Ezra Dyer column in Car and Driver

Good read! My favorite part-

"I have a theory that the shriek of a flat-cranked Ferrari V-8 rewires your brain, such that everything associated with that sound becomes a dopamine trigger."

 

Nothin' like a little love for us 348 guys!

 

By the way, has America caught on to the flat crank? I read a few weeks ago that one of the new Ford Mustang engines will be a flat crank. Ford taking it too Ferrari again?

 

That GT350 engine is bad ass but doesn't really have an exotic sound in my opinion.

 

The flat crank 5.2 isn't out yet. Due late 2015 as a 2016 model. It's is supposed to have an 8k red line. Sound? 500+ HP, 400+ft-Lb torque. Naturally aspirated.

 

I don't recall saying it was available, just that it doesn't sound exotic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-UmFO_RpYs#t=22

 

I've never been preoccupied with sound.

 

Jerry,

Great Read. Thanks much for posting. I like the 348 and would love running into one.

Robb

 

How can you own a Ferrari and NOT be preoccupied with sound?

 

Bart,

I am very preoccupied with the Ferrari sound! We have one real tunnel in Phoenix / AZ. We take special pilgrimages there often in the F355's simply when we want to grin ear-to-ear uncontrollably.

Robb

 

I don't know. I guess the flip side would be how can you be preoccupied with it? It just draws attention. Do you buy a Ferrari because of how it sounds? Was that a primary consideration, or a consideration at all? If you take your car to a concourse (I don't) they don't ask you to start it up so they can judge how it sounds. It just isn't important (to me).

 

Surprising. Any others feel this way here?
To me, sund is equal with style when it comes to ferrari.

 

Hi John,
Having spent several years of my early automotive career as an NVH and Sound Quality Engineer I am obviously biased and the sound was a VERY important purchasing decision. Ferrari is the only car that does not need a radio IMHO, the engine is the symphony.

As a digression, when we were working on a certain American car with a V8, my company sent me to Ferrari so I could learn how to make the car we were working on sound more like a Ferrari. I quickly learned that it was impossible ;-) due to many variables. My bosses thought - "hey we've got a V8 too so it ought to be possible." Now we have another example - the flat-plane crank of Ford but yet the sound will not be the same - again this is only one of SEVERAL variables.

Every car has an acoustic signature - it's like an acoustic DNA. In fact, it can be graphed on a "semi" 3D plot. It's amazing how different the plots are even though the overall volume (loudness) is the same. Car and Driver had actually an article about it not too long ago (reminded me of the work I used to do). It was fascinating.

But I respect that some people don't give a damn just like some people don't care whether the Piano is a Steinway, Yamaha or Fazioli ;-).

 

Just like you can tell a Ducati a mile away over a Yamaha...

Robb

 

Yes. F355 is close to the top of the list for most epic sounding production car and that's one of my favorite things about it.

It's not how loud it is (your reference to drawing attention) but how nice it sounds.

The high rpm wail, the snappy bark when tapping the gas on a downshift, the growl when loading it at medium rpm. I absolutely love it.

 

I think sound is all part of the automotive experience. It doesn't matter if it is a muscle car or exotic, they each have their own signature. Be careful, it can be addictive.

 

Please read my posts. It's not that I don't like the way a 355 sounds. I just said it not something that I consider important when buying a car. My car came with a tubi installed. But if it came with a stock muffler I would not bother to change it. If it sounded like typical American V8 it would not change my feeling about the car.

Let me ask a different question. What car would you not buy because of how it sounds? A Vett? Vipper? Camaro? Lamborghini? Maserati? M4? Tesla???? Would you not buy a Tesla because it's quiet? I mean if you have the hots for some car, go test drive it, and it's everything you want it to be do you walk away because of how it sounds?

Anyway, that wasn't the point of my initial post which was just noting that the new GT350 will have a flat crank engine and all the benefits that go with it. It's a first for an American car manufacture. As for the sound, if I was interested in buying that car it would not be a consideration. Performance, handling, comfort, they would be what mattered.

 

Interesting argument.

I say 55% style and 35% sound and 10% gated shifter for me.

I came to this conclusion because I really have no interest in the F12 because of its "alternate" style (I'm being nice). Therefore, the style is important to me.

I keep looking at the 355s because of the sound. Period. It hits my Dopamine trigger like no other motor. I have some of Maranellos finest sounding cocaine (flat 12) in the garage, but I can't stay away from the 355 crack.

 

Things that make an exotic special vs gtr, z06, etc are style, smell, and most importantly soundl. If ferrari sounded like vette, i could not justify splurging for ferrari. Thats why so many are worried about the coming turbo 458

 

I agree wholeheartedly about the smell... I really like the distinct natural smell of my 348. A mix of leather, oil, mechanics... It definitely smells unique and exotic. It kind of has an small airplane smell.

 

Yes. Yes and yes. Yes, they ask you to start the car.

 

If people buy cars (any cars) because of how they sound why do they then spend thousands of dollars for after market exhaust system to make them sound different?

 

The prior owner of my car spent thousands on the exhaust, I get to enjoy his investment. I know of a tunnel within a few miles of the house ..... I call it the tunnel of love
Might cruise thru it today ........

 

I think an F355 with a Capristo sounds better than stock, but both sound like an F355.