indeed any of the Nissan/Infiniti cars that use the 3.5 liter engine have the same distinctive sound

 

I have also noted that of later Nissans. While not specifically a fan, it is kind of cool that a mainstream manufacture has taken some time to make their acoustic signature unique.

 

Why do you think all the kids put fart cans on their cars?? They want them to sound more like a Ferrari!!

I also think that for a long time most manufacturers only considered the exhaust just a way to get rid of the nasty byproducts of combustion. The next step after that was improving it for power but still not worrying about the sound. There is a reason there are so many aftermarket exhaust makers out there. Only recently have any manuf started engineering the tones of the exhaust.

 

I'd be willing to make a small wager that 2 "mainstream" manufacturers have spent the most developing the sound of their car's exhaust.

The first would likely be Ford and their Mustang.

The second would be Mazda and their MX5/Miata - they even spent good advert money extolling hom much research they put into that exhaust sound.

 

I remember reading, a long time ago, that the sound was attributed to the "flat crank". Googleling that;

"But as impressive as the output was, many commentators couldn't get over how spectacularly it sounded. That was mostly due to the adoption of a "flat crank" which offset its journals 180 degrees from one another instead of the conventional 90 degrees, effectively leaving the engine operating as if it were two separate 4-cylinder engines. Flat cranks are relatively common in racing (IndyCars in particular), but rare in street-bound vehicles because of their inherent lack of balance. To compensate for that vibration, Ferrari used a set of advanced technology engine mounts that dampened most of the vibration out before it could be transmitted into the car's structure. "This may be the finest V8 in the world," concluded Motor Trend, "and the F355 announces its claim to the title with the most vibrant sound available in a production automobile. Let's not put too fine a point on it: This thing sounds badass."

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=116297#6

 

Couldn't agree more!!!

 

just heard a 355 that competizione did. Custom bypass pipe and a capristo stage three. also did some tuning. most wicked sound i have heard.

 

Both my wife and I love the sound of our 250 v12 even though it is 40 years old, especially at about 6000 rpm and still pulling. I have heard a 1956 Mercedes W196 that Phil Hill drove around Laguna Seca years ago. My God what a sound, the supercharged straight six. The other memorable sound is from a twin cam Bugatti straight eight. My racing friend used to say that some four cyliner racing cars sounded like they were angry at somebody, whereas as a Jaguar straight six sounds like it is angry at most everybody, whereas Pete Lovely's v12 Testarossa sounded like it was angry at every body. I liked that and stil do!

 

I have Victory by Design on the iPod in my Honda.

 

the guy with a honda s200 and f1 exhaust he said he put a D & R straight pipe hayabusa exhaust but then he said it was computer editing

 

IMO, the best vintage production car sound after a front-12 Ferrari is a box-stock mid-60's Corvette or Pontiac GTO with Muncie 4-speed. The distinctive gear whine of the Muncie, the carb intake, and the dual exhausts make a very beautiful symphony of their own.

 

Anyone think the sound of the 350Z came a little close?

 

No, I don't - but maybe that's just me. For one thing, this engine is too rough at higher RPM ranges.

If you want to listen to a very pretty V6 (I would put it very much up there with a Dino, in fact) was the old Ford Taurus SHO V6 from way back in the 90s. That was a Yamaha special made up for Ford just for this car.

I do concur on the Corvette small block 4 speed from the 60s. Also, for a more modern version of something that sounds special - try pulling up from abou 2500 rpm to 5000 or so in 3rd or 4th gear with a C4 ZR1 Corvette. (power key ON!) There is a special resonance all through the intake and exhaust that we owners call "the howling"...very much smoother and more low key than say a 355 buzzing madly through those pipes.

For me, in Ferrari, the sound champions are still the 12 cylinder cars, though.

 

But, the ZR-1 had 2OHC heads made by LOTUS.

All it needs is a flat crank.
(MMMMmmm a Project car?)

 

I beg your pardon, they were only designed by Lotus. They were made by good ole red-neck NCR machining boys in Enid, Oklahoma by a division of Mercury Marine Outboard Motors.

Does NOT IMHO need a flat crank. And neither do I, now in my late fifties, have any reason to deliberately induce a curious buzzing sensation around my backside.

Perfect harmonic balance nowadays seems more important, having given up 2-cycle motorcycles and mowing my own lawn.

Project car? YES! I have long wanted one of these ZR1 motors in an old neglected Maserati Ghibli!

 

ah ha,,, you got me.

Enid, OK
Your right!

I do believe on the same machines that made the Briggs and Stratton 5HP?
(My sister had a 1992.)
Best motor ever!