Mercedes-AMG Built Its EV’s Fake V8 Sound From More Than 1,600 Audio Files

Synth Pops and Bangs

Piped-in engine sounds started out in the 2010s, but has since become the norm for many automakers. Blame it on regulations (yet again) that require cars to be quieter from the outside. Couple that with advances in sound insulation and you don’t get much engine sound from within the car. While that’s fine for, say, a luxury car, but unforgivable in a sports car. Hence, there’s now the ‘need’ for the speakers to let the drivers hear the engine.

Then we get to performance EVs. There’s a strange sensation of speed and silence, and while some people like that, others would like to hear something out of it. If anything, sportier EVs are doing everything in their power to simulate internal combuston-powered cars. Just take a look at the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, going beyond sounds by getting a simulated manual transmission. Many other performance EVs have followed suit, one of them being the new-generation Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door.

How AMG Did It

AMG shared how it simulated the V8 experience in the electric GT 4-Door to Australian publication CarExpert. There, the company revealed that it needed over 1,600 audio files just to get the V8 sound right. While it’s true that the sounds came from the AMG GT R, it wasn’t as simple as recording the car’s engine and slapping the file into the GT 4-Door.

Each audio file was spliced and looped into smaller chunks, just so it can accurately capture the exact sound a V8 would make at a certain rpm. On top of that, the sound of the engine upshifting and downshifting was also recorded, and the same process of splicing and looping were applied. Of course, pops and bangs were also thrown in for a more immersive experience. There won’t be flames shooting out the back, but at least it makes you think the car just did so.

The Not Just V8s

The V8 sounds are used in the GT63 and GT55 model, but AMG didn’t ignore the GT53, either. But instead of an eight-cylinder soundtrack, the junior GT 4-Door has six-cylinder sounds pumping through its speakers. It wasn’t mentioned from which model the sound was recorded from, but a safe bet would be from the E53 e-Performance and other AMG models that used the 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline six engine.

But aside from the aural experience, AMG made the effort to make the car feel like its combustion-powered predecessor. The seats can buzz to give the driver the sensation of engine vibrations, and the 9-speed automatic was simulated in as well. Those paddles aren’t just for brake regeneration, but also for shifting if the car is put in AMGFORCE Sport+ mode.

Of course, if things get too loud for your liking, you can revert to the standard driving modes, and the GT 4-Door becomes a quiet electric cruiser. Like the looks or not, there’s a lot of clever stuff going on with the car.