Is this the essence of engine noise?

"Speedmonkey" (Speedmonkey) 10/22/2013 at 11:24 • Filed to: Alfa 147

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I got quite a response to my Alfa Giulietta review yesterday. Most of it along the lines of, "THAT THING ISN'T AN ALFA" and, "You should drive a 4C." I don't think Alfa will ever give me a car again after the Giulietta review.

Anyway, one chap sent me a video of his Alfa 147 GTA exhaust noise, and its 3.2 V6 is quite simply the best engine noise I think I've ever heard.

505Turbeaux > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 11:32

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very nice. A bit tinny but that could be the mic.

Almost any Alfa V6 just sounds right

ATX211 > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 12:54

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There are just too many too choose from to make a call.

Ratchet when he's all hopped up on synthetic energon > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 12:54

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And this is why I think the 4C should've had a V6.

EL_ULY > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 12:55

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It's ok i guess.

GV_Goat > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 12:55

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Probably one of the best sounding V6s I've heard. But there's a handful of v8s and v12s I prefer.

G8GT364 > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 12:57

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@2:10. Thats about as good as it gets for me.

Alex87f > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 12:57

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The 147 GTA is quite a car. Flawed in some ways yet absolutely perfect!

This one sounds quite amazing as well:

Jonathon Klein > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 12:58

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I'm sorry I love this engine noise but come on, listen to this and tell me I'm wrong.

Gr8Dane > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 12:58

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That's damn nice.

Not quite "foreign straight-6 from the 60's" -nice, but nice nonetheless.

Also, I would still argue the VW VR6 is a hard-to-beat modern example.

squeek67 > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 12:59

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While I do agree that the Alfa sounds epic. I am still partial to the new F-Type

mike89 > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 12:59

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CrowdSceneExtra > 505Turbeaux 10/22/2013 at 13:01

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Agreed. A little more 'angry lion' and a little less 'coffee can full of ball bearings' at higher RPMs would make it better. A throaty exhaust is why I love high displacement naturally aspirated engines.

neverwander > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:01

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Still gotta go with this thing as best *street legal* engine noise .

HenryF > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:01

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12 Cylinders in a Vee with turbos

Vintage1982Benz > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:02

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Very good, but the F Type V8 S has something to say about that (skip to 50 seconds in).

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:02

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Alfa's V6s are musical instruments I swear. Especially the GTV6's.

I do remember a company called Autodelta who fettled with the 147 GTA. They enlarged the V6 to 3.7 litres and fitted a diff to counteract the horrendous understeer. Kinda worked, but kinda didn't...

20binaFD > ATX211 10/22/2013 at 13:03

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poor 260, given a vq... It deserves better.

20binaFD > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:03

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wrong wheel drive so it doesn't really matter.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:08

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I'm still curious as to why apparently no one who makes these exhaust noise clips knows how to edit video. The shaky camera set up, sound of footsteps walking to the car, and then the getting back out to stop the camera are all completely unnecessary elements! lol

MaWeiTao > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:09

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The Maserati GranTurismo isn't my kind of car. However, the other day there was a woman tooling around in one and the exhaust note was enthralling. Even at slow speeds it had this enchantingly distinctive resonance to it's V8 burble.

The only way to properly convey a car's exhaust note is to have to under load and in motion. Stabbing at the throttle while the car is idle just doesn't do the job.

Mers > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:11

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That's exhaust sound, not engine sound. You can change that to suit your tastes.

gometz > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:11

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I am biased, but the C63 is one of the top 5 in my book. That 6.2L V8 is so angry.

Carbyne > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:15

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Just out of curiosity, are there any deaf Jalops out there? Can you feel the vibrations from as vehicle as it revs or do you not pick up on anything? I'd be interested to know any input you have.

Speedmonkey > MaWeiTao 10/22/2013 at 13:16

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The Maserati V8 makes one of the best noises known to man

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:19

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Someone said engine noise?

I guess I gotta post this again.

What do I win?

JDiesel > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:20

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JDiesel > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:22

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interrogator-chaplain > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:23

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That may very well be the best 6 cylinder engine noise I've ever heard.

But when it comes to engine noise, I like my engines screaming.

505Turbeaux > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 10/22/2013 at 13:23

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they fettled with alot more than the 147 GTA

SnowLeopard > gometz 10/22/2013 at 13:24

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Yup, this motor is the best sounding V8 I've heard in stock form, period. Any application works too, C63, CLS63, SLS, you name it.

No V8 sounds nearly as multi-dimensional; it's rich, bassy, loud, quiet loping around town and rip-roaring, snot spewing loud under load at WOT. Headbutts its redline like no other car I've experienced.

JDiesel > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:24

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Brumos59fan > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:28

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Alfa Romeo V6s are musical instruments.

n1zm0 > 505Turbeaux 10/22/2013 at 13:32

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I had a friend in HS who had an MK3 GTI VR6, didn't sound like anything special until the one day he went and bought a catback, some German brand (not a run-of-the-mill aftermarket type one) which was apparently quite high quality.

The sound that thing made was absolutely amazing, this blood-curdling growl that i'll never forget.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > 505Turbeaux 10/22/2013 at 13:43

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brb, taking my Milano to a muffler shop.

blackviper8891 > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:47

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That is a rather good sound, yes.

Personally, ignoring the various V8 and exotic engines of the world and focusing on more, shall we say, attainable engines, I have two favorites.

Subaru Boxer-4 Turbos (the following video is of my own Legacy, all stock, much more subdued than the wonderful sounds out of a WRX/STi):

And VW's excellent VR6 (Not mine, but reportedly stock. Do check out modified R32s, though, as they are seductive):

Monsterajr > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:51

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That surely is a sweet Alfa sound, but classic Alfa is Twin Cam 4cyl...

All are in various states of tune/exhaust/intake mods but retain that Alfa sound.

mickey_g > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:56

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Personally I love these things...

mickey_g > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 13:58

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Or this...

Sky Captain Obvious > PanchoVilleneuve ST 10/22/2013 at 14:01

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The internet! Best out of all the above, imo.

thesglife > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 14:03

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My suggestion is to play all the videos listed in these comments at once. That's what I did and it sounds glorious!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 14:03

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I can thoroughly agree with that. Alfa's been in hibernation for too long. The Giulietta sold well, which is what they needed, but they need to bring some of their old magic back with the Giulia.

I'm hoping their partnership with Maserati will help with that.

JoeMechanical > 20binaFD 10/22/2013 at 14:05

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What? The VQ is one of the best sounding V6's ever. Oops, forgot how many automotive hipsters are on this site.

Sky Captain Obvious > Sky Captain Obvious 10/22/2013 at 14:11

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Had to listen again. Dat Redline!

RodRAEG > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 14:16

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Meh, I think for sixes, this is the best, not counting racecars.

leecon > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 14:17

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This citroen concept sounds like satan gargling

Bluecold > 505Turbeaux 10/22/2013 at 14:18

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There are two Autodeltas. One is an english tuning firm. The other was the Alfa Romeo racing division led by Carlo Chiti.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodelta

Mers > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 14:31

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Especially inside an Alfa 8C with its stock exhaust which is the sound of the gods:

dagibby > Jonathon Klein 10/22/2013 at 14:36

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You're wrong. What you can't feel from the video is the earth shaking.

colorfulyawn > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 14:46

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I can't say I have any one favorite engine sound, because there are so many good ones, but I dated a girl who drove a Milano Verde when I was in high school, and let me just say that the sound of an Alfa V6 is particularly pleasing to me for a number of very good reasons.

MJAB > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 14:51

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Excluding the ultra rare Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 Stradale with its 8 V 2 liters engine, great sound has the Alfa Romeo Montreal 8 V 2593 cc engine from '70.

Here that engine installed on a "different" Alfa, the 1951-1953 Alfa Romeo A.R. 51 "Matta" (A.R. = autovettura da ricognizione) (there was also a A.R. 52 built in that years)

Speedmonkey > Mers 10/22/2013 at 14:52

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F*ck my old boots is it ever. I witnessed an 8C with my own ears a month or two back and was temporarily transported to petro-heaven

Speedmonkey > thesglife 10/22/2013 at 14:53

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Fantastic idea. Someone should create a new video with them all playing at once, and then one after the other with no break

Hydrochloric > 20binaFD 10/22/2013 at 14:53

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It would never have achieved a 48/52 F/R weight balance with the stock L26.

Jonathon Klein > dagibby 10/22/2013 at 14:58

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Ok but I will raise you Koenigsegg

ChazzyD > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 15:03

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Come on, give it THE BEANS!

dr861 > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 15:05

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Meh, I think the 8c sounds much better.

6shelBfan6 > dagibby 10/22/2013 at 15:16

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Race prepped 289s are simply jaw-dropping. Beautiful.

ocbrad1 used to be iamhoff but is now just wandering around > gometz 10/22/2013 at 15:22

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I gotta say, I love me that Maser V8...such a tone to it! However, the first time I heard a C63 light off was something special. Early morning, walking the dog through my neighborhood. I live in the La Jolla area of San Diego, so we're lousy with C-Class Benzes (among other things, including plenty of Masers). As I'm crossing the street, I see a black C-sedan gliding to a stop at the intersection. I didn't pay it much mind, just another C-Class. As soon as my foot hit the sidewalk, the Benz casually made his left turn to head for the freeway. As soon as he straightened out, he just stomped it. My 100 lb Doberman jumped and before I could even turn my head, my brain was asking where in the hell a Nascar stocker came from! Sweet baby Jebus was that just a howl of anger! The Maser sounds properly high-end European. The C63, on the other hand, sounds like it came straight out of Talladega! Wooooo!

NOLAguy > Carbyne 10/22/2013 at 15:22

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There is a deaf guy with a c4 or c5 corvette on /o/ on 4chan. I'll ask the facebook group.

smbartl5 > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 15:29

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I'll leave this here:

Dude > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 15:38

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TOO TINNY! Ugh

dagibby > Jonathon Klein 10/22/2013 at 15:51

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I see your Pagani and raise you a Stratos (forward to 3:00).

SP23 > PanchoVilleneuve ST 10/22/2013 at 15:55

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"I'm only this big, but I'm a Lamborghini, really!"

Jonathon Klein > dagibby 10/22/2013 at 16:02

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Or how about a raise from Ur Quattro!

20binaFD > JoeMechanical 10/22/2013 at 16:28

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I'm an automotive hipster? Actually I guess I kind of am, I mean I can't stand i4s and v6s because they are so common and boring. Also my favorite engine is a rotary (hence 20b in a FD). I'm sure the VQ is good for a v6, but I've heard enough infitities and 350zs to know they never sound good in my biased but honest opinion.

20binaFD > Hydrochloric 10/22/2013 at 16:29

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how do you know it's weight distribution? You know about this car?

AdrianTheRed > interrogator-chaplain 10/22/2013 at 16:47

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Unf.

JoeMechanical > 20binaFD 10/22/2013 at 16:54

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Well I'm with you on the small engines being boring. Long live the big engines!!

Carbyne > NOLAguy 10/22/2013 at 16:57

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Thanks, tell me what he says.

Ger > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 17:33

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This one gave me an eargasm. Especially with those straight cut gears.

MaadgeekSpaniard > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 17:57

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The alfa sounds good, but for ME, the best is an old racing carburated V12 like this one;

NoahthePorscheGuy > PanchoVilleneuve ST 10/22/2013 at 18:30

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is that an old Honda S—- with a motorcycle engine?

PanchoVilleneuve ST > NoahthePorscheGuy 10/22/2013 at 18:31

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S800, with the 800cc straight-four it came with.

Mike Hilal > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 18:44

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this is far far better

Hydrochloric > 20binaFD 10/22/2013 at 18:53

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I know some. The weight distribution comes from the SpeedHunters article , but MotoIQ AND Jalopnik have also had features on the car. Here's the excerpt from Speedhunters:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

"

Aardvark nearing completion. We set it on corner scales, and the current wet weight with all fluids, excluding driver and around 30 kgs or 60 lbs worth of miscellanea is 1,008 kgs or 2,222 lbs. That’s roughly 15% less than the original weight, with a significant increase in safety and rigidity, and more than twice the power. What’s even better, the weight distribution turned out as 48/52% F/R, which means that we managed to build a very slightly rear heavy front-engined race car, without an exotic transaxle keeping all the Nissan parts. That’s more than great.

"

Here is Karotta's YouTube page .

Hydrochloric > 20binaFD 10/22/2013 at 18:55

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Oh, and just to push it that hint further...

L26s can sound damn good, but that sounds RIDICULOUS.

Wezbian > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 19:26

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DAT RASP!

Wezbian > PanchoVilleneuve ST 10/22/2013 at 19:36

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Seriously sounds like a Civic. I can't be the only one who thinks that!?

Jedediah Beall > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 19:47

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Is it just me or does this kinda sound like an old pushrod V8 with a low end knock?

Michael Zaite > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 20:01

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Why can't I buy one of these!?

Ecklesiastik > Jonathon Klein 10/22/2013 at 20:20

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came here to say UR-Quattro but i guess i have to go IMSA GTO then

gmctavish needs more space > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 22:17

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The Alfa Romeo Montreal has something to say on this topic....

getchapopcorn > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 22:55

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I am going to need new pants.

getchapopcorn > Speedmonkey 10/22/2013 at 23:08

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NEVER enough Alfa.

ilikecarsalot > Jonathon Klein 10/23/2013 at 00:02

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ilikecarsalot > Speedmonkey 10/23/2013 at 00:03

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pretty sure this tops em all:

Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) > gometz 10/23/2013 at 01:02

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AH! I NEED THEM BOTH! AGHFAIEUHGIUERHGUIAERHGSIUHSTUIHAERIUGHNGNHHNNHAVHNADIVNADKVMZDFJBNXFK MDOUVAHERFUIVjnRGUNVOLZRGNSRUINJKsdCNEARUIGHSUNriKGVNXIHUNXDIKVNSTUIRHRXTUBNFXTNH

MY HEAD IS GOING TO EXPLODE THEY'RE JUST SO GOOD!!!

Apache1234657 > Speedmonkey 10/23/2013 at 01:11

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I like i5 turbos the best especially this one

XJguy > Speedmonkey 10/23/2013 at 01:27

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And then the senior Lamborghini stepped into the room and said son....you're missing 6 cylinders......Alfa what?

93Siro > PanchoVilleneuve ST 10/23/2013 at 02:48

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I see your I4 and i raise you I6:

karg0 > Speedmonkey 10/23/2013 at 02:59

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I've always believed that the e36's 3.0L, had the best exhaust sound.

The e34 M5 had a similar soundtrack.

Adrastos34 > Speedmonkey 10/23/2013 at 03:16

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In my opinion its has to be the Ducati Desmosedici RR

The sound of its amazing V4

malopyle > Speedmonkey 10/23/2013 at 03:43

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malopyle > Speedmonkey 10/23/2013 at 03:43

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Grant.Eat.Airplane > Jonathon Klein 10/23/2013 at 06:39

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So that's how you want to play?

ZAR960 > Speedmonkey 10/23/2013 at 06:54

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They're all Ferraris, except my 8C, which shows up @ 0:12. I still think mine sounds better than all of them.

Jonathon Klein > Grant.Eat.Airplane 10/23/2013 at 08:21

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And here is how to win. I present Ayrton Senna at Monaco

Ecklesiastik > Grant.Eat.Airplane 10/23/2013 at 09:24

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i raise you the meanest sounding lemans car ever

Bruce Bianchi > Speedmonkey 10/23/2013 at 12:18

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I trump all with the Audi TTRS Inline 5

Manuél Ferrari > Speedmonkey 10/23/2013 at 21:38

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I nominate all small displacement classic Ferrari V12 cars. If you haven't seen this Petrolicious video you have to watch it. The owner is so awesome. He wakes up super early every day so he can drive the car to work before LA traffic gets bad.

http://www.petrolicious.com/ferrari-lusso-…