A high-performance sports car can make an enthusiast’s pulse quicken, but only its soundtrack can raise said enthusiasts blood pressure and make his hair stand on end.
How well a sport’s car’s engine and exhaust are tuned determines how aurally pleasing it is. Here are the five best-sounding cars, in our opinion, that you can buy in Singapore today.
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
This relatively innocuous-looking coupe packs a big wallop with its enormous 6.2-litre V8 engine, which churns out 457bhp and 600Nm. It sounds like an atomic bomb being detonated when started up, and rumbles with authority each time you depress the throttle. The 6.2-litre V8 is the last of its kind as well – the next-gen C63 will have a smaller, turbocharged 4-litre V8 instead.
Ferrari 458 Italia
The 4.5-litre V8 in this supercar sings like a Ferrari should. Fire it up and it emits a low throbbing note, but as the revs climb, its pitch rises to a wonderful screaming crescendo. That unique, tri-exhaust looks the business, too.
BMW M4 Coupe
Before we heard the M4 in action, we were worried that the switch from a naturally aspirated V8 (in the preceding M3 Coupe) to a turbocharged inline-6 would affect the car’s vocals. Amazingly, the M4’s inline-6 is not only louder and throatier, but more forthcoming as well. It sure beats the M3’s V8, which has to be revved hard in order for it to deliver both the music and the performance.
Jaguar F-Type R
It snarls when revved. The quad-exhausts crackle and pop with machine-gun rapidity when you lift off the throttle. In a tunnel, the F-Type R could probably deafen motorcyclists. Jaguar’s supercharged 5-litre V8 is so emotional that it makes the Italians seem stoic in comparison.
Porsche Cayman
The Cayman’s mid-engine layout means the motor sits just behind the driver, thus putting him closer to the action. Porsche’s flat-6 is an automotive orchestra – even without the optional sports exhaust to breathe out of, the powerplant makes terrific mechanical noises. With the sports exhaust specified, there’s burbling at low revs and a spine-tingling, hair-raising growl that accompanies this coupe’s acceleration. If anyone tells you that Porsches are soulless, a ride in the latest Cayman GTS will change his mind.
