Carlos from Spain:
The outside is what the car actually sounds like, that is why it's the most important. Also the symposers don't actually create the best sound, sportier than without yes but it's still a muffled sound designed to add to the real sound,it does not substitute the actual real sound coming from the outside. And then there is the principle of it that ruins the enjoyment of the sound, the fact that most of it is an artificial sound now,not just a little.
Exactly. It is no fun if you enjoy an amazing sound inside and when you open the window, the sound actually comes from the inside and not from the outside, this is even worse in a cabriolet or when driving through a tunnel or some narrow roads with buildings surrounding them.
Also, I remember what my son always says when my wife drives away in the Macan Turbo (and trust me, the Macan Turbo with PSE is not quiet from the outside but it is that typical low tone Turbo sound the new 911 has as well) or when he watches a new M3/M4 driving by or accelerating, you can tell his disappointment from the look on his face.
With the cars I'm driving, I'm a cool dad anyway. 99% of the parents are driving Minivans and hatchbacks or some Diesel SUVs. Can't say I have much friends in the parents community but their kids love me (and this benefits my own kids, which is amazing). A bit less attention would actually be better but the kids are positively affected, so why not? In the past, we were worried it would be different.
Last time I picked my daughter up at school, a bunch of boys came over and asked me to accelerate a little bit more. There is a speed limit, so I didn't exactly accelerate much but my exhaust is really loud and they were applauding. The next day, my daughter got comments like "cool car, cool dad", you should have seen here, she was glowing out of pride.
These are every day experiences you will barely have with a muted exhaust sound. You should see how people react to my Mustang, it is just amazing. Yes, sometimes people feel annoyed but they seem to be a minority (yet).
--
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Porsche Macan Turbo, Ford Mustang GT500 Shelby SVT (2014), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014)