The Orchestra of Mustang
It takes more than just an exhaust to create the perfect tone of every 2015 Mustang. Structure, panels, materials and more create the character that is the Ford Mustang. The same guy responsible for powertrain noise, vibration, and harshness in your Mustang is also the guy who makes sure it sounds right in the cabin. Let’s take a quick look at what Shawn Carney does to make every Mustang soundtrack just right.
“In addition to the usual suspects you expect to hear inside the car,” begins NVH Engineer Shawn Carney, “like the engine and exhaust, the body structure can become an incremental source of unwanted noise. Body panels can act like speakers, amplifying vibration and sound inputs from the road, powertrain and wind.” He’s handled NVH in the Mustang for over 10 years, so to say he doesn’t know what a Mustang should sound like is selling him short. While the new profile of the 2016 Mustang means less wind noise, lift and drag, and a more rigid platform means better handling, it all can lead to new, unwanted noises.
There are things you probably don’t consider that lead to how the new Mustang sounds. Things like the alternator housing’s cooling vents, body panels, the plastics and metals inside the cabin, mirror sails; they all lead to your experience inside. While we’re familiar with the 5.0 V8 and its exhaust note, what about the newcomer? How will the new EcoBoost be handled in the lineup for its turbocharged scream?
“The new Mustang EcoBoost needed to have its own voice and its own DNA, while still being linked to the other models,” says Carney. “We knew the EcoBoost was going to be straightforward and refined,” he added, “but it also had to project its own essence while still being unmistakably connected to the brand.” So, the team took to computers and came up with the perfect, athletic sound they were looking for and created the experience that the new EcoBoost was to give its driver. “Our goal with all three powertrains was to provide the driver with an engaging experience including clear feedback about what the car is doing at all times, but without isolating the driver from the action,” said Carney. “When tuning the sound quality of any Mustang, I often describe what I do as ‘letting you hear what you feel,’ and aiming for that which is unmistakably Mustang – regardless of what engine is in front of you.”