View Full Version : RX-8s have unique sounds in stock form!


VRZOOMZOOM
05-18-2007, 12:15 PM
:) Thought i should post up a good thread here.......so weather been getting warmer lately and have my windows down more than usual.....

anyways, there been a couple of times that i've been hearing a nice weird sound from the 8........it is a nice grumble.....i dont know what is causing it but whatever it is, its actually pretty coool. it happens between 2-3K RPM in 4th gear. there this nice ching bing sound.......combined with like a chain/blender sound

It definitely has some metallic tone to it. Anyways, i guess the sound i'm describing is very similar to the Lotus Esprit in Pretty Woman.....where the car in motion and you hear that low metallic grumble making that ching bing sound....


Maybe i'm just experience the rotary sound but its all new to me and i love the fact it sounds different, that it doesn't have a typical piston engine sound. :cool:

Hopefully you guys know what that sound is like....its mostly when you're doing low speed cruising around 35-40mph....in 4th gear.

RotoRocket
05-18-2007, 12:28 PM
It makes a Jetson's sound under light throttle.

VRZOOMZOOM
05-18-2007, 12:31 PM
haha yeah, i guess thats another way to describe, the droooddoooodooo sound lol. Good one!

DailyDriver2k5
05-18-2007, 12:32 PM
:) Thought i should post up a good thread here.......so weather been getting warmer lately and have my windows down more than usual.....

anyways, there been a couple of times that i've been hearing a nice weird sound from the 8........it is a nice grumble.....i dont know what is causing it but whatever it is, its actually pretty coool. it happens between 2-3K RPM in 4th gear. there this nice ching bing sound.......combined with like a chain/blender sound

It definitely has some metallic tone to it. Anyways, i guess the sound i'm describing is very similar to the Lotus Esprit in Pretty Woman.....where the car in motion and you hear that low metallic grumble making that ching bing sound....


Maybe i'm just experience the rotary sound but its all new to me and i love the fact it sounds different, that it doesn't have a typical piston engine sound. :cool:

Hopefully you guys know what that sound is like....its mostly when you're doing low speed cruising around 35-40mph....in 4th gear.



Intoxicating and borderline exotic ...got to love it! If you have a tunnel in your area , punch it through that ...... total music to the ears!

cjwaggs
05-18-2007, 01:49 PM
holy shit!!! its called a Rotary............. jeeezz.

NgoRX8
05-18-2007, 01:52 PM
a rot-what?

NoTears316
05-18-2007, 02:22 PM
My car makes noise.

636
05-18-2007, 02:24 PM
wtf is a rotary? :rolleyes:

cleoent
05-18-2007, 02:33 PM
uh, marbles in a blender noise?

If that's what you hear, do a search, it's not rotary bliss, it's intake manifold piss :(

CarAndDriver
05-18-2007, 04:41 PM
Maybe it was the beans I ate.

filterban
05-18-2007, 04:45 PM
It makes a Jetson's sound under light throttle.

Hahah! My friends also commented on this, and I never noticed it. But it totally does.

Now, if it only folded into a suitcase...

Raptor2k
05-19-2007, 03:01 AM
Good post.

The way it starts to scream at about 7500 RPMs is pretty awesome too.

JeRKy 8 Owner
05-19-2007, 04:18 AM
This is one of the reasons why I never touched the car's exhaust. I don't need anything drowning out the rotary's natural sound.

NoTears316
05-19-2007, 07:16 AM
I can hear my car... when it's on. It makes sounds.

VRZOOMZOOM
05-19-2007, 11:06 AM
This is one of the reasons why I never touched the car's exhaust. I don't need anything drowning out the rotary's natural sound.

Totally agree......i dont need an exhaust overtaking the rotary sound....plenty of people have asked or told me, am i going to get an exhaust, and i think it sounds fine the way it is. :rolleyes: :)

:ylsuper: Anyways.........yes i know my car makes sounds.........but i guess the point of my post was, the car keeps suprising me and i've had for 8 months now. I thought i knew the car well, sounds, and everything else. Plus its awesome sound, cause people wonder whats in our cars (if they aren't car savvy) that little rotary humm is awesome! :lol2:

Just felt like appreciating the little things in this car that makes it that much more special. Discovering these sounds or whatever may be is like a bonus. :)

CarAndDriver
05-19-2007, 11:15 PM
Zoom zoom

NoTears316
05-20-2007, 12:10 AM
vroom

User24
05-20-2007, 03:54 PM
Are you using the shift-tronic automatic RX8? With the standard shift, it is possible to go much higher than 3-4 thousand rpm.

On my car, the sound you are describing happens in 5th gear at 2 thousand rpm, or 35 mph. It sounds like a loose pipe ratting against the underbody, which I'm pretty sure is what it is. Just the right frequency and amount of vibration will set the rattle off--sometimes just moving from a stop will do it.

Recently I've been surprised at how far the stock engine noise can travel to bystanders. Depending on the acoustics of the venue, people at a considerable distance will even turn their heads if I take the rpm all the way to redline. I thought it was all inside the car, but I guess I was wrong. Now, to increase engine noise even more, I've considered a K&N Typhoon intake. That could possibly be the only sound mod, that would increase noise emission yet maintain a unique signature.

The truth is on exhausts, every junkyard car or budget rice burner has the option of adding a nice sounding exhaust, which many have. Adding an aftermarket exhaust to the RX8 lowers its perceived value. I wish this weren't the case. I wish it could sound more unique and distinct with an exhaust swap. But it doesn't. It blends in with less desirable, less unique vehicles. If I was driving a Miata or Mini Cooper a little exhaust would be fun, but it just doesn't go well on an RX8 that is supposed to sound unique, not like all those other cars.

There are 4 or 5 good sounding exhaust available for the RX8, and they all have their issues and problems and caveats. All those "nice" ones with a "deep tone" is exactly what all those Eclipse etc. drivers have chosen to add to their vehicles.

But, it would be interesting to hear a Larini exhaust on an RX8. They make an MX5 exahaust, why not an RX8?

½mv²
05-20-2007, 04:09 PM
You know what the RX8 really needs?

Glass packs...

CarAndDriver
05-20-2007, 06:00 PM
Zoom vroom

VRZOOMZOOM
05-21-2007, 10:15 AM
Are you using the shift-tronic automatic RX8? With the standard shift, it is possible to go much higher than 3-4 thousand rpm.

On my car, the sound you are describing happens in 5th gear at 2 thousand rpm, or 35 mph. It sounds like a loose pipe ratting against the underbody, which I'm pretty sure is what it is. Just the right frequency and amount of vibration will set the rattle off--sometimes just moving from a stop will do it.

Recently I've been surprised at how far the stock engine noise can travel to bystanders. Depending on the acoustics of the venue, people at a considerable distance will even turn their heads if I take the rpm all the way to redline. I thought it was all inside the car, but I guess I was wrong. Now, to increase engine noise even more, I've considered a K&N Typhoon intake. That could possibly be the only sound mod, that would increase noise emission yet maintain a unique signature.

The truth is on exhausts, every junkyard car or budget rice burner has the option of adding a nice sounding exhaust, which many have. Adding an aftermarket exhaust to the RX8 lowers its perceived value. I wish this weren't the case. I wish it could sound more unique and distinct with an exhaust swap. But it doesn't. It blends in with less desirable, less unique vehicles. If I was driving a Miata or Mini Cooper a little exhaust would be fun, but it just doesn't go well on an RX8 that is supposed to sound unique, not like all those other cars.

There are 4 or 5 good sounding exhaust available for the RX8, and they all have their issues and problems and caveats. All those "nice" ones with a "deep tone" is exactly what all those Eclipse etc. drivers have chosen to add to their vehicles.

But, it would be interesting to hear a Larini exhaust on an RX8. They make an MX5 exahaust, why not an RX8?

No auto tiptronics here, i drive a 6 speed.........and yes i get it in 5th gear at low rpm as well. It just so happen i heard it very distinctly in 4th gear and i was shifting into 4th an the revs were low (not boggin but gettin to the point of boggin the engine) because i wasn't really on the gas pedal and just cruising around 35-40mph. Loose piping or whatever it is........its kind of a cool sound. its a nice shuttering sound, but anyways i love the 8! :) :Eyecrazy:

CarAndDriver
05-21-2007, 01:44 PM
Can you hear me now?

Ike
05-21-2007, 02:22 PM
My car goes wooo woooooo!

ranmcc
05-22-2007, 02:02 PM
okay guys..... let's not give me the newb pounding... but my 8 makes a blow-off sound around 8200 - 8500 rpm... what the hell is that.... it's a cool sound but is it supposed to be there????

9291150
05-22-2007, 04:33 PM
Sport Compact Car mag described it as intoxicating, which may be to much. Personally, I love it, it's certainly different and I often find myself driving around without the radio. It's more intake than exhaust noise.

But having spent time in a flat engined Ferraris and Porshes, there certainly are more distinctive sounding engines.

SINxSELEKTAH
05-22-2007, 04:36 PM
wtf is a rotary? :rolleyes:

it's got those funny looking pistons

chickenwafer
05-22-2007, 04:38 PM
I remember when I test drove my 8 it sounded like a lear jet.

CarAndDriver
05-22-2007, 04:57 PM
Whirr whirrrr

RotoRocket
05-22-2007, 05:09 PM
Sport Compact Car mag described it as intoxicating, which may be to much. Personally, I love it, it's certainly different and I often find myself driving around without the radio. It's more intake than exhaust noise.

But having spent time in a flat engined Ferraris and Porshes, there certainly are more distinctive sounding engines.

It's hard to beat the symphonic sounds of the Ferrari F430 at wot. Just my worthless opinion.

Ike
05-23-2007, 01:59 AM
I remember when I test drove my 8 it sounded like a lear jet.

Except really quiet and more like an electric lawnmover, right? :lol:

9291150
05-23-2007, 10:05 AM
Except really quiet and more like an electric lawnmover, right? :lol:

I remember you boasting that your Evo sets off car alarms :uhh: so I’m not surprised at this comment.

Ike
05-23-2007, 05:28 PM
I remember you boasting that your Evo sets off car alarms :uhh: so I’m not surprised at this comment.

Actually, I wasn't boasting, and I really don't like the exhaust note of the 4g63.

delhi
05-23-2007, 06:16 PM
Actually, I wasn't boasting, and I really don't like the exhaust note of the 4g63.

like a typical inline4 turbocharged. braap braap crap. :rolleyes:

boxer burble anyday. But I've grown to enjoy the rotary scream. At high rpm, it's like an angry Ducati with a baritone.