Home40 of the best sounding cars ever

40 of the best sounding cars ever

From the wail of a V12 to the thud of a flat-four, we nominate the road cars with the most evocative soundtracks.

July 9, 2024

Turn up the volume
© GMA
We are fast approaching a new era, when the only noise cars will make is the rising whine of an electric motor. That’s a rather sad prospect if you appreciate the wail of a naturally aspirated V12 or the throb of a turbocharged flat-four. Sound is a big part of what gives a car character, after all – and the following cars are always worth listening to.
Gordon Murray Automotive T.50
© GMA
The 4.0-litre Cosworth V12 in the GMA T.50 is the fastest and highest revving engine ever fitted to a road car. Its shriek as the needle whips around to 12,100rpm is like something from a classic Formula 1 racer. Doubtless it would ring in your ears for days. If only we had £2.8 million to spare…
Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Black Series
© Mercedes-Benz
In truth, we could have chosen any Mercedes-Benz with an AMG-tuned V8 for this list. But the thunderous 730hp AMG GT Black Series is the most outrageous of the lot. Until recently, it was also the fastest production car to lap the Nurburgring.
Pagani Huayra
© Pagani
Question: how do you make a Mercedes-AMG V12 even throatier? Answer: install it in an Italian hypercar and let it breathe through four shotgun-style tailpipes. That’ll do it.
Ferrari 458 Italia
© Ferrari
The urgent tenor of the 458 Italia’s 570hp naturally aspirated V8 will make every hair on your body stand to attention. Its turbocharged and hybridised successors, the 488 GTB, F8 Tributo and 296 GTB, simply can’t compete.
Lamborghini Huracan
© Lamborghini
There’s something raw and vital about a V10. And the Lamborghini Huracan turns the 10-cylinder engine up to 11. We drove the Huracan STO in the Scottish Highlands, saying: ‘With thinner glass and carbon mats instead of carpets, it sounds omnipotent even at idle: a full-bodied snarl that drips with mechanical malice. Blip the throttle and its frantic yelp can be heard in Edinburgh. God, this engine is awesome.’
Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
© Lamborghini
Any Lamborghini is street theatre, but the track-focused Aventador SVJ was the Italian marque’s sell-out show. Even crawling through traffic, its 770hp V12 sounds sensational.
Lancia Delta Integrale
© Lancia
And the award for the best sounding hot hatchback goes to… the Lancia Delta Integrale. Its rude exhaust rasp evokes memories of the all-conquering Integrale rally cars.
Subaru Impreza WRX
© Subaru
This one will divide opinion, but the offbeat thud-thud of a Subaru flat-four is certainly distinctive. Combine with a drainpipe-sized exhaust for maximum effect.
Jaguar F-Type R V8
© Jaguar
Apparently Jaguar received feedback from owners that the V8-engined F-Type is too noisy. Nonsense, we say. This thing makes a TVR sound tame – and we love it for that.
Dodge Challenger Hellcat
© Dodge
When it comes to sound, V8-engined American muscle cars take some beating. The Challenger Hellcat chugs menacingly at idle, then makes a noise like a hive full of furious bees.
Fiat 500 Twinair
© Fiat
No, this one isn’t a mistake. The now-discontinued 500 Twinair sounded like a motorbike – and a noisy one at that. Shame its two-cylinder engine ran out of revs so quickly.
Porsche 911
© Porsche
Today’s Porsche 911 still has a flat-six tucked between its rear wheels, but it’s the earlier, air-cooled cars – such as the wild 993 GT2 pictured here – that are most pleasing to the ears. Their hollow bark is one of the world’s most distinctive engine sounds.
BMW M3 CSL
© BMW
Google ‘M3 CSL noise’ and you’ll be rewarded with numerous clips of this special edition BMW being driven in anger. Its induction roar is reminiscent of a DTM racer.
Maserati GranTurismo
© Maserati
Let’s be honest, the V8-engined GranTurismo wasn’t the world’s finest sports car. But when something looks and sounds this good, it hardly seems to matter.
Maserati Quattroporte
© Maserati
A luxury saloon with a Ferrari engine? Yes please. The V8 Quattroporte is a supercar in a sober suit – and its high-pitched wail is pure Italian stallion.
BMW M5
© BMW
Another large saloon with something special under the bonnet. The ‘E60’ M5 (built from 2005 to 2010) has a 500hp V10 that won World Engine of the Year. Jeremy Clarkson compared its sound to a Ferrari F430.
Lexus LFA
© Lexus
The Lexus LFA also boasted a V10 and, coincidentally, is another of Clarkson’s favourites. Its ear-splitting scream could have Formula 1 cars cowering in fear.
Triumph Stag
© Triumph
Here’s some true-Brit noise – the unmistakable growl of a Triumph Stag V8. Unfortunately, the Stag was so unreliable, its dulcet tones were rarely heard for long.
TVR Tuscan
© TVR
We had to include a TVR on the list, and the Tuscan, with its fabulous motorbike-style exhausts, is surely the obvious choice. This rumbling beast sets off car alarms at 50 paces.
Ferrari F40
© Ferrari
The F40 is regarded by many as the finest Ferrari road car (and by extension, the finest supercar) ever made. Its 478hp 2.9-litre turbocharged V8 barks, hisses and spits like a living, breathing thing.
Audi R8 V10
© Audi
As we’ve noted, there’s something about the aural excitement of a V10 engine in a road car. Audi’s flagship R8 is no different. Its guttural howl is a match for anything the established supercar makers can muster.
Saab 96
© Saab
You’ll hear a Saab 96 coming long before you see it. The humming of its two-stroke engine echoed across many a Scandinavian rally stage.
Aston Martin Vantage GT12
© Aston Martin
Aston Martin now uses Mercedes-AMG engines, but the aural character of its cars has hardly changed. This old-school V12 is the equal of anything from Affalterbach.
Ford Focus ST
© Ford
We’re talking about the old, five-cylinder Focus ST here. Its deep, five-cylinder burble is unlike any other hot hatch – except the five-pot Audi RS3, perhaps.
Porsche Cayenne V8 diesel
© Porsche
A diesel? Yes, really. The Cayenne’s oil-burning V8 did a very good impression of a big-capacity petrol engine. Shame it’s now been discontinued.
Bugatti Veyron Supersport
© Bugatti
Surprisingly quiet at idle, the Veyron’s huge, 16-cylinder engine gulps so much air at speed that it sounds like the world’s fastest vacuum cleaner. In a good way.
Ford Mustang V8
© Ford
Sorry Mach-E owners, a Mustang doesn’t sound right without a V8 engine. Its eight rumbling cylinders are as all-American as Bruce Springsteen.
Shelby Cobra 427
© Shelby
The mighty Shelby Cobra was available with side-exit exhausts – all the better to hear that 7.0-litre V8 in its deafening glory. A bona fide automotive icon.
Dodge Viper
© Dodge
The original Viper also had side pipes. Throw in an 8.0-litre V10 designed by Lamborghini and you have a recipe for full-on aural assault.
Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M
© Ferrari
As Ferrari V8s go, little tops a 430 Scuderia – best enjoyed in the open-top 16M version. Our review said: ‘When the revs soar and V8’s extra intake resonators open, the serrated metallic howl is brutal and overwhelming. Like the 16M itself, it’s raw and breathtakingly intense: a hit of pure automotive adrenalin.’
Vauxhall VX220
© Vauxhall
Vauxhall’s VX220 lives in the shadow of its more glamorous cousin, the Lotus Elise. However, in 2.0-litre Turbo form, it definitely has the edge in terms of ferocious engine noise.
Audi RS2
© Audi
The first Audi RS model borrowed various parts from Porsche, but its rambunctious five-cylinder engine was all-Audi. Once you got past the turbo lag, it sounded wonderful.
Mini
© Mini
Many people of a certain age owned a Mini as their first car. For them, the whine of that transverse engine in first gear will always evoke the feeling of freedom behind the wheel.
Porsche Carrera GT
© Porsche
It’s a Porsche and it has a mid-mounted, motorsport-derived V10 engine. Is it any wonder the 612hp Carrera GT sounds like one of the Norse gods clearing his throat?
Alfa Romeo 8C
© Alfa Romeo
Alfa’s attempt to ‘do a Ferrari’ wasn’t without flaws. But, breathing through four exhausts, it had an authentic Italian soundtrack – from angry snarl to high-pitched howl.
Mazda MX-5
© Mazda
Mazda engineers tuned the exhaust of the original MX-5 to make it sound like a classic British sports car. They then added a healthy dose of Japanese reliability.
Ferrari 250 GTO
© Ferrari
One of the world’s most valuable cars makes a suitably expensive noise. A 250 GTO sounds textured and utterly mechanical – you hear every pump, piston and drive belt.
Honda S2000
© Honda
Revving a Honda S2000 to 9,000rpm is a life-affirming experience. VTEC variable valve timing makes the four-cylinder engine change character, like an automotive Jekyll and Hyde.
McLaren F1
© McLaren
Here’s what Gordon Murray did earlier. No car is built without compromise, but the McLaren F1 came pretty close. Its BMW V12 engine develops 627hp and sounds absolutely feral.
McLaren 750S
© McLaren
The McLaren 750S sounds aggressively and unmistakably turbocharged: a frantic whoosh like a sci-fi jump to warp speed. Its louder, centre-exit exhaust, inspired by the 765LT, adds more drama at high revs, too.
Porsche Taycan
© Porsche
Finally, how about some peace and quiet? The previous cars have given us a headache, so we’ll glide home in near-silence in the electric Porsche Taycan. Perhaps 2035 won’t be so bad after all.