2014 Renault engine

@f1fanatic_co_uk: If you can get the page to load, here's an inconclusive audio clip of what the Renault V6 sounds like: http://t.co/zcm3WehS3V #F1

Rob White, Deputy Managing Director (technical) comments on the sounds of the new V6 turbo Power Unit :
‘‘The sound of the engine is the sum of three principal components, exhaust, intake and mechanical noise. On fired engines, exhaust noise dominates, but the other two sources are not trivial and would be loud if the exhaust noise was suppressed and contribute to the perceived sound of the engines in the car.
All three sources are still present on the V6. At the outset, there is more energy in each combustion event but there are fewer cylinders turning at lower speed and both intake and exhaust noise are attenuated by the turbo. Overall, the sound pressure level (so the perceived volume) is lower and the nature of the sound reflects the new architecture.
The car will still accelerate and decelerate rapidly, with instant gearshifts. The engines remain high revving, ultra high output competition engines. Fundamentally the engine noise will still be loud. It will wake you from sleep, and circuit neighbours will still complain. The engine noise is just a turbocharged noise rather than a normally aspirated noise : you can just hear the turbo when the driver lifts off the throttle and the engine speed drops.
I am sure some people will be nostalgic for the sound of engines from previous eras, including the preceding V8, but the sound of the new generation Power Units is just different. It’s like asking whether you like Motorhead or AC/DC. Ultimately it is a matter of personal taste. Both in concert are still pretty loud.’’

 

Thanks for the link. Sounds pretty lame

 

apt that this would go down un-noticed today as it is sooooo Quiet!!

 

The Renault unit sounds breathy and gutless, in my opinion.
Plain awful…

Let's hope next year's Mercedes and Ferrari engines sound at least a little more potent.

 

I didn't like it at first, and I still don't, but it's not a disaster.

A journalist on twitter said the Mercedes sound was better. I'll try to find the tweet.

 

That was supposed to be a like!

 

Someone suggested on twitter that I might not have been running at full revs/power to stop any analysis from the competition.