Automotive

patrick_y
[PuristSPro Moderator]
33542

• Show profile
• Show other posts

The SLR's sound is downright scary...

I had the opportunity to drive the SLR Roadster this year at Pebble Beach, and it is perhaps the scariest sounding vehicle I've ever driven.

Most vehicles, the driver and the vehicle occupants don't hear much of the sound, because the exhaust system channels the sound towards the rear of the car where the tailpipes and mufflers are. Thus; bystanders, animals, and the local foliage will hear your car's sound as you drive by and feel a bit intimidated because of the outrageous sound made by the car. However, as the driver, you're still enjoying a relatively serene ride.

However, on the SLR, the mufflers are on the side of the car, directly ahead of the driver's ears. This means the sound is exiting through very short exhaust gas pipes on the side of the car (which further enhances the sound) and is also in a better position for the driver and passenger to hear the car. Thus, needless to say, when one has a heavy right foot, the sound can become very overwhelming audible very quickly. Then, for bystanders and the local animal population, the short pipes regarding the SLR's exhaust gas system means there is more sound, which makes the car even noisier to the local area.

Needless to say, I was very impressed with the SLR I drove. The car was nearly perfect in every respect; it's extremely reliable, serviceable, ironically practical in some ways, and truly very exotic. This would probably be the best every-day car to drive among world-class supercars!

After I drove the SLR for half an hour, I invited an amateur racing driver friend to drive the vehicle for half an hour. His impressions of the vehicle are not as glowing as mine, but if I can get a chance to speak with him and formally quote his remarks, I'll make a review of this fantastic machine with two very different perspectives; one of a grand touring driver with some sporting intentions (i.e. myself) and the other of a truly talented track driver who drives Laguna Seca in an all-wheel-drive Porsche 911 Turbo (996 series) with a passenger and spare tire in 1 min 39 seconds.