I'm pretty sure there will be a much greater styling difference between the Mustang and Fusion than there was between the Grand Prix and GTO. A whole generation of people were never familiar with the GTO so when they saw one they thought they were seeing a Grand Prix. Everybody knows about the Mustang and if Ford does it's job well people are not going to mistake it for a Fusion just because the grill has the same shape.

Having said that, though, of course there are going to be people who don't like it, just as there always are. Every car in the world has it's detractors.

 

That sounds like a nice EVO and STI killer!!

FORD BUILD IT!

 

Wouldn't a 180* crank V8 have a better weight distribution and lower center of gravity? Honestly I think a euro V8 sounds way better than an american V8. The reason why is because they sound more like a performance engine instead of a hopped up truck engine.

 

A flat crank V8 has a couple advantages over a bent crank V8.

One is that the crank is considerably lighter, aiding both reciprocating mass (inertia) leading not only to a lighter overall motor but one that also revs much more quickly.

Second is that the intake/exhaust pulses are more even across banks enhancing volumetric efficiency.

Disadvantages might be that they tend to be a bit rougher, a bit like two four bangers sharing a crank, and similarly sound a bit more like a four banger, especially at low revs, than the lumpier, richer sounding cross-plane crank.

A lot of the V8 "Euro" sound - most are cross-plane like their Yank counterparts - has to do with smaller displacement and higher, sharper tuning.

 

I wonder how a flat crank V8 would sound with a X pipe? Not that a flat crank V8 needs a cross-over but it might produce some interesting results when tuning for sound?

 

The main difference in sound between American and European V8s, apart from firing order etc, is displacement. Americans are normally bigger. They strive for torque while Europeans strive for final speed and HP.

What you call a hopped up truck engine sound is precisely what I love about yankie V8s. The power, the rattle and the sensation that it's shaking the whole pavement. An European V8 is just loud and whiny. An American V8 goes by and you almost feel the vibration. It may be because I've been living in Europe for a while now and have been around BMWs, Mercedes, Audis, Jaguars etc on a daily basis. Rented them for business trips around and rode in cabs that use these cars. But I see nothing in an European car that makes it as special as some seem to think they are. They are nice, well made and technologically advanced cars. Well, some of them. But so are Japanese cars.

 

Yep. Actually most European V8s including BMW and Mercedes are crossplane just like American V8s. Ferrari is one of the very few who are flat crank.
On sound difference again, most European V8s are more than 2-valve per cylinder engines.

 

Yeah, the only other recent flat crank V8 I can recall was the Lotus Esprit's, but that was a couple years ago, IIRC.

As for overall architecture, outside of the Dodge/Chrysler Hemis and the GM LS motors -- oh, and Ford's 6.2 mill -- most(all) are now DOHC 4V motors. Indeed, regardless of country of origin, most V8s designs seem to be more or less converging on being between 4-5.5 liters or so, all aluminum consturction, cross plane cranks, and 4V DOHC heads. This certainly describes Ford's Trinity (5.8l actually) and Coyote motor families.

I think a large part of the engine sounds, outside of flat crank designs, actually has to do a little bit with actual firing order (there are several variations for a bent-crank V8) but mostly to the intake and especially, exhaust system designs.

Most Euro and Asian V8s are found in premium luxury sedans so with perhaps the exception of the rorty-torty AMGs and Jag Rs, most are fairly subdued as per their mission. However, slap a Boss 302 style exhaust system on a Merc S550 executive chariot and guaranteed, it will sound like the world's largest Boss 302 with about 0% whiney to its character. I recall the first time I heard a Jag F-Type 5.0 blipping its throttle, I started looking around for a NASCAR stocker on the loose.

That all said, Ford seems to tune the Stang's voice for a little more emphasis in the lower octaves with enough burble and pop to give it some texture and character, all very successfully. I would imagine Ford will keep to this song sheet for the 2015, certainly judging by some of the spy vids I've heard.

 

A lot of people I talk to have mentioned Mustangs before, in relation to sound.
"You can always tell a Mustang by the sound"
tells me that Ford has done an amazing job at the effort that goes into what a Mustang should sound like.

They've done an amazing job, and I don't expect that to change.

 

God this is just false. Don't believe me? Go look up the video of the 0.5 liter mini V8 that some guy built - has a nice lopey idle.

 

Mercedes 6.2L in the C63 AMG sounds absolutely amazing to me compared to a 5.0 with a x-pipe.

Where I live (SoCal) almost every truck is fitted with some sort of cat back, x-pipe, headers or whatever makes them louder. So when I hear V8 from a mustang, camaro or challenger, I expect to see some type of truck. Im not saying that's a bad thing. But I would like to hear a more sportier exhaust note from an american sports car.

 

Bet it was a cross-plane crank! That lopey, lumpy quality is characteristic of a bent-crank V8. While it does give a lovely and distinctive exhaust note, it isn't quite ideal for volumetric/breathing efficiency as you tend to get big lumps of exhaust pulses trying to crowd their way down the exhaust system rather than marching down nice, neat and efficiently one-after-the-other as in a flat crank design.

This is why, say, Ferrari, going for Nth degree power (they're getting 562hp out of just 4.5 naturally aspirated liters in their 458 - a 5.0 Mustang would be cranking out 624hp in a similar state of tune!) uses them. Maybe this is why Ford may be considering a flat-crank for an upcoming GT350. The down side can be a somewhat flat-sounding exhaust note at low idle/low revs, almost like a smoother I4.

 

I guess it would explain why I said the MAIN reason was displacement and the focus on torque vs. HP. But as said now dozens of times in this thread, exhaust, intake, firing order, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc,etc,etc,etc all play a role.

By the way, I'm not judging anything by videos. I'm judging by real experience of not only being around European cars but driving and using some of them on a daily basis as well as owning.

 

Yes, the end market definitely plays a role. It's understandable that a Luxury car with a V8 wont sound like a sport coupe with one. But then again a M3 still doesn't sound like a Mustang. So there are lots of things playing a role.

 

I think the Europeans make a decent V8 Sound.

 

I'm truly not speaking of AMG here. AMGs are very special cars. They should be comparable to SVTs or even Saleens. You can pretty much order anything you want customized too. But they still sound typically European. Amazing or not is naturally a matter of opinion. As is this whole discussion actually. I happen to love the sound of American V8s and truly hope they will not become pseudo European Engines in the future. Some may love the sound of European engines and that is fine too. But if that what you like, then go buy an European car instead of wishing for an "Europeanized" American performace car. There are so many to great European performance cars to choose from. But we only have 5 American ones. Leave them alone.

 

Again, it's all a matter of opinion. Does it sound nice? Yes it does. Does it sound like a Mustang or American V8? No.
Whichever you like better is just personal opinion.

 

All I know is I like the sound of my Boss so much I've never really used the radio. So for me, that's the baseline.

 

I really don't care where my car is from, I like all cars. I'm a car enthusiast. Never did I say I wanted an american car to sound like a european car. I would like it if the americn sports car sounded more like a serious sports car. SVT isn't really special, therefor it can't be compared to an AMG. Saleen on the other hand might have some type of special mustang idk I'm not to familiar with Saleen

 

What are talking about?

First of all the Mustang is NOT a sports car, it's a Pony car and occasionally a Muscle car. Corvette, Viper etc are sports cars.

Regarding your SVT is not special comment, SVT does exactly what AMG does. They hand build performance engines specific to their particular models and pump up the performance and handling in general.

Saleen is largely body kits and really large wheels. It was once a better interpretation IMHO but they haven't done much recently.