Are we looking at the beginning of the end for powerful engines?

[Roberto71]

I was reading some worrying posts on the RS forums.

Amercian owners who ordered RS3s, TTRSs and R8s had their cars held at the port in the US for months in some cases. Audi wouldn't say why, but rumours was they had to go through software updates and other EPA checks.

And in Europe, RS owners have had to undergo a mandatory ECU update that has removed the pops and bangs! That's terrible IMHO, those pops and cracks are part of the RS experience on the downshifts and overruns. Reasons apparently are emissions etc. A lot of owners want to take this further with Audi as they;'re claiming the cars are now not the cars they initially bought as the character of the car has changed.

Look, we know the days of the ICE are numbered, certainly by 2030 things will be very different with hybrids or full electric cars only. But I guess as we move towards 2020 we can being to see the push toward the big change. Bottom line, enjoy these cars while you can! I certainly will with my next purchase.

 

[kmanmx]

Yep the days are numbered. It's a shame.. I love the sound of a big V8 and loud exhausts as much as the next guy, but I think there comes a time (now) where you have to step back and be honest, we as people can not carry on like we are now. Polluting engines have to go, sooner rather than later - and the fact is, many of the high performance engines emit an order of magnitude more pollutants than the smaller, cleaner ones. Not to mention electric cars.

That said I do think you will see a lot of research and development go into making electric motors more viscerally entertaining. I would not be surprised to see deliberate design choices, perhaps even mechanical systems that run off the motor, purely for the production of a more exciting noise than the quiet whisper of an electric motor. At least for performance cars, your everyday car will continue to be super quiet with an electric motor. But the fact is half the reason people buy McLarens and Jaguar V8's is because they sound awesome, so performance car manufacturers are going to have to figure that out when they go electric.

 

[Philio]

I was reading some worrying posts on the RS forums.

Amercian owners who ordered RS3s, TTRSs and R8s had their cars held at the port in the US for months in some cases. Audi wouldn't say why, but rumours was they had to go through software updates and other EPA checks.

And in Europe, RS owners have had to undergo a mandatory ECU update that has removed the pops and bangs! That's terrible IMHO, those pops and cracks are part of the RS experience on the downshifts and overruns. Reasons apparently are emissions etc. A lot of owners want to take this further with Audi as they;'re claiming the cars are now not the cars they initially bought as the character of the car has changed.

Look, we know the days of the ICE are numbered, certainly by 2030 things will be very different with hybrids or full electric cars only. But I guess as we move towards 2020 we can being to see the push toward the big change. Bottom line, enjoy these cars while you can! I certainly will with my next purchase.

Doesn't the new RS4 even play fake engine noise inside to compensate for the fact it has a smaller/quieter engine than the previous generation?

I've been wondering if my new car may be the last petrol car I'll buy, can't imagine future cars being as fun to drive despite being faster, more efficient and not polluting the planet.

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[Roberto71]

This bloke did a before and after ECU update. he starts off with the after and it doesn't sound too bad imho. There's still come crackles there. But then he does the before change and some serious bangs have now gone clearly.

 

[Syed Shah]

It's evident in the new rs5 and rs4s tbh. They sound garbage.. the RS3 sounds a million times better! They are creeping this stuff and probably thinking we don't realise

 

[cuke2u]

we know the days of the ICE are numbered, certainly by 2030 things will be very different with hybrids or full electric cars only. But I guess as we move towards 2020 we can being to see the push toward the big change. Bottom line, enjoy these cars while you can! I certainly will with my next purchase.

Whilst politicians like making headlines any blanket ban on all ice engines is very unlikely as there is no way they will be able to take all cars and commercial vehicles off the road, only the production. At the moment new technology is being developed that is looking like it will remove up to 98% of nox from diesels so I think it is wait and see. If total ban does happen I doubt if I will ever see it anyway and 12 years is a long way off in terms of developing technology in the motor industry...

 

[Nickfrog]

I thought 2040 was almost a done deal on both sides of the channel.

 

[cuke2u]

The production of but then 22 years is even longer, I think I might buy a nice twin carburettor tr4a to restore before then just to **** a snook at the legislation...

 

[Chris S 1245]

When was this announced I can’t find anything on it. Worrying if true no wonder the new Rs cars sound bad compared to pre facelift

 

[Terminator x]

The RS4 makes virtually no noise. Coming from a RS3 which popped and banged for England it is a bit of a shock! Still has a nice sound to it though although I agree not RS enough. Interesting read above though.

TX.

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[SRB93]

The RS4 makes virtually no noise. Coming from a RS3 which popped and banged for England it is a bit of a shock! Still has a nice sound to it though although I agree not RS enough. Interesting read above though.

TX.

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Some good looking options for Exhaust modifications if that's your sort of thing! I ended up with the S5 over the RS3 Saloon, just as it seemed more refined, but I do feel that it would be so much more fun with the exhaust in the RS3.. no need to be sad though as I can always go for it when my current S5 goes back in a few years.