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

Originally Posted by semtex

I think the stock intake and/or exhaust has something to do with it. After reading through this thread yesterday, I deliberately ran up to redline several times this morning, and my car doesn't sound bad at all at high rpm, nor does it feel rough in any way. It gets louder, of course, but there is no qualitative change in the sound or smoothness. But equally, if not more, important, at redline my car doesn't feel like it's wheezing or running out of breath. If anything, it feels like it's begging for more. Now, I've got my entire intake and exhaust system swapped out, hence my suspicion that the stock components are what accounts for the reviewers' impressions. So the downside to all this is that, in stock form, the car sounds and feels a little unrefined at the top end. I'm sure there are those who will argue that Nissan could/should have done a better job in this area, and I'm not taking issue with that view. On the upside however, at least there's a fix -- upgraded components.