How do you rate Saab’s exhaust note?
Legend has it that Mazda used around a dozen or so engineers just to fine tune the exhaust note of the MX-5 (Miata).
There’s a lot of things I love about Saabs, but I can’t say that historically speaking, the exhaust note has been one of them. I’m just starting to get turned on to exhaust notes and it’s interesting to note how different they can be from car to car, from brand to brand. A performance exhaust’s priority is to get the gases out efficiently and if you can get a good note from it too, then all well and good. But if you can do both, even better!
My 900 has a fat exhaust and it’s quite noticeable, though I would hesitate to call it ‘music’. My Viggen’s exhaust note (standard Saab system) is quite tepid relative to what the car’s capable of when it’s in an angry mood.
I’ve just been checking out some other Saab exhaust note videos and I’ve got to say at this point I’m happy but I’m not quite doing cartwheels. There’s a Viggen with an Abbott Racing backbox that sounds alright, and this 900 is fairly beefy as well, which is OK (and it’s similar to my own, actually). I’m sorry to say but this Magnaflow exhaust on a 9-3 just doesn’t grab me at all. This Remus-equipped Saab 9-5 barely sounds different from a regular one, to my ears at least.
Maybe it’s a stereo vs mono thing? This V6 Aero sounds a little more flighty to me. This V4 powered Sonett equipped with a dual exhaust sounds absolutely brilliant (though you might have to pardon the air cleaner).
I’ve heard that the Turbo X’s dual exhaust is supposed to be quite impressive. Hirsch make a dual exhaust for the 2.3 Saab 9-5 but I can’t find a video for a car equipped with it.
If not a Saab, what would you rate as the ideal exhaust sound? A crazy racing V8 or the throaty high-rpm sound of a boxer engine? The supposedly creamy sound of a BMW straight six or maybe a japanese sumo-sized pipe gets you to hit a high ‘C’ on the bedflute?
Have your say? Do you rate exhausts at all? Do Saab’s shake your tree? And what others make your ears stand up?
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i think my stock 900T sounds amazing for a factory setup.
the abbott’ed viggen sounds outstanding to me.
Coming from an American Muscle background, that Sonett and the Alfa definitely made me smile. That’s the kinda’ exhaust that gets me, call me crazy.
Let’s see if the new avatar works, lol
The C6 Corvette Z06’s roar always impresses me. Also the Porsche Carrera GT sounds amazing. As far as SAABs go, I love the sound of any of the old two strokers
This is a good Z06 clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WmWjO2TYsc&feature=related
The exhaust note on my old NG900 was CRAZY. There was a hole in the muffler, and it made it sound a lot like my uncle’s Trans Am, which has the 5.7L LT1 V8. Of course, it wasn’t as…in tune as the V8, but it was loud and throaty and made the car sound way more powerful than it was. Now, I don’t like it when people modify their exhaust just so the car sounds powerful when it has like 90 horses and less torque than a screwdriver, but the fact that it happened to my car by accident made it ok. You could hear it like 4 blocks away before I got the muffler fixed. After that…yeah, the note was nothing to get excited about. Saab exhaust notes are ok, but they usually are too tame for me.
I definitely liked the Sonett the most. To me, that’s exactly how a car should sound…though I could not excuse the air cleaner. The Abbott Viggen was just a bit too muted. The 900 was the same. The Magnaflow was too scratchy, it sounded Asian. The V6 Aero was ok. The Ferrari was waaaaaay too high-revving, I really don’t like Ferrari exhaust notes, they’re too high-pitched. Boxer engines just sound weird to me (as much as I like them otherwise). The BMW sounded ok. Asian fartcans? No.
I couldn’t find any great videos of my car’s note, but here’s two decent ones, both stock like my car:
One
Two
I love my car’s exhaust note. It’s a V6, but it sounds muscly enough, and that supercharger whine is SO EFFING COOL at high RPMs. Plus, when it’s idling, the whole car shakes. Not shakes like it’s a rickety piece of crap, but like it’s impatient and it really wants me to floor it.
Here’s a few notes I really like:
‘68 Camaro drag racer
‘67 427 Corvette
‘87 Buick Grand National
Spyker C8
ive always liked the exhaust note on the 350z and the various infinitis that have the same system. my brother bought a 08 vette a couple of months back and that thing has a pretty good soundtrack as well.
btw that viggen though it did sound ok but sounded a little bit ricey for me. maybe it sounds better in person, which i have noticed many times.
I rate the abbott exhaust, Sabby has one on this 9-3 Aero and its sounds nice and rumbly.
a.
I want my SAAB to be as quit as possible.
Asked about what car I think sounds best though: I go for the exhaust tones of the Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG!
I used to put the cards of a “deck of cards” into the spokes of my bicycle when I was a little kid….I grew up and now I fancy a quiet ride, the note should be humming, not loud and screming.
Today it seems like if everyonte is loosing their mufflers. They seem to think that if you can blow the ears from a mans head…Then it’s gooooood shit.
No, dont like that.
Since I don’t like the complete exhaust tuning stuff, with all the stovepipes on underpowered Golfs and Polos, I’d like to list some quite good engine-exhaust setups that drop(ped) out of some factories from time to time:
First there is the classic Saab 900 turbo. Nice, decent, deep. Then there are the dieing out Ovlov five-cylinders (especially on the 850). And last but not least, I like the sound of the dual exhaust system on the Opel Vectra 2.2 direct. Not the most powerful thing you can get, but I love it since it came to my ears rather accidentally (some move-around action at a nearby dealership).
How about this for exhaust notes!?
This is music to a pilot’s ears, and quite a specialist hobby… Rolls Royce Griffon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdfO657zHNY&feature=related
And here’s one in the proper application…: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbgpH2nrn-A&feature=related
Of course, the Merlin isn’t too bad either…:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJI-_KSj9U8
The application does matter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2nlGN6aS8g
Svenml
The classic 900 turbo and SPG sound incredible to me. I used to love passing under bridges or through anything that would echo that beautiful note back to me! The 900’s engine rev sounds like music too, and is quite unique…
I like the sound from the pikes peak 9-3 Eklund drove.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2513527043859261122&ei=OrMVSJHeN42SjgKLwtzNBA&hl=sv
But then again, it is not a very common car
I’d like to hear the exhaust when I’m heavy on the gas but the thing that annoys me the most with my ‘06 9-3 Aero is the noise level when cruising at anywhere between 2000 and 2300 rpm. It is WAY to loud in this band which happens to be at around 70-75 mph … a good speed to avoid a speeding ticket on US roads posted at 65 mph
I think the Italians usually get it right with the exhaust note. Even a 4-cylinder can sound good with the right tuning.
On the other end of the scale, a lazy warble from a Detroit-Iron is good for my soul.
Ken H: Right on.
The 900 sounds great to me.
2 takt
I vote for the Sonnet.
My XJS came with custom built dual exhaust with Magnaflow mufflers. It’s a bit louder than I would have chosen. But when you rev it up, it sounds okay. Honestly, I’d rather have the stock quietness.
The Classic 900 8 Valve Turbo was music to my ears.
The exhaust note on my 2.8L Aero actually sounds pretty good in that it tends to be quiet at cruising speeds but has some grunt at higher RPM.
I am partial to some Chevy small blocks which is why I always have to look twice at the Saab 9-7x when I hear one running. A generation IV small block has such a distinctive note and they tend to sing at higher RPM.
There is a company on the west side of Cleveland, OH that does some awesome custom exhaust work if you want to free up some high RPM horses. The company is called Corsa and the big advantage of them is that they have no ‘drone’ at steady cruise and higher RPM. I have heard some exhaust that would just drive you crazy during a long drive due to the resonance they set up at lower RPM’s. Nasty.
They have been out to our college several times and the work they do is impressive. It costs a few extra bucks, but they are well worth the price of admission.
Check them out: http://www.corsaperf.com/autohome.htm
If you want a nice rumble try removing the middle muffler. The middle muffler on my 9-5 Aero developed a hole so I had a piece of straight pipe welded in and the resulting exhaust note is very nice. Here is a video/sound clip of my car.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGHytKodfpI
I think the exhaust note is quite important. A super quiet ride in a twin turbo BMW made it somewhat anti-climatic (sound-wise). I like that Viggen exhaust sound…sounds apprapo to me!
I loved the exhaust note from my ‘90 900 SPG but was VERY disappointed in my ‘99 9-3s, my ‘01 9-5 Aero SportWagon and continue to be unhappy with my ‘07 Aero SportCombi. Way too sewing machine-esk.
there’s a clip of a viggen floating around YouTube with an open 3″ downpipe that just sounds naaaaaaaasty… as in, when he’s getting on it, it sounds nasty good and when he’s puttering around at idle it sounds like crap
but that’s what all open downpipes on turbo cars sound like
my personal favorite engines, noise-wise, in order:
1) Subaru EJ20ET, open downpipe, 3″ stainless single-muffler exhaust, IHI VF34: these sound crazy. They have that unique boxer-burble, a throaty growl that’s hard to explain. As the turbo spools it just gets crazier. I don’t know - this engine just pushes my buttons.
2) VW VR6 - 2.8L 24v, 2.5″ single-muffler exhaust - the VR6 has such a unique engine note - almost sounds like an old Audi 5-banger, has a throaty note low down and absolutely screams up top.
3) GM LS7 (C6 Corvette Z06) - huge engine that revs to 7000 rpms, titanium exhaust… of course it sounds good.
4) Lamborghini Gallardo V10 - simply insane
5) Toyota 2JZ-GTE: from fourth-gen Supra turbo, with single turbo conversion but a relatively quiet exhaust, this is a silken, smooth-revving sound with a slight overlay of turbo whistle. Intoxicating. Honorable mention to the 7M-GTE (3rd-Gen Turbo) with open downpipes.
6) Rover V8 - specifically, the stock one in the TVR Griffith 500. Beautiful mix of small-engine fast revs and big V8 woofle. Umf.
I’ve never really thought of Saabs as having a great exhaust sound. Dad had an ‘04 9-3 SS Aero ‘Vert 6M (2.0T) which came stock with a Remus exhaust and it was just too quiet. Although you could hear the turbo… allll the time.
I had the opportunity to drive a couple of different convertibles and the Miata’s exhaust note was brilliant. For a 4cyc engine, it sounded good. Way better than the S2000 I drove after.
I would have to agree with James about the Subaru boxer-burble sound. Definitly one of those unique exhaust notes.
NineTwoX - Like any Honda note could even hope to come anywhere close to a Mazda note.
I like the V10 sound of the Lambo Gallardo the most.
From a V8-perspective it’s the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the same is for the V12, there it’s the DB9.
The current Saab 9-3 V6 also sounds “sexy”. From the 4-cylinder sound in the Saab lineup the best one was the 9-3 “Performance” (only available in Switzerland) with full Hirsch-tuning and the special Hirsch Exhaust which sounds great.
Call me strange but I really love the sound of an inline 5, even the GM Atlas truck 5s. Large truck diesel engines also get me going although I think that has more to do with the overpowering turbo whistle.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ChGGWY_CwO0
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1Y52ywfZ7gI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=y_Hh1cfSbfs
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-6m6f_MO340
I’d rather it make as little noise as possible. Think “Stealth Saab” - the more you push it the quieter it is, apart from that high pitched whistle that you can only hear when the window is down. Wouldn’t you rather feel it accelerate than be deafened by it?
Any Alfa Romeo V6 in my opinion takes the cake. To me anyways that will always be what an engine should sound like f the CD player……..
Chris
here is a windy example..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9sj1Rg2u0A&feature=related
I love the deep growl that my 9-5 Aero has, it sounds very deep and burbly and quite unlike your average 4-cylinder. For me at least, Saab performance will always be associated with the H-engine growl in it’s various incarnations.
But there will also always be a special place in my heart for the Volvo 5-cylinder. Between the Harley-Davidson burble at idle and the sewing machine howl in the upper revs it’s really one of the most underrated engines out there.
V6’s and V8’s usually don’t do it for me, but I’ll make an exception for the howl of any nice Italian engine.
The best exhaust system I have heard with my own two ears to date is the stock system they put in the Volvo S60R.
I almost crashed coming home from school, trying to roll all the windows down to hear it and look at that car move so fast and swift. It sounded FRIGGIN AWESOME when it turned the corner in front of me. I swear i was 10 inches from driving head on into a ditch from not paying attention.
You can make me drive a BMW in-line 6 any day. My boss used to hand me the keys of his Z4 3.0, and boy, this IS the kind of engine for which you turn the car stereo down. When he was driving his car and I had to call him on the phone, I used to keep the conversation going just to hear the engine sound. Unfortunately, the Z4 got rear-ended.