Ford Mustang review – a great-value V8 sports car
The best sounding cars you can buy today
These cars sound so good, you’ll be itching to drop the windows and wind out the engine
We’re all about objectivity here at Carbuyer, but sometimes your heart wins over your head. The cars on this list won’t be the most economical, have the biggest boot, or be the most affordable, but they are some of the best sounding on sale today.
For some, choosing a car for its engine noise will seem rather silly, especially as many car buyers put comfort and quietness at the top of the list of car-choosing priorities. But there’s something about a well-tuned, sonorous engine that never fails to excite a certain crowd. If you’re one of those people, you’ll want to keep reading.
The best-looking cars on sale 2024
Of course, sound is subjective, but we think you’ll struggle to find better sounding engines than the ones found in the 10 cars listed below.
- 5.0-litre V8 engine
- Priced from around £56,000
The Ford Mustang has been in continuous production for over 60 years and it’s been through quite the evolution in that time. The newest model, introduced in 2024, gets all of the technology and safety features expected of a modern car, plus a better interior than ever before. While that all sounds very up to date, open the bonnet and you’re greeted by a thoroughly old-school 5.0-litre V8, with no turbochargers or supercharger to speak of.
While most car manufacturers are busy downsizing their petrol engines for better fuel efficiency – or switching to electric power entirely – we’re pleased to report that Ford has carried over the ‘Coyote’ V8 from the outgoing Mustang. It snarls into life, and the theatrics continue right through the rev range. The Mustang Dark Horse gets an extra 7bhp over the standard car’s 440bhp, and it sounds even more like a modern day hot-rod. We think it’s simply the best sounding car on sale today – just be prepared to pay for it at the fuel pump.
- 3.0-litre inline-six engine
- Priced from around £66,000
The BMW M2 stacks up fairly neatly against the Mustang in terms of on-paper performance, but it goes about things slightly differently. For starters, there’s no great big V8 here – instead, you get a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine with a pair of turbochargers. It’s smooth, hugely powerful – putting out around 450bhp – and delivers a gravelly exhaust rasp.
You’ll find the same engine in a number of BMW M cars, including the M3 saloon and M4 coupe. Sure, those cars are quicker, but we think the M2 is just as fun to drive. It’s cheaper, too, and you won’t be missing out in the engine noise department.
- 2.5-litre inline-five engine
- Priced from around £57,000
In the world of hot hatchbacks, the Audi RS 3 has always struggled to compete with the class-leaders in terms of handling, precision and engagement. Cars like the Honda Civic Type R and Hyundai i30 N may be more rewarding through the corners, but Audi’s smallest performance car takes the lead when it comes to engine noise.
Since its introduction in 2011, the RS 3 has used a turbocharged inline-five engine – something of a rarity in today’s age of the ubiquitous four-cylinder engine. What difference can one extra cylinder make, we hear you ask? Well, listen to an RS 3 at full throttle and you’ll notice the difference; its bassy rumble sounds like a mini V10 engine, much like the one fitted to the Audi R8 supercar.
- 3.5-litre V6 engine
- Priced from around £86,000
There’s a lot going for the Lotus Emira. Not only is it one of the best-looking cars on sale, it’s also great to drive and built to a much higher standard than many of the Hethel’s previous efforts. Throw in a raucous bark from the mid-mounted V6 engine, and you’ve got a thoroughly modern sports car with a wonderfully old-school soundtrack.
It may come as a surprise then, that the engine in the back of the Lotus Emira is based on a Toyota unit. This is far from the 1.5-litre hybrid engine found in your nan’s Toyota Yaris, however; Lotus takes the base 3.5-litre V6 engine and adds a supercharger to boost power up to 400bhp. It’s possible to buy an Emira fitted with a Mercedes-sourced 2.0-litre four-cylinder instead – saving you around £4,500 – but the V6 is the one to pick if you like your engines loud and lairy.
- 2.9-litre V6 engine
- Priced from around £79,000
The Alfa Romeo Giulia marked a comeback for the iconic Italian car maker when it arrived in 2016. A return to the rear-wheel drive saloon form factor injected some life into the brand, and this was only amplified by the rapid Quadrifoglio version. Designed to take on the BMW M3, the Giulia Quad’ has the speed to match its muscular looks – and a suitably sporty soundtrack, too.
At its heart is a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine, with more than just a rumoured connection to Ferrari’s twin-turbocharged V8 engines – they were designed by the same engineer and share similar features. We’d argue the Giulia’s V6 sounds nearly as good as the V8s found in pricier Italian machinery, despite being two cylinders short.
- 3.0-litre flat-six engine
- Priced from around £100,000
A list of the best sounding cars wouldn’t be complete without a Porsche 911. From the start, the legendary sports car has used nothing but a flat-six engine, where the cylinders lay horizontally opposed to each other rather than upright. This unique layout produces a distinctive noise that can’t be mistaken for anything other than a 911 – well, apart from the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS, perhaps.
Today, you can have your Porsche 911 in several flavours, but it’s the GT3 variant that arguably sounds the best. With a race-derived engine, the GT3 will spin up to 9,000rpm, accompanied by a spine-tingling high-pitched wail. Even the base 911 Carrera with its 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged engine sounds great, although it’s a bit muted compared to its more track-focused sibling.
- 4.0-litre V8 engine
- Priced from around £185,000
The Mercedes G-Glass was originally designed as a no-frills military vehicle in the 1970s, but over the decades it’s evolved into a go-anywhere luxury car with a rather polarising image. For sheer on-road – or off-road – presence, the G-Glass is hard to beat, and when you pick the right engine, it’s even harder to ignore.
Recently, the spotlight has been on the new all-electric G-Class, with its zero emissions and smooth drive, but it's the AMG G 63 that wins the sound award. Mercedes has begun to replace its 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engines with 2.0-litre hybrid units in some of its AMG models, but fortunately, the G-Class still gets the traditional eight-cylinder. The engine note from the side-exit exhaust pipes is simply thunderous, and gives passers-by another reason to stop and stare.
- 3.0-litre V6 engine
- Priced from around £225,000
On paper, the Maserati MC20’s 3.0-litre V6 doesn’t look particularly exciting, especially for a mid-engined Italian supercar. With 621bhp, it’s certainly powerful, but it shares many of its characteristics with the engine found in the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio which, at the end of the day, is a saloon car. Could it really be an engine worthy of the historic trident badge?
We think so. Rapid performance set to one side, the ‘Nettuno’ V6 has a raw, intriguing engine note with a unique character of its own. It’s not musical like a Ferrari, nor is it as boisterous as a Mercedes-AMG V8, but it has an interesting mechanical soundtrack, complete with whooshes and chirrups from the turbochargers.
- 5.0-litre V8 engine
- Priced from around £111,000
You might be surprised to find a Land Rover Defender on this list. What started out as a humble farm vehicle has transformed into a luxurious, all-terrain family SUV – and one that has a supercar soundtrack if you tick the right box. While basic Defender models get a selection of petrol and diesel six-cylinder engines, none will set your hair on fire if you’re looking for an inspiring exhaust note.
For that, you’ll have to pick a Defender with a V8 engine. The 5.0-litre engine is available in several guises, with or without a supercharger, but all sound fantastic. It’s the same engine that was used in the now-discontinued Jaguar F-Type – a coupe lauded for its NASCAR-rivalling noise. Most drivers will be glad that the Defender isn’t quite as raucous as that car – even less so in Comfort mode – but step on the accelerator and the V8 will happily clear its throat.
- Dual electric motors
- Priced from around £65,000
By this point, you might be wondering if we’ve lost the plot including an EV in the list of the best sounding cars, but The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is worth listening to. We know it’s a bit of a wildcard among the supercharged V8s and twin-turbo V6s on this list, but it has a unique trick up its sleeve that could win over even the most traditional of petrolheads.
Like all electric cars, the Ioniq 5 N hardly makes any sound when driving. But since this is a performance car, the engineers in South Korea found a way to inject some fun into the driving experience with the ‘E-Shift’ feature. This drive mode simulates the engine and gearbox setup of Hyundai’s hot hatchbacks, complete with fake gearshifts and a synthetic exhaust soundtrack played through the speakers. Sure, it sounds gimmicky, but it’s phenomenal fun and adds an extra layer of engagement to EV driving experience.
Those are the best sounding cars, but what about the most aerodynamic cars on sale?
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