Neither the artura or 296 sound good to me but I much prefer the 720/765 engine to the 488/f8. Neither option is a blissful 9k rpm screaming engine like a z06/458, but the mclaren's have a lot more character, more boost noise and are way louder around town. We have a 720 and a 458 and even though the 458 sounds 10x better, 90 percent of the time you can't even hear it. The mclaren is always making noise. Compared to the turbo ferrari's it pops more and just sounds a lot more raw imo.

 

FWIW, The Mclaren V8 sounds like a flat plane v8 is supposed to. Like two high strung roughly 2 liter 4 cylinder engines at war, because that is what they essentially are. It's an aggressive but mechanically honest sound in my opinion. It seems that the Ferrari of today goes through endless histrionics to make their engines sound like F1 engines, with which they have nothing in common. They also tune out everything but certain intake resonances when you are in the cabin... resulting in a very artificial sound. It can feel like a recording, especially the V6 in the 296. I love the sound of older Ferrari engines... because Italians make great sounding engines... but the modern Ferrari engine sound is farce in my view.

 

765 spider > Pista coupe > 488 coupe > 720 coupe.

This is how I would rate the sound for these four cars. I have owned/own all of them so speaking from my personal experience.

765 sound is epic.

 

Have you driven a roof scoop 765LT? And if so, how would you compare the sounds between that and a spider?

 

Sound « quality » for an engine is very subjective. Just like music, really, it’s all about personal taste. So, it’s hard to say « these engines sound better than those ».

I know I like « mechanical » sounds. One of my motorcycles had a very mechanical sound (EBR 1190SX). It’s really loud, you can hear the whole valve train working, and the intake sound it’s incredible.

I like the M838/40T for that reason. Not much intake noise (apart from the ISG), but everything else is there.

 

The McLaren aren't really revving engines but at full load they still sound great.

 

The McLaren aren't really revving engines but at full load they still sound great.

But why not? Why is Ferrari better at revving?

 

Why is Ferrari better at reviving?

Because a lot of their cars die ..

 

Here’s my 2022 GT passing by at 209mph. I never heard it under load like this but I actually love how it sounded. Given I have catless DP’s and titanium exhaust.

 

let’s compare the 296 to the artura. Both turbo-charged V6 2.9L. Is there something about the Ferrari engine that makes it sound better than the Artura? Or is it the exhaust? Or both? Just trying to figure out what Ferrari doing that McLaren isn’t.

 

let’s compare the 296 to the artura. Both turbo-charged V6. Is there something about the Ferrari engine that makes it sound better than the Artura? Or is it the exhaust? Or both? Just trying to figure out what Ferrari doing that’s McLaren isn’t.

Does the 296 have the GPF as part of its exhaust? Because that hinders sound significantly and the Artura has it

 

Actually, Mustang owners have now gone "full circle". I don't own a Mustang, so I assume it's all aftermarket, but late models sound just like Ferraris! Only problem, they're screaming like a 12,000 RPM engine, but only going like 45 mph!

 

Sound is subjective. Do you like F1 sounds, turbo wooshs, or deep muscle car sounds? The F8 sounds great in the cabin (the noise is NOT artificial - yes it is piped in from the engine bay), but the car does not sound great for a Ferrari V8 from the exhaust thanks to the GPF. The 488 sounds better than it from the Factory.

My GT4 sounds awesome inside and outside the cabin when you are really on the gas and up the rev range. However, it's not that exciting otherwise. To me, that's an issue with NA cars, and as much as people rave about them as well as the 458 (I will exclude Lamborghini's V10 and V12 because the size and displacement are so large) they have almost no emotion until you get up the rev range and then once you are there they are torque-less. THIS IS MY OPINION from my experiences mostly with my GT4 on and off track (it's still a great car at the price and a lot of fun on the track).

I like forced induction cars, to be honest. I think they sound cool with a mixture of exhaust and turbo spools. Occasional crackles and bangs (I don't like too much of that - like when tuners add it in) I agree both the 720 and F8 could sound "better". The Pista and 765LT sound fucking unreal and have the performance across the range to match.

 

F8 sounds bad. How many have you heard ?

 

“I agree both the 720 and F8 could sound "better"

In your opinion, do these two sound the same’ish? Or do you find one of them as better sounding?

 

They do not. Have you heard either?

 

I've not heard anything like the full throttle upshifts in my 600LT spider, experienced from inside, top down (or at least rear window down). None of the Ferraris I've chased around the track sound as good. But of course, sound is subjective.

 

488 sounds like shite, that 458 though.

 

I think we need to clarify stock vs. modified exhaust. The 720s stock, regardless of whether it has sport exhaust, doesn't sound that great. Slap some catless downpipes on it and a titanium x pipe for good measure and it sounds truly exotic. It is a great high pitched sound that complements all of the other turbo sounds and whatnot the car makes quite well.

As an aside, why is it that the 720s sounds high pitched whereas all of the other McLarens I have heard (not F1 obv) have a lower more rumbly tone. Firing order? Manifold design?

 

Ferrari has spent a lot of time and energy on making their current cars sound like their NA engines of old, and to a great extent, they have succeeded. Part of the reason for buying a Ferrari is for that engine sound. The last Ferrari I drove was a Portofino, and with the top down it sounds great to me. I have no experience with the 488 or F8 but I imagine they must sound pretty similar.

McLaren buyers place less importance on the sound IMO. All I really cared about coming from the Porsche world is that the car have ZERO drone, which is an unfortunate and very common thing to have to deal with on flat 6's using aftermarket exhausts. I have stock downpipes but the titanium sport exhaust option on mine, it sounds good, but not Ferrari good. That's just fine with me, it's not a Ferrari and it doesn't need to sound like one for me.

 

Just a subjective data point. Was out in the canyons trailing a 600LT, a C8 ZO6, and a V10 R8.

Which one sounded the best to me from behind at WOT? Believe it or not, it was the Z06. Very high pitch tones, like an NA Ferrari. That car was singing, even better than the V10 R8. And of course, even with some bias since i also drive a 600, the 600LT sounded the least appealing as expected since it's the only one with turbos. If I could pick which one to drive, though, regardless of how it sounded, 600LT hands down. That thing is a weapon in the canyons.

 

i agree that NA sounds better than turbos. But I feel some turbo engines/exhaust/revving (Ferrari) sound better than others (McLaren).
Why? I haven’t a clue. They can be the same sized engine with turbos, but big difference in sound

 

I have not.

People spend every minute in this forum, comment on every conceivable post, have already admired and commented your two beautiful LTs thousand times and still don't know which cars you have. Today's world is so shitty banal.

 

And others, who post less often, frequently feel the need to make shitty posts about comments they haven't even bothered to read properly.

 

To answer the question as to why it's just based in how they tune it / design it. Piping material, bends, firing order, engine design, and plenty of other tweaks for harmonics. For what it is, I don't think the 720S sounds that bad. On it's own, it sounds great. Put it next to some other exotics and it's underwhelming. I'm coming from an R8 V10 Plus (essentially a Huracan) and a Ferrari F12 (Italian V12) and both had aftermarket exhaust. No mac has anything on a V12 Ferrari for engine note. The mac will wreck it in every other metric (braking, acceleration, handling, etc.)

 

most turbo cars with oem exhaust soundds abit boring. All v8 fearraris after 458 sounds like shit. Coming from a Challenge Stradale nothing with a turbo sounds good. But the 675 is actually growing on me soundwise, the downshifta are really really good.

 

I like the sound of my 720S. It has the sport exhaust. I can't wait for my new 750S. I also have to not be over 103 db for the tracks I drive on.

 

Some Ferrari's have epic sounding exhausts, but IMHO the 488 and 296 are not among them...

The 355 has just an amazing sound to it, as does the first year (2010) 458. Aftermarket exhausts make them even better.

 

Why only first year 458? What happened to later year 458s that made them lesser?

 

As a fan of high revving naturally aspirated engines, Ferraris even in turbo era somehow still sound surprisingly good. Even if McLarens also have flat plane V8 which reaches 8000 rpm, it somehow lacks a bit that high rev howl. McLarens sort of feel very effective and clinical the way they work and sound.
Nevertheless, McLarens are lighter (the single most important advantage over other supercars of this price range), and look and feel more purspose build. They have all the right ingrediants to be what they should be. If you want engine sound drama there are Lambos V10 and V12... To me at least, they sound a bit better than naturally aspirated Ferraris.

 

Cool Video.
Need a sound chamber, or a long underpass to make a definitive "Choice"

Anybody have a good automotive sound chamber for testing?

Enjoy!

 

The 750 fixed the sound that was missing in the 720.

 

Ferrari’s have more aggressive sound than the McLaren,but some 720 sounds very cool than the Ferrari.