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The rise of fake engine noise

washingtonpost.com

181–190 of 303 posts

Re: The rise of fake engine noise

#181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the end it does not matter. The pedestrian is the one needing the wheelchair afterwards.

On the one hand, you're right. On the other hand, a friend of mine was sued by the driver of the car that hit him to pay for cleaning his blood off of the car and fixing the dent his body left in the frame. It'd be nice if they didn't add insult to injury.

In Germany it is generally the other way round, especially when children are involved. The driver of a car has to take care of pedestrians and cyclists. Even if a driver follows the rules perfectly fine, § 1.1 of the law (you have to take care of others) always beats the rest.

Re: The rise of fake engine noise

#182
post #72

This may be a transient problem as people get used to new technology. It's like using Filmlook to put scratches and grain on HD video. The 2013 Lotus Evora, a series hybrid vehicle with an electric motor and a fixed gearbox, took this to the point of silliness. Not only did they provide fake engine sounds, they provided shift paddles and required the driver to shift software-simulated gears . They even provided a mom…

Options include simulated straight-6, American V-8, and V-12 engines, plus some turbine-like sounds.

This is like changing ringtones on your phone. Can I download a twin turbo?

Re: The rise of fake engine noise

#183
post #3

You'd think some people would want to opt out of the fake/amplified engine noise, so they can drive in peace, listen to their stereo without interference, etc. but i guess making the amplified/fake engine noise an option would defeat the purpose.

I can see it now: Added option - reduced engine noise $500. Charging the buyer a one time fee to "disconnect a wire".

Don't worry, it won't be disconnect a wire, but change a bit in the compute unit and make sure the compute unit code and data are cryptographically signed and that its signature is verified by all other compute units so that you may not even start the engine should you decide to alter it.

Re: The rise of fake engine noise

#184
post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a cyclist it's often helpful to be able to hear the sound made by cars moving across a street, for example, when approaching an intersection where perpendicular traffic should stop, but may not.

As a casual slow cyclist myself I already find it impossible to rely on audio too Mich, visuals are always needed. I have had several near collisions with other cyclists in the past who silently sneak up from behind or around corners. Afterwards I made sure to always look around before changing direction and treat every obscured corner as potential "devil puppet on a spring box" (no idea what they are called :) ). I…

> I would love car traffic to be more silent

A minor nitpick, but you can't get more silent than silent since silence is the absence of any noise.

Re: The rise of fake engine noise

#185
post #72

This may be a transient problem as people get used to new technology. It's like using Filmlook to put scratches and grain on HD video. The 2013 Lotus Evora, a series hybrid vehicle with an electric motor and a fixed gearbox, took this to the point of silliness. Not only did they provide fake engine sounds, they provided shift paddles and required the driver to shift software-simulated gears . They even provided a mom…

Options include simulated straight-6, American V-8, and V-12 engines, plus some turbine-like sounds. This is like changing ringtones on your phone. Can I download a twin turbo?

There have been aftermarket speaker setups to emit the "choosh" sound of the wastegate opening marketed to the ricer crowd for years.

Re: The rise of fake engine noise

#186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> is part of what makes a car feel alive, playful, and eager. IOW, fun. Car porn, literally.

Jings. In what world does anything being fun become 'literally pornography'...

It's becoming annoyingly common ("earth porn" for pictures of nature, etc). Your use of "Jings" however has brightened up my day. Crivvens!

Re: The rise of fake engine noise

#187
post #179
post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's dangerous if pedestrians and cyclists expect to hear cars and they approach silently.

Maybe they shouldn't expect that then. Lots of cities have trolleybuses, trams, and other electric transport without carnage on the roads.

Trams aren't as silent due to the rails.

Re: The rise of fake engine noise

#188
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>> As a cyclist, I enjoy having good situational awareness, and electric cars can definitely be surprising when they pass you. The car could have a bell and "on your left" speaker. ;-)

This seems like the perfect use for something like a mini LIDAR you can mount on a bike that detects a car behind you and just lights up a couple of LEDs on the handlebars.

Every cyclist has their own preferences, but for me, a rear view mirror really helps. I still turn and look if I have to change lanes or something like that, but keeping an "inventory" of what's behind me really helps avoid unnecessary surprises.

Re: The rise of fake engine noise

#189
post #72

This may be a transient problem as people get used to new technology. It's like using Filmlook to put scratches and grain on HD video. The 2013 Lotus Evora, a series hybrid vehicle with an electric motor and a fixed gearbox, took this to the point of silliness. Not only did they provide fake engine sounds, they provided shift paddles and required the driver to shift software-simulated gears . They even provided a mom…

Options include simulated straight-6, American V-8, and V-12 engines, plus some turbine-like sounds. This is like changing ringtones on your phone. Can I download a twin turbo?

Dunno about twin turbo, but:

http://www.soundracer.se/?p=98

Re: The rise of fake engine noise

#190
post #72

This may be a transient problem as people get used to new technology. It's like using Filmlook to put scratches and grain on HD video. The 2013 Lotus Evora, a series hybrid vehicle with an electric motor and a fixed gearbox, took this to the point of silliness. Not only did they provide fake engine sounds, they provided shift paddles and required the driver to shift software-simulated gears . They even provided a mom…

I just had a look at the legislation. It wisely includes that the noise has to sound similar to the engine noise produced by a similarly sized combustion vehicle. I was wondering if we would start to see the equivalent of ringtones for cars (though with some people's ice setups that already sort of exists).
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