A V6 engine can make power and pull hard when built right. But one thing that a lot of V6s can’t do is sound the part. Have you ever heard a GM V6 uncorked? It sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Blaaaaaaaaahhhh….it might make power but it has all the auditory appeal of the sweet dulcet tones of Bea Arthur. Far as we’re concerned, the only manufacturers to make a V6 sound good came from Italy. Instead of a slow-revving torque monster, the Italians make their sixes shriek, revving to the moon and popping and backfiring on the rundown. It’s a glorious noise, one that the Lancia Stratos, with it’s Ferrari-sourced V6, echoed the hillsides of Europe with on rally runs, but they aren’t the only game in town by far. What you’re looking at here is a 1996 Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti, a purpose-built touring car packing a 2.5L V6 and four-wheel drive. The engine normally made about 390hp@11,500 RPM, but this particular car is reportedly packing closer to 490hp. Just listen to that exhaust note and get a sense of what a hot-tempered Italian is really all about: it’ll scare you a little, there’s a bit of violence involved but damn if you don’t want some more.
(Video: 19Bozzy92 via YouTube)
The Japanese V6s usually sound pretty good too. I always thought the VQ35 in the 360Z/G35 was a good-sounding engine and my Acura Legend with the 2.7L C27A had a nice deep exhaust note that sounded pretty good.
Trust me Nick … nothing … and I do mean NOTHING from Japan ever has or most likely will ever sound as good as this . Just thinking about the sounds an NSX on full song makes [ inside and out ] is making my skin crawl … eeesh ..
Fact is … with all the synthesized and manufactured sounds manufactures are sticking on cars these days [ Infiniti being the absolute worst in this musician/engineers opinion ] … nothing will ever sound this good again !
Long Live Analogue … and err … Digital Exhausts … suck !
Now Bryan … hows about showing the gents here a few bits from Alfa Romeo’s last gasp of glory days race cars . I’m talking of course about the Alfa 75 DTM cars of old …. 😉
Maybe not V6’s, but the Japs have the I6’s locked down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrr-VPmWO8Y
In comparison to BMW’s i6 offerings ?
Not even close !
Mercedes i6’s ? Not even in the same league .
Don’t get me wrong now . Those Rice6’s are mighty fine . But they’re fragile .. the rear two cylinders tend to consume themselves …. and sound wise once hopped up come out sounding like flatulating Chevys on steroids .
Sound is subjective, we could go on all day about that, but fragile!? Educate yourself on the 2JZ, my friend, because that is a flat out factually wrong statement. It is the opposite of fragile. Please point me in the direction of any German I-6 that is as capable as the 2JZ. And before you answer that, as I said, do some research.
At last, the perfect car for downtown Boston!
Very nice, a V-6 engine that doesn’t sound like an overloaded UPS truck.
That car needs a real road course like Monza! I want to hear it sing!
Found another video of the car, much better!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyFCAx4Xnz4&feature=player_detailpage
Coming and going that is one wild sounding machine!