Renault have posted a sound clip of their 2014 specification engine, and boy, does it sound gorgeous. Gone are the ear-piercing screeches of the 2.4 litre V8s, moving to a deeper, screaming turbocharged V6 powerhouse.
Listen to the 13-second clip of Renault's 2014 1.6 litre V6 Turbo here
The engine has been named
Energy F1, to fall in line with Renault's other (somewhat less mental) powerhouses.
Rob White, Deputy Managing Director of Renault Sport explained the ins-and-outs of what makes up the roar of a Formula 1 car:
"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.
Turbochargers haven't been used since 1988, I'm sure this restitution will be a welcome alteration.
"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."
Bare in mind, this clip would have been taken from a dynamometer engine test rig. On track, it may be a different sound altogether, but as far as I'm concerned, all will be swell in the new year.
The Energy F1 will also be heavier than 2013's engines, due to the space-age energy recovery tech that has been implemented.
Bernie argued previously, that the quieter 'green' spec engine will detract from the spectacle of the sport. However, I'm sure a grid full of these would be far from disappointing.
Are you going to buy brand-new surround sound to relish in the soundtrack of 2014? Maybe a pair of ear-plugs would be more up your street? Tell us in the comments below!
Image: News Track India
Just awful.
