With a decade of downsizing, turbocharging and pop’n’crackle exhausts now behind us in the contemporary performance car world, it would be easy to forget one of the great joys in all of cars. That, of a really good induction noise. Exhaust noise is, if you’ll forgive us for a moment, cheap and easy to do. Everything with an M-sport or AMG line badge has a burble mode these days. What you will struggle to find anywhere, is the raw sound of air rushing through an intake plenum and into throttle bodies. So we thought we’d come up with a list of the very best cars for induction noise we could think of. Let us know if we missed any.
11 cars with the best induction sound
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Lamborghini Diablo
The 1990s were a golden decade for big-power big-capacity naturally-aspirated engines, that needed a lot of air. There is an obvious supercar choice from this period to represent induction perfection and the Diablo isn’t it, but it is absolutely magnificent. That 5.7-litre V12 had dual overhead cams, four valves per cylinder and fuel injection, allowing higher revs and up to 492PS (362kW). It also sings into the cabin as it breathes in a way no other Lamborghini before or since did. A proper pinup.
Ferrari 250
Really, any Colombo V12-engined Ferrari deserves inclusion here, for what is one of the world’s great engines really does sing from both ends. Especially in race trim with a set of open trumpets atop its carbs and cylinder heads. Happily, there’s a wealth of content we’ve created showing off the delectable vocals of these priceless old steeds, so enjoy.
BMW M3 CSL
BMW M are verifiable engine masters and truthfully, we could fill a list of BMW M engines from before 2010 that deliver induction perfection but that’d be boring. So we’ve kept two on this list, starting with the M3 CSL. That S54 motor combined with the exotic carbon airbox is pure induction tonic. The intake is like a subwoofer for combustion that frankly, could give this car a top-five spot at least of all-time great induction sounds. Needless to say, these cars are beloved by enthusiasts with prices to reflect that. And if you have a normal M3 and want one of these boxes, you’d better be ready to part with big bucks.
Honda NSX-R
The Honda NSX uses no sculpted carbon plenum, or exposed trumpets, to create its induction song. It simply sounds incredible. That VTEC V6 absolutely throbs through the revs, all the way up to the 8,000rpm redline. Happily, when you get there, the incredible six-speed manual gearbox with a rifle-bolt shift action is there to add some joy. The pedals: perfectly positioned, the steering: perfectly weighted and full of feel. They’re not fast by today’s standards, but they offer something close to driving nirvana, aided in no small part by the sound of that V6.
McLaren F1
Some have in fact described the Honda NSX’s sound as a discount McLaren F1, because compared to an F1, anything is at a discount. Still, we’d describe the guttural throb of the F1’s V12 breathing as a £20million noise. Its 6.1-litre V12 BMW M engine breathes via twelve independent throttle bodies, through an enormous specially developed carbon fibre plenum that reaches right over the driver’s head to a central snorkel. It’s effectively a loudspeaker feeding you internal combustion perfection. To say you’re lucky if you own one is the understatement of the century.
Lexus IS F
From the realms of pure fantasy, to what is for me a reality. The lovely induction sound of the Lexus IS F is one of the reasons I’ve always loved them and why I recently bought one. Wind the 5.0-litre twin-cam V8 up to 3,500rpm on full throttle and a second-stage intake opens, feeding a creamy rumble into the cabin that swells into a howl past 7,000rpm. What truly is one of the great modern V8s, has been in service since its debut in the IS F, and remains in the current Lexus LC500, in which it still sounds amazing.
Porsche Cayman GT4 RS
A last bastion of the wonders of natural aspiration, Porsche’s GT department has fended off an assault of turbos where they’re not wanted. In fact, they’ve pursued ever-improved induction acoustics, with the 911 GT3 getting independent throttle bodies. Most recently though, they’ve taken things to an entirely spectacular level, with the Cayman GT4 RS. Not only does it pack that GT3 4.0-litre flat-six, it feeds it with sculptural carbon plenums that lead to inlets where the rear windows used to be. Yes, the inlet is in the cabin and the resulting noise is as visceral and spectacular as you can imagine. It’s the raw sound of combustion, of valves rushing open and closed and cylinders going up and down, or in the Cayman’s case, side to side. *Chef’s kiss*
Honda S2000
If you want sportscar induction sweetness but aren’t on Porsche’s kissy kissy list and don’t have £90,000 kicking about, fear not. There are more options for you. The Honda S2000 might be the best, with its 2.0-litre VTEC four-cylinder engine. No, it might not be as exotic as the Porsche, but it revs every bit as high, capable of singing all the way to 9,000rpm. Sing it does too, with a cone filter and four-two-one exhaust manifolds coming as standard. That journey from idle to redline is mapped in spectacular mid-2000s detail too on the awesome digital dash. Like the NSX, it gets that fantastic Honda gearchange and delectable chassis tuning to boot. The S2000 is a quintessential drivers’ car and yours for well under £20,000 if you look hard enough.
Lancia Fulvia 1600
Turbocharging was a dark art back in the 1960s. Even fuel injection was weird, with most performance cars still using carburation. Happily, that meant great induction sound was more commonplace. We’ve picked three cars from the era that make a truly epic noise, starting with the Lancia Fulvia 1600. The weird little V4 engine motivating the front wheels in these rally legends makes a properly spectacular throb as it sings through the revs.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Another singing coupe from Italy was the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT, a sporty two-door version of the marque’s popular three-box saloon. Unlike the Fulvia the Giulia was rear-driven, serving as a rival to the likes of the Ford-Lotus Cortina. Its singing 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine was arranged in a more conventional straight formation than the Fulvia’s V layout too and featured two twin-choke Weber carburettors while revving up to 7,000rpm. We love seeing these racing at the Goodwood Revival, getting into the mix in the St Mary’s Trophy presented by Motul.
Ford Escort RS 1,600 BDA
Can we talk induction without including a BDA? The Cosworth engine fitted to Ford Escorts in the ‘60s is an absolute monster for noise, from both ends. The high compression Belt Drive A engine featured 16 valves, twin cams and a crossflow block, for over 117PS (86kW) output at a heady 6,500rpm. Tuners have in the 50 years since the BDA was introduced had this engine revving at up to 10,000rpm in some extreme applications. An all-time great in general, as well as in terms of induction song.
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