I’m sat in the garden on the laptop planning a walking trip

I’ve just heard a subaru (impreza I assume) rag it up the road which slices across the park, about 0.5 miles away from my house.

Until fairly recently you would hear that noise all the time, but it’s getting really quite rare nowadays

It sounded absolutely fantastic.

What else have you noticed, that was common until quite recently, but is getting rare nowadays?

It sounded absolutely fantastic.

Dear me. I hear boy racers ragging up the dual carriageway near me at all hours, and it’s a bloody horrible noise. There are thousands of people in earshot all having their peace broken. My daughter had to sleep with the windows closed on the hottest of days in a baking room because the noises scared her. So yeah not impressed.

Yeah, antisocial

But it did sound good

And it made me a bit nostalgic

On balance, a win to the Subaru.

Just this once mind

What else have you noticed, that was common until quite recently, but is getting rare nowadays?

White dog ****
Joe Cocker

People’s ability to not get hysterical and/or offended about anything and everything

i’ve not heard vw flat 4 for a while. subarus i hear quite often.

What else have you noticed, that was common until quite recently, but is getting rare nowadays?

A V8 at full chat hitting the rev limiter at 8250rpm – tbh, never that common, but I’m keeping it going 😉

i hear a lot of v8’s too. i soon learned to not get excited as it was just another pickup

People’s ability to not get hysterical and/or offended about anything and everything

it’s funny because it’s true.

fortunately i’m only offended by yetis, treks and v8’s not used in a car

A V8 at full chat hitting the rev limiter at 8250rpm – tbh, never that common, but I’m keeping it going 😉

Same, certain V8s being given full beans are simply outrageous. Although mine bounces off the limiter at a measly 7500rpm at the moment. That will change next week when it’s in to the local specialist for tweaking.

Love the noise of a WRX, Still want an early one with smaller spoilers ect but they’ve all dissolved now and the survivors cost lots. They sound great just burbling along too TBH, And a million times better than the TFSI-crackle-map-pop-bang brigade.

Must buy a lottery ticket later.

https://www.prodrive.com/post/the-prodrive-p25-a-recreation-of-the-iconic-blue-subaru-impreza

The burble of a 1600 cvh of an rs turbo. Haven’t seen or heard one for a long time now.

I do see a lad in a nova gte when I’m walking to work, he’s got a child seat in the back. Makes me smile that it’s his daily driver!

But even as an ex boy Racer guilty of driving like a knob when I was younger, got to say I can’t bloody stand cars being driven like that now!

The weird thing about Sweden is the large number of old, V8 powered American cars. Ownership is relatively varied (old and young), but they seem to have a certain “red neck” trait amongst them…

It’s not even that they are in good condition either; some of them are in a really bad state and just exist because they need fewer (or no) annual inspections. There are some that have obviously been well restored though and it is nice seeing those.

It’s not just the old US V8s either. I saw a 2JZ powered Supra the other day and someone up here in Östersund has a Datsun 240z for sale. It’s expensive though.

The weird thing about Sweden is the large number of old, V8 powered American cars.

I worked up in Luleå on and off for a while, and to say of all the things I was expecting up there, that was definitely not on the list!

I had a pro drive tuned Impreza over 20 years ago. My good god it was a lovely car to drive!

*stealth ad*

Also, if you’d like to have your very own flat four and marvel in the joyous sound it makes, I happen to be selling one…*

*May be a 12 year old diesel estate. Joyous sound only applies if you like rattling.

It was always a dilemma for scooby tuners…. more performance or the burble, did 180k in mine 🙂 the perfect cross country mile muncher if you could afford the petrol and you could get 2 bikes with 26″ wheels in the boot too.

While we are on the subject of car noises.

You know how dated “futuristic” films get everything wrong (eg HArrison flying about in his car then parking to use a payphone, murder detah kills etc)

Well have you noticed that they ABSOLUTELY NAILED the sound of electrci cars? Some of them even managed a good attempt at what an electric car might look like!

May be a 12 year old diesel estate. Joyous sound only applies if you like rattling.

i was about to offer to drive my rattly flat four diesel up and down the OP’s street. It’s distinctive but far from glorious…

ive had 2 impreza’s, a 2003 JDM Spec-C and a 2001 JDM Sti. The Spec-c had equal length manifolds, so didnt create the burble, but when on boost it sounded like a jet engine through the Ganador titanium exhaust system.

The 2001 Sti had the burble…. it was and still is a glorious thing.

The sound always turns my head these days. Real distinctive.

Lovely noise indeed, I had a standard 2 litre Impreza Turbo wagon back in the day, I still think about it regularly.

I was riding in the alps last week and one came up behind me on a long pass, I could hear it coming for ages and knew what it was before I could see it.

I do love an Impreza but I’ve never had one. I’ve always thought I might as well dig a hole in the garden and pour my money into it. Still see them around here but they’ve very much fallen into the wrong hands and look like they’ve got one foot in the scrappy.

I do lie awake at night, quite often, listening to the machine gun, ratatatat of remapped AMG’s and stuff. It’s a 30mph limit for miles around but that doesn’t stop them red lining it in every gear. Tossers.

They sound great just burbling along too TBH, And a million times better than the TFSI-crackle-map-pop-bang brigade.

These are THE most offensive-sounding things around. No need whatsoever. I don’t feel the same hearing a decent 4-pot or flat-4/flat-6 or V8 being ragged though.

but they seem to have a certain “red neck” trait amongst them

Owning an Aussie-equivalent I get the whole “Bogan” thing brought up by mates all the time. Don’t care 🙂

Proper sized 2-stroke motorbikes, with Micron expansion pipes 🙂

New 25b from Prodrive, the original shape is still the nicest.

https://www.prodrive.com/post/the-prodrive-p25-a-recreation-of-the-iconic-blue-subaru-impreza

I also have an emotional reaction to engine noises – I love a V6 or a flat plane crank V8

I am also a fan of two stroke motorbikes – I owned a couple during my youth (1980’s)

Pretty much anything with a fast throttle response.

Non of your ‘burbling’ American V8’s Thank You Very Much :o)

Proper sized 2-stroke motorbikes, with Micron expansion pipes 🙂

Crikey, I remember going to Oliver’s Mount & standing by the hedge on the top straight with 350cc Yamahas going past 6ft away on full chat, almost blew the eardrums out.
Best noise ever was Agostinis MV Agusta. That was just a howl that made my hairs stand on end.

Proper sized 2-stroke motorbikes, with Micron expansion pipes

This, but with Swarbricks.

Crikey, I remember going to Oliver’s Mount

Back before digital telly you could always tell when racing was on at the mount as it sent the signal haywire.

Going back to Scoobys – I was at the parents at the weekend and one pulled into their street. I think it may have been a WR1 as it was in that lovely light metallic blue, sounded very tasty.

New 25b from Prodrive, the original shape is still the nicest.

https://www.prodrive.com/post/the-prodrive-p25-a-recreation-of-the-iconic-blue-subaru-impreza

good value at £460,000 plus VAT

That’s nostalgic value,fancied one as a lad and now you’ve made a few million you can relive your youf.

I think I’d spend the money on a Ferrari, nostalgias over rated.

Or I suppose investment potential, be interesting to see how many they sale.

Non of your ‘burbling’ American V8’s Thank You Very Much

Fortunately mine is the same engine as a Lambo V10, with 2 cylinders chopped off, more of an old F1 sound than burbling

Or I suppose investment potential, be interesting to see how many they sale.

They’re only making 25. I bet they’re already sold out and if they’re not they will be after this weekends Goodwood.

Proper sized 2-stroke motorbikes, with Micron expansion pipes

Beat me to it. A 350LC with a set of Microns or Allspeeds is a thing of beauty

I had a KTM crosser, on the road, with a Giannelli pipe. I know a lot of people would describe it as antisocial but I thought it sounded bloody lovely 🙂

Big thumpers sound great too. My mates old XBR500 with an open pipe sounded fantastic

for the ultimate visceral sensation then it has to be a top fuel dragster at full chat…. the shockwaves passing through you is just amazing.

A noise I miss which is beyond rare unfortunately is that of Concorde 😭

I have a flat 6 in my legacy. It sounds awesome.
There are maybe 3 other Subaru in my local vicinity 1 is a complete knobber with what sounds like no silencers and boots it everywhere. His can catch fire.

The other two have aftermarket boxes on but not offensively loud. Just a nice burble when driving along. I love the sound they make.

A few years back I nearly bought a spec c blobeye until I heard it and the equal length manifolds ruined the burble.
A decision I regret to this day.

*Unstealth ad* I will be selling my SG Forester 2.0XT Prodrive Pack soon if anyone is interested. Genuine 87k, two owners from new, full service history (inc mainly main dealer). It’s reached a point for me where it’s not economic to keep it on the road as there are a few recurring niggles, but it runs fine. Has the original dog guard, 16″ wheels plus a set of original 17″ Prodrive Speedline Corse wheels that I never got round to refurbing. Let me know if anyone wants more info!

Alternative favourite engine noise – a 1.8 VTEC from 6000-8750 rpm in a DC2 Integra Type-R. It was like a second engine had kicked in.

WRX minor fact – the blue bits on my bike are genuine WRX blue.