What makes the Z's engine sound so bad (to reviewers)?

tolnep

this..

basically the motor at least in its z form is the opposite of what it should be. it should be inspiring as it revs up, yet it makes you cringe a bit instead. it is a major (and major is a good term based on just about every review and personal experience) drawback to an otherwise great car..

and sometimes thats how it is with a motor.. an otherwise well built piece just makes your teeth rattle as it spins up..

as to those who poo- poo its 'misely' 332 hp from 3.7L, it wasnt too long ago that c5 vettes came with v8s that produced 350hp and that was top hp from american iron NA motors..

kdoske

im still in break in, only 120 miles to go, so I have yet to see what this is all about. I don't think 332 HP is small by any means though.

I thought for sure the 370z was going to have a Direct injection motor before I really looked into buying one though, oh well--maybe next time...

chris410

I'm sure the engineers tested the motor at various rpms. Typically, the japanese motors are over-engineered so I'm sure the 332hp is only the tip on what the motor can really do. I've opened mine up a few times and the motor is loud but that's what a sports car is supposed to do...make noise when you get to the upper rpms.

Most of the noise complaints are from the tires on the 19's rather than the motor itself. Basically, the road noise, I have the 18's which do not have much of any road noise.

Of course, I race motorcycles so I'm used to the sound of a motor screaming so passing up the car based on noise? Personally, I'd rather hear the motor than floor it and have the car be quiet. Also, keep in mind that I'm sure as the rpms increase your noise is coming from all the parts that are increasing in movement...that is not a bad thing.

zZSportZz

I would tend to agree if it was just sound, but its vibration as well and overall harshness that makes you feel like its going to explode at any minute. It just feels unnatural. That and the paint are my only 2 gripes about the car. I still LOVE it though, but I have to be honest about the things I don't like.

chris410

The vibration could be a product of engine position since this is a V6 VS an I-6.
Can you tell where the vibration coming from the motor or drive train? I've only gotten on it hard a few times just to run up the rpms and did notice the noise a some vibration but nothing I would be inclined to be worried about.

I'll pay more attention next time I get a chance to dip into the upper rpms.

TheWeatherman

Yeah, but there is something about this motor that is a little scary. I now have 8,000 miles on it, so things are plenty broken in. I always compare this thing to my '09 FX35 with the VQ35HR motor that also has a 7,500 redline. The Z rattles and rolls above 6,000. It does scare me, and I actually rely on my flashing tach light because the sound of the engine almost puts me in a panic mode to even glance down at the tach numbers. I know that sounds a bit extreme, but those of you that find this thing harsh up top know what I mean. It's a lot of drama when not much is going on drama-wise. A distraction, but I still love the car.

Oh, and holy cow does the vibration come through the shifter! Wow!

need4speed

If u driven any of the older ricers it won't be anything new. Rx 7's supraz n silvias all had that high revving scream that muscle car enthusiasts hate. And 1st time import sports car drivers get weary about.
But its really nothing more than a loud whine that sounds like u gotta shift when u don't.
You can avoid that sound by shifting at the normal 3.500 to 4,500rpm's. Or get used to the sound if ur not used to it already from past jap sports cars.

TheWeatherman

Yeah, sorry Need. I would never "NOT recommend" the car to anyone. I love this thing to death. I remember my first car... my '93 Ford Probe GT with it's 7K redline that never was that harsh. It's really minor for anyone that is looking for one, and like Need said, just hold out on the RPM's even though it sounds like you have to shift. We have a cool "blinky" light that you can set to whatever RPM you want it to come on at. That means, "Okay, shift you idiot!"

zZSportZz

Yeah, I love the car too...don't get me wrong. I would recommend it to anyone. Maybe you are 100% correct since this is my first import I've owned and I'm not used to the sound and vibrations. It really does make my butthole pucker above 6500 rpm though.

Edit: I quoted the wrong person....
Edit2: Fixed

OMGWTFBBQ

If you want a nice sounding car after 6000 RPM, go buy a 2006+ Civic Si. Oh man I LOVED hearing that thing scream at 8000 RPM.

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earwicker7

I'm still not sure what everyone is up in arms about. It's never crossed my mind for a second that the engine sounded like it would blow up.

Maybe the point about it being from people used to domestic sports cars is valid; they have a very different sound. It's kind of like what happened with my old 911; I lived in a tiny town in Indiana at the time and NOBODY drove Porsches. When they heard it, they all laughed... my uncle said "That damn thing sounds like a go-cart!" I quickly had offers from people who were going to "smoke me" in their Monte Carlos and Crown Victorias. They seemed genuinely dumbfounded when I left their cars in my rearview.

spearfish25

I agree that over 6k RPM, it gets a little unsettling. You start looking at the tach thinking "almost redline, almost redline, get ready, get ready, SHIFT!!!". IMO, a high revving sports car should rev near the redline without you noticing much at all. It should PREFER to be in the high RPM range rather than lumbering under 4k RPM. Despite all that, I still love my car.

hide187

I do not share the feelings of most of yous guys. I get the chills whenever I run into the high rpms, the good kind. No fear of explosions or breaking anything.

Sometimes depending on the road my 19's are a little talkative but nothing worth bit*hing about.

chris410

I haven't been in a car that has the 19's but when they complain about the road noise, I think it's more of an "observation" rather than a complaint. I wouldn't let something like that affect my decision on getting a Z. Then again, one drive and I'm sure any complaints will be silenced

The way I view it is as I said earlier, I'm sure the engineers designed the car to easily handle the horsepower, again most japanese motors are way over-engineered so the noise is most likely a product of that design and nothing to worry about. If it becomes an issue, I'm sure we'll be hearing about it but in my own experience I never had a concern...actually I didn't really notice anything odd but I've owned several sports cars/and race motorcycles so I'm used to hearing motors make noise. For anyone freaking out...don't...these cars have been through some beatings in tests and as far as I know none of them have blown up

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spearfish25

For me, it's not concern about breaking the car. It's just the overall sensation when driving it. More expensive sportscars emit a sense of confidence, poise and control at high RPMs. You look down NOT realizing you're at 7000 rpm and they WANT to be in that range. The Z will do it, but it feels like you're twisting its arm to make it go over 6k rpm.