Borla’s Active Performance Sound System Will Make Your Mach-E Sound Like a V8 Mustang
Comprised of speakers instead of pipes and mufflers, the Borla Active Performance Sound System is not for everyone.
One of the biggest issues people have with the Ford Mustang Mach-E is the use of the Mustang name. An EV crossover is NOT a Mustang is a common refrain. No matter what you feel about the name, there is one thing that everyone can agree on. And that is that the Mach-E sure doesn’t sound like a Mustang. And how could it? No EV can sound like a good old fashioned American V8 engine. Well, the exhaust experts at Borla are trying to change that. They realize that one of the most appealing aspects to any Mustang is the sound. So, they have developed an Active Performance Sound System that utilizes speakers and software to produce fake V8 sounds. It is certainly not perfect, but it gives a decent impression of a V8. But just knowing that it is completely fake turns some people off.
The Borla Active Performance Sound System has been available for a few months now at a retail price of $1,606.99. It has been installed on some customer vehicles. As a result, some first impressions are beginning to be posted to various social media sites. The reactions have been mixed, which should not come as a surprise.
Positive Aspects
The folks over at The Drive have collected a few first impressions from real users. And a popular theme is that people that have the system installed seem to really like the control that it offers. Reddit user Sea_Leather_5468 wrote: “I just put mine on my ’23 Premium standard. I really like it, especially turning it off or down while on freeway or long distance.” MachEForum.com user Nemshick_s feels the same way: “One of the things I like is that I have complete control over the type of sound and the volume. With my Saleen Mustang, my neighbors would know when I came home at night because they could hear my car. Not with this. Also, I’m not stuck with always the same sound.”
However, in the same thread user Ghost Ryder replied with: “No offense, but I think this is the noise pollution equivalent of rolling coal. “I’m all for blasting out your ear drums with internal speakers, but don’t bother your neighbors if there is an option. How does that bring you more enjoyment?” That comment was liked by 25 other users, so clearly it is a popular opinion.
Fake, Fake, Fake, Fake!
On the hit tv show Seinfeld, character Elaine Benes once uttered the famous line, “Fake, fake, fake, fake!” And that is what the Borla Active Performance Sound System must overcome. It is not a sound produced by exploding gas and exhaust gases being forced out of a pipe. The system in the Mach-E makes noise the same way your home stereo does. It is a simulated sound. It is not authentic. Sure, you can control the volume and make burble and pop noises, but it is all computer generated. Driving a Ford Mustang in a video game can be a lot of fun. But it is no replacement for the real thing. Like it or not EVs are the future. So, we applaud Borla for at least giving us an option. But we are going to miss real V8s when they are gone.
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