What’s the greatest sounding car of all time? For me, it’s between the Lexus LFA and the E60 M5.
Posted by Dazzling-Olive-6967@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 95 comments
Genuinely curious what people think is the GOAT when it comes to engine sound.
For me, it has to be either: • Lexus LFA – That F1-style V10 scream is just unreal. Yamaha’s tuning made it sound like a hypercar straight from a dream. High-revving, clean, and mechanical in the best way possible. • BMW E60 M5 – That naturally aspirated V10 (S85) is a masterpiece. Raw, aggressive, and has that metallic bark that makes your spine tingle — especially in high revs with a good exhaust setup.
What do you think tops it? Carrera GT? Pagani Zonda? Maybe something more lowkey like a C63 AMG or older muscle cars?
Daqgibby@reddit
I once heard a 250 LM through the corkscrew at Laguna Seca, nothing has come close in 40 years.
iiplatypusiz@reddit
GT350 Shelby with that voodoo has to be one of the all time best V8 engine sounds I've ever heard. Hearing it scream at such high revs for a V8 is magical.
SenorCardgay@reddit
Nothing beats a v8.
drftfan@reddit
I thought the same thing today as I was getting on mine a bit coming home from a Cars and Coffee. I thought I prefer a standard Mustang engine sound until I started driving the GT350. I was wrong lol.
bigcee42@reddit
Murcielago V12 is hugely underrated in these discussions.
Listen to an LP640 or and SV with an exhaust. They sound as good as an LFA imo but no one talks about them.
PM_ME_HOUSE_MUSIC_@reddit
Better than the LFA, I’d also take it over a CGT.
samsungtabs6lite2@reddit
High suggestive. Lfa is an masterpiece.
Dazzling-Olive-6967@reddit (OP)
Another Lambo that’s up there is the SVJ with a ginatani exhaust
jacketsc64@reddit
Yeah, but the Murcielago just has a special sound to it.
NotRustyShackleford_@reddit
Any American pushrod V8 with a lope.
pooptartbandito@reddit
A 410 sprint car Saturday night.
GGODYR@reddit
812 with a novitec exhaust is what dreams are made of
Vintage_Boat@reddit
Air cooled Porsche Turbo
wimploaf@reddit
Flat plane crank engines sound amazing
B-Sheppard@reddit
I agree. For me the top 3 would be:
1) 458 Italia stock 2) GT350 stock 3) 991.2 GT3 with aftermarket sides and center exhaust. Soul, or the like.
Fancy_Chip_5620@reddit
Open header non vvti 1uz
AlwaysBagHolding@reddit
Underrated answer. Totally slept on because they’re usually whisper quiet. Hearing one unmuffled is like the stereotypical Hollywood nerd girl once she takes off her glasses and lets her hair down. What a fantastic sounding engine.
Fancy_Chip_5620@reddit
Couldn't have said it better myself
Blues520@reddit
It's the LFA for me. That sound is intoxicating.
AlwaysBagHolding@reddit
I’m ignoring the car part of this and going with the Honda RC166. 20,000 rpm 250cc inline six. No internal combustion engine has ever screamed its little lungs out like that bike did.
Salt-Assumption-5181@reddit
911 air cooled
AlwaysBagHolding@reddit
The ultimate is the Yellowbird. I regularly go to sleep at night watching the classic video of the guy flogging one at the ring back when they were new.
heezuswalks@reddit
Not my personal favorite but I feel like it deserves a mention considering I didn’t see it commented; the hellcat. They sound so cool. I’ll probably never own one because a used one would have been definitely beat on but aside from the viper, they are the coolest thing dodge has made imo
AlwaysBagHolding@reddit
They sound cool for what they are, but a Kenne Belle terminator cobra sings the same song better.
dubgeek@reddit
I'm partial to the Wookie, 3,2L VR6, but I realize it's not actually the greatest.
AlwaysBagHolding@reddit
Greatest V6, arguably. If you want to call it one. Normally the most poopy sounding engine arrangement.
Agreeable_One_6325@reddit
Big block Chevelle at 4500 rpm.
Driftwood71@reddit
I was going to say anything with a big block Chevy and headers.
AlwaysBagHolding@reddit
I’m a die hard Chevy guy, but nothing big displacement can beat a big block mopar, sound wise. I just don’t want to own one.
SoggyBacco@reddit
Any v10 era f1 car but especially the Renault R25
dustinb2021@reddit
My man. Anyone who was fortunate enough to hear the V10 F1s in person knows how lucky they were. My only experience was the 2005 USGP. The race only had 6 cars but got the full experience on Saturday :)
AlwaysBagHolding@reddit
I went to every USGP at Indy, it ruined me for every race car sound after. I still get chills every time I hear videos of one.
Growing up around there you could usually hear Indy cars qualifying in the distance through a good part of the city, when the V10’s were practicing, you could hear them plain as day anywhere.
The only comparable experience to me is seeing top fuel dragsters or funny cars, but that’s a much more violent experience. It feels like your heart tries to sync to the exhaust pulses when they rev under load.
BeegBeegYoshiTheBeeg@reddit
The E60/63 and LFA both have such a crazy sound
Joeyjackhammer@reddit
F136 in the 458 Italia.
Glittering_Read_9342@reddit
LFA or Carrera GT
RudderForADuck@reddit
It's definitely the G37 my neighbor takes out at 1 AM
CommissarCiaphisCain@reddit
It’s pure heaven with a fart can.
MaximumDerpification@reddit
sounds like Chewbacca getting castrated
Natural_Ad_7183@reddit
Beautiful
Hayasaka-Fan@reddit
specifically the tomei usa trumpet special
GanzeKapselAufsHandy@reddit
Don't forget the V6 Camaro that some fucker drives at full speed in the residental area where I live.
Csharp27@reddit
The one he keeps at 5k rpm’s in first gear the whole way through the neighborhood?
Spyderbeast@reddit
I used to have an unmodified G35. I actually loved its exhaust note. I would roll down my window in tunnels just to hear it better
But that was a long time ago
TheMostModestMaus@reddit
Mercedes AMG GTR Black Edition. Holy god does that bark.
ferraricare@reddit
Ferrari 365 GTC4 - it's the sidedraft Webers!
HairyDog55@reddit
1972 McLaren M8F .....hit YouTube and listen !
Ok-Attention-1083@reddit
Those rally Audis with the turbo inline 5s
Tuques@reddit
Anything with a big v8.
BRGNBeast@reddit
Mazda 787
oneaccountaday@reddit
Idk man, when the duramax goes into high idle mode and I know it’s money making time in the middle of winter, that’s a pretty sweet sound.
I love a GT500. A WRX STI is also pretty cool.
A timing chain timing geared swap 396/454 is also up there.
I still love that Enzo sound, the v10 viper is also right up there.
They’re all music.
chedduhbahb@reddit
LFA and whatever the biggest rotary motor that Rob Dahm is building at any given time. Last I saw, he posted a track video of his 4 rotor a couple years ago and it just sounds like a tormented demon heralding the end times.
Rijstkoekje@reddit
Ferrari 360 challenge stradale for me.
rabbit__eater@reddit
Ferrari 355 in my opinion
Valkyrie1S@reddit
Porsche Carrera GT
GriefPB@reddit
One of those 4 rotors or a high strung v12
Powerful_Relative_93@reddit
Ferrari F2001 (Micheal Schumacher’s F1 Car), LFA, Pagani Zonda F, Ferrari FXXK, and Murcielago SV.
gluten_heimer@reddit
Pagani Huayra R
Lexus LFA
Porsche Carrera GT
Ferrari F355
Lamborghini Murcielago
Sketchy-Idea-Vendor@reddit
Aston Martin V12 or a N.A. 911 for me.
teachthisdognewtrick@reddit
Older the Ferrari 365 gtc4. Modern the LFA is next level.
TaeyeonFTW@reddit
ferrari f12 for me
Independent-Crab-914@reddit
4.2 jag for me
KeeganY_SR-UVB76@reddit
They have a very distinctive sound. No matter what you do with the exhaust, they’re still identifiable.
Independent-Crab-914@reddit
I dunno what it is, theres just something about that noise that sounds like what a car is sposed to sound like in my mind lol
bkussow@reddit
It's just always been the 250gto. There are no other answers.
ferrari 250gto
UnbelievableDingo@reddit
shitbox chevy with a cam, longtube headers, and flowmaster exhaust..
why are we even having this discussion?
they add V8 sounds to every car commercial for 40 years, no matter the engine... we all know why.
yes. even 2025 commercials have chevy V8 sounds in the background behind a lexus... its pathetic.. own your own lame motor sounds....
t_brizzy@reddit
Mazda 787
InternetExploder87@reddit
Came here to say this. Saw one in person before, eargasm, eargasm all the way.
I was unfortunately unable to talk my way into a ride along, but I tried, all day lol
Kseries2497@reddit
I got to see it in action last year. The videos don't do it justice. Nothing else sounds like that.
overheightexit@reddit
Honda S2000. Fight me.
Iamthewalrusforreal@reddit
1970 Oldsmobile 442.
Maddad_666@reddit
With the 454? Yes.
Agreeable_One_6325@reddit
Lol. 455
cookie-ninja@reddit
V10 R8 or I5 RS3/TTRS. Personally I favor the I5.
ProfessionalMap2581@reddit
Alfa Romeo “Busso” V6
bigflippindeal@reddit
Ok, I get that it's not the best sounding car of all time but the Fiat 500 Abarth sounds pretty dang awesome for being just a little 4 banger and 160hp.
SailingSpark@reddit
If you like that, the 4 banger from the 70s fiat 124 spider sounded great uncooked. It used the same stroke as the Chevy small block (the rods are almost identical), so it had a bass rumble below 3000rpms that would turn into a ferraiesque scream by the time you hit redline.
Quite the fun little engine, and the basis for the almighty Lancia Delta Integrale's engine.
bigflippindeal@reddit
Interesting, I bet that does sound amazing.
MulberryMonk@reddit
My c6 with long tubes and brola cat back sounds really good, so I’m biased. Y’all naming cars I haven’t seen in person let alone got seat time in
rebelsound72@reddit
Ford 429 through straight pipes
el-art-seam@reddit
Ferrari F355. When I was younger and it was on sale, that was the first modern Ferrari I heard really go and that left an impression. I used to hate the F50 but I saw and heard that drive by on the same vacation and that quickly changed my mind.
DeliciousWrangler166@reddit
For me it was my 1970 Ford Torino GT 351 Cleveland 4 barrel v8 with headers and Cherrybomb mufflers.
SailingSpark@reddit
Alfa v6. The "busso" engine.
Toxiczoomer97@reddit
I personally love the 4.6 liter fords, 2V 3V and 4V. Also love the OG 302 fords. For foreign made I like the sound of a Porsche flat 6 in almost any variety.
jules083@reddit
I really want to put a cat back on my crown vic just so I can hear it sing more often.
Toxiczoomer97@reddit
I’m running high flow cats and Flowmaster 10s on my 3V with factory h pipe. Best sounding 13.25 second 1/4 mile car around 😂😂😂
9BALL22@reddit
My Chevy SSR!
jules083@reddit
Something about a built small block Chevy for me. Just brings my inner hillbilly out and makes me wish I could grow a proper mullet. 🤣
jeepsies@reddit
These are my fav for various reasons
Ae86 with itbs Vr6 Early wrx Ferrari 355 Mk4 supra single turbo Old audi inline 5
Specialist-Owl3342@reddit
AC Cobra MKIII with a 427
PurpleSausage77@reddit
Shelby GT350 voodoo 5.2, love the TT-RS/RS3 5cyl turbo. C6 Corvettes. Induction side of the sound of a proper Honda K series. Shriek of a 3 rotor rotary.
Skyline GTR RB straight 6’s at full scream, complete with all the giggle inducing turbo sounds.
https://youtu.be/soWfgUZoE_8?si=gGnZMx4HIsL9lzH-
Banishedandbackagain@reddit
Honda NS X and R32 GTR, when they came out they sent shockwaves through the auto industry.
No one could build a car as fast as the GTR for the price and the NSX made supercars become reliable and better built
corporaterebel@reddit
Ford RS200. I
ShoemakerMicah@reddit
Mazda 787B hands down
Solid_Enthusiasm550@reddit
It depends, there are the high rpm wale of v10/v12s.
Zonda AMG v12. Is my pick.
Other is the deep rumble of a big cammed muscle car.
426 race hemi, my favorite
I enjoy both equally.
No_Gap_5575@reddit
Enzo