Subaru exhaust note?

[PCC]

Everytime I hear a Subaru WRX or Impreza go by, especially with an aftermarket exhaust on it, the sound just doesn't sound right. Like it's got a miss or something. One WRX owner I spoke with about this said that it's because it's a boxxer engine but, to me, that's a load of BS. Four cylinder VWs and Porsches do not sound like that (but they're not turbocharged, neither).

I almost want to say that Subaru engineers purposely tuned the exhaust so that the exhaust pulses come together and reinforce themselves to try to accelerate the turbo impeller or something.

What do you think?

 

[conom06d]

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........it is cuz it is a boxer engine! The cylinders are horizontally opposed, as in flat. If you listen to any bug, it sound that way, just at a faster idle pace (because they are carburated i think). The porches sound similar to the sti or wrx, except they sound better partially because they have a much more expensive and more precisely designed engines. If you hear a GT3 get up on it, they do have a gurgle sound somewhat.

 

[n2oinferno]

I love the way a tuned Subie sounds. Got a nice raspy growl to it, like it's pissed off.

 

[trick000]

It sounds like that because of the unequal length header design. You upgrade it to an equal length and it'll sound normal, losing most of the boxer rumble.

 

[PCC]

It sounds like that because of the unequal length header design. You upgrade it to an equal length and it'll sound normal, losing most of the boxer rumble.

Thank you! That's what I thought but have never been able to confirm. Then again, can you confirm this? Sorry, I had to ask.

 

[Nicholas]

It sounds like that because of the unequal length header design. You upgrade it to an equal length and it'll sound normal, losing most of the boxer rumble.

+1

exactly. A friend put a twin scroll turbo set-up on his STI which required equal length headers and the rumble/pulse/beat completely disappeared

 

[conom06d]

This may be the case, however, I always thought bugs were equal and they do have this rumble as well. Also the cessna's and piper's i fly have HO engines and they both rumble yet are definitely equal. The airplane engines have a rather straight, or dump out, exhaust which magnifies the sound but the rumble is still caused by their engines.

 

[my07blkgti]

WRX's and STI's in my opinion are the best sounding 4cyl cars out there.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zynv8SQKBVU

 

[Rabbit GTI]

boxer engines FTW

 

[Finnegan]

WRX's and STI's in my opinion are the best sounding 4cyl cars out there.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zynv8SQKBVU

I agree 100%, it's the only 4cyl that I actually like the sound of. All others I simply tolerate. :wink:

 

[Hilton_K]

It sounds like that because of the unequal length header design. You upgrade it to an equal length and it'll sound normal, losing most of the boxer rumble.

That's all it is people...^^^^^

JDM spec C has equal length headers and has an EVO sort of sound...

Porsches don't sound like that at all either, have you heard a GT3 or Turbo with an exhaust system. Sounds nothing like the STI WRX rumble...

 

[Finnegan]

Porsches don't sound like that at all either, have you heard a GT3 or Turbo with an exhaust system. Sounds nothing like the STI WRX rumble...

It's got it a little bit, you can hear the oddness in the sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVbzBFpDB8U&mode=related&search=