This is the ultimate. Ford and other automakers have been adding fake engine noise to pump up drivers. The added growl makes drivers feel tough and powerful, according to research. But it’s utter malarkey–these are efficient modern engines that don’t need to sound like they’re pulling up to the car hop in American Graffiti. “The engine growl in some of America’s best-selling cars and trucks is actually a finely tuned bit of lip-syncing, boosted through special pipes or digitally faked altogether,” reports the Washington Post.
BMW, Volkswagen–it’s a prevalent practice. The vroom, vroom you hear is the equivalent of a toupée for your coupe. So next time that Mustang next to you growls at the light, you can look over and laugh. But as with breast implants and bottle-blond hair, plenty of people don’t care if it’s fake. They like it anyway. Good news is environmentalists no longer have to flinch when they hear an engine roar–it’s really just a whimper.
