[LM24] Le Mans Noise Levels

[Steptoe]

Ulrich Baretsky of Audi fame thinks noise is wasted energy and that the fans of the future (the younger generation) according to his research will prefer less noise in racing engines.
Whilst we are waiting for LM 2012 I thought a poll on true fans verdict on noise of LM cars might be interesting.

1. Run open Exhausts - No noise restriction (like it used to be)
2. Current restricted Noise limit 110db
3. Further restriction to 95db
4. Continued restrictions to reduce noise below normal road traffic levels

[vincegail]

I'll take numbers 1 or 2, please. If nr. 4 were to be introduced, I'll stop going to Le Mans. Noise maybe wasted energy, but no noise is wasted fun!

[Steptoe]

Originally Posted by vincegail

I'll take numbers 1 or 2, please. If nr. 4 were to be introduced, I'll stop going to Le Mans. Noise maybe wasted energy, but no noise is wasted fun!

Agreed no noise and the whole atmosphere would vanish.

[7M.elody]

The noise is part of the racing, I vote lots of noise! Even if I have to put my fingers in my ears sometimes

[Oran Park Forever]

Ulrich Baretsky is seriously deluded if he thinks spectators (current or future) are interested in the technical advantages of silent exhausts!

In response to his claim, there is only one four digit word needed...........













787B !!

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[The Badger]

Noise restrictions ..... louder the better . If you dont like it , stay away and watch the TV .

Would it have been right so doctor the sound of a V12 Ferrari in the past ..... NO !!!

[Aysedasi]

Clever man Baretsky - but seriously off the mark with the spectators with this one.

I vote 1. And only 1.

[Nordic]

He is onto a winner, if he can make a car go as fast without the noise while running open exhausts then good luck to him.

To be honest a current Judd or Zytek sounds pretty ****ty anyway. just a shrill noise.

The Mazda was fun for the first few laps, after an hour it was tiresome, after 2 I just wanted it to stop!!

I know its F1 but compare these, anyone that prefers the last 2 is out their league on this matter, the cars may just as well be silent as make that god awful noise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v...4wL4&vq=medium

For me the best where the 935's popping and banging on overrun into Terte rouge. They were hardly the nosiest out there.

DFV's were also good value as are the big V8's from 'vette.

[TheNewBob]

Originally Posted by Steptoe

Ulrich Baretsky of Audi fame thinks noise is wasted energy and that the fans of the future (the younger generation) according to his research will prefer less noise in racing engines.

The majority of the younger generation want everything, now, all guns blazing. I don't think they'll be wowed by silent diesels and hybrids.

Put a Murcielago R-GT, A Corvette C6.R and a Dome with the Judd GV4 in front of them, and you have their attention.

...And because I miss those cars, I have picked option 1. The only car I found difficult to bear in the 'noisy days' was the Porsche 996, its droning, bellowing sound was easily enough to give you a headache after a few hours.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Oran Park Forever

787B !!

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OT: A horrible noise, nothing to do with the volume, but that made it worse. Different, which has merit, but pleasing? Not too me, sorry.

This, perhaps, also demonstrated that Motorsport doesn't need to be road relevant? Although that is used as justification for a lot at Le Mans.

I voted 1, BTW. You should take ear defenders though.

[Simmi]

Would love to have been around spectating at the event when the cars sounded great. I think what is fairly obvious is that it is one thing to see a car do a couple of fly-bys or watch a video on youtube - but to then hear that car for a whole 24 hours is something else entirely!

Did people used to come away from the races back in the mid-80s/early-90s with banging headaches? I was expecting that this year but felt absolutely fine.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Nordic

He is onto a winner, if he can make a car go as fast without the noise while running open exhausts then good luck to him.

But bad to us. The whole point is whether we really want to watch near silent cars, no matter how much quicker and more efficient that makes them. For me, the answer is a very big no. This doesn't turn on the Mazda, or any other car for that matter - for me, motor racing and the noise of racing engines - in their many and varied forms - are inextricably linked.

[Victor_RO]

As much as I'd love fully open exhausts, watched 22 open-exhaust open-wheelers hurtling down a pit straight together back in '07 in a grandstand that reverberated the entire noise. Even with ear plugs in my ears... never again, my head would explode with 24 hours of that. A compromise is needed, racing cars have to be loud without being annoying. 110 is probably stadium concert-level, which I personally find bearable.

[Steptoe]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Did people used to come away from the races back in the mid-80s/early-90s with banging headaches? I was expecting that this year but felt absolutely fine.

Only if I over indulged on the Kronenborg , the engine noises just put a big grin on my face.

[PascaLM]

Originally Posted by Oran Park Forever

787B !!

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The noise of the 757 was worse (trirotor). I'm sure my ears lost several dB during these years. 110 db is a minimum level but it allows to let the ears protections away.
On the other hand, the crowd has to keep silent when a Audi R18 passes.

[Nordic]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

But bad to us. The whole point is whether we really want to watch near silent cars, no matter how much quicker and more efficient that makes them. For me, the answer is a very big no. This doesn't turn on the Mazda, or any other car for that matter - for me, motor racing and the noise of racing engines - in their many and varied forms - are inextricably linked.

Right. in their many and varied forms. Some quite, some ear splitting. That's what's makes LM special.

I would be interested to know what Db the Porche 956's and other turbo Grp C cars came in at. I cant recall there being that much noise. The TWR Jags were a good sounding car, I can feel a little tear form when I think of them blasting up the pit straight towards The Dunlop bridge before the fools messed it up and ruined it for ever.

For my money the worst car was the C2 Mazda's. Slow but reliable so the noise was ever present. Believe me it was not a pleasant noise.

[JAG]

Wolfgang Ullrich has already stated he see's the quietness of the diesels as a unique charactor, but should the rest of the field adopt similar technology, they would develop cars with a different sound to once again make them stand out from the crowd.

The 5-cylinder road and race cars shows Audi pays careful attention to how their cars sound, in fact many of todays cars sound better than in years gone by, Group C in particular was very loud, but many of the cars sounded like crap, I only rate the Sauber Mercedes and V12 Jag's.

[Aysedasi]

I don't think the Group C cars sounded bad - the Jags were glorious and the turbo whoosh of the 956/962 I always found mesmerising......

[Oran Park Forever]

Originally Posted by Adam43

OT: A horrible noise, nothing to do with the volume, but that made it worse. Different, which has merit, but pleasing? Not too me, sorry.

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The thousands, if not millions of youtube hits for the 787B can't be wrong! (99.9% of which would be "Spectators"!)

One of the only race cars (as opposed to drivers) in history that receives cheers & applause, even just for an engine start..............mmm, must be horrible!

Nick Mason's recording of his V16 BRM at Donington proves the point that sound is an essential part of the motorsport experience. Only a handfull witnessed it, but the rest of us could easily picture it simply from the glorious soundtrack.


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[m1fcf]

Originally Posted by Nordic

I know its F1 but compare these, anyone that prefers the last 2 is out their league on this matter, the cars may just as well be silent as make that god awful noise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v...4wL4&vq=medium

All the same really - the first engines are maxed out at 8000-9000 RPM, the later engines are the same noise but at higher revolutions per minute. Speed the earlier ones up, or slow the later ones down, and they will all sound the same.

For me, I quite like the range of noises (loud/quiet, high pitched/dull throaty roar) - it is the difference in engine notes that make Le Mans. If Baretsky wants to make a quiet engine, let him, if Corvette want a monstrous roar, let them, just don't force them all to sound the same.

[Adam43]

Cool car, even when driven through the town centre last year. Sound good? No. Popular? Yes. And rightly so.
If it is for the sound well, the only analogy I can make is that Nickleback are also popular for their sound!

The V16 BRM, I've heard it and it does sound good. However it was crap, unlike the Mazda.

Variation is important, but variation means good and bad.

[Steptoe]

Originally Posted by Oran Park Forever

Nick Mason's recording of his V16 BRM at Donington proves the point that sound is an essential part of the motorsport experience. Only a handfull witnessed it, but the rest of us could easily picture it simply from the glorious soundtrack.
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I happened to be at Silverstone at the Coys or Christies festival can't remember which one, spannering, and helped push start said vehicle in the paddock at about 6.00pm . The paddock was empty except for a few of us mechanics ...well that is until it fired up then the paddock was very busy with spectators. point proven that noise taps into one of our major senses.
You'll notice the same happens on Friday pit walkabout at LM the busiest garage is always the one with the engine running!

[Steptoe]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I don't think the Group C cars sounded bad - the Jags were glorious and the turbo whoosh of the 956/962 I always found mesmerising......

Agree GRP C years were special '89 always sticks in my mind - Sauber V8's rumble, JAG V12's crackle on overrun, Mazdas scream, Astons even deeper rumble, Porsches distinctive flat note with lots of turbo whoosh and all the harsh C2 cosworth DFL's.
That said the massive effort by Panoz certainly made a lovely noise too. I think it was shortly after this that you stopped being able to hear the nosiest cars for an almost the entire lap whist sitting in the Houx at night.

[Oran Park Forever]

Originally Posted by Steptoe

I happened to be at Silverstone at the Coys or Christies festival can't remember which one, spannering, and helped push start said vehicle in the paddock at about 6.00pm . The paddock was empty except for a few of us mechanics ...well that is until it fired up then the paddock was very busy with spectators. point proven that noise taps into one of our major senses.
You'll notice the same happens on Friday pit walkabout at LM the busiest garage is always the one with the engine running!

My point exactly, it's the 'primal scream' for us motorsport junkies.......whether said car is/was successful or not.

As mentioned above, diversity of the sight & sound show is what makes Le Mans so unique. Especially now that F1 is a Groundhog Day fest......


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[deggis]

Originally Posted by Oran Park Forever

The thousands, if not millions of youtube hits for the 787B can't be wrong! (99.9% of which would be "Spectators"!)
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But a minority of the video viewers have heard it in real lilfe.