So, you want to get yourself a brand new 2018 Ford Mustang GT, but you’re a civic-minded person. You understand that the 5.0 litre naturally-aspirated Coyote V8 will certainly annoy a few neighbours when you start it up in the morning. Does this mean you should give up on your dream car then?
According to Ford, the answer is no because the latest Mustang GT comes with a Quiet Exhaust mode as well as an “industry-first” Quiet Start function. Mustang engineers refer to the former as “Good Neighbour Mode” and for good reason.
Available as part of the optional active valve performance exhaust system for the Mustang, the Quiet Exhaust mode is exactly as it sounds, ensuring the thunderous V8 doesn’t make a whole lot of ruckus, which can result in your neighbours dialling 911, as experienced by von Foerster, head of Ford’s user experience team in product development.
“I love the sound of the V8, but it can be loud, and you can’t annoy people like that in your neighbourhood. It sounds so cool, but I thought, ‘There has to be a way to give people more control over the engine’s sound,” said von Foerster.
Meanwhile, Quiet Start allows owners to schedule when they will start their car, without the roar of the V8 coming to life. For example, between 8pm and 7am, drivers can fire up their Mustang GT without sharing the event with everyone else.
“Active valve performance exhaust gives Mustang owners the best of both worlds – that classic Mustang sound, and the ability to not wake up your neighbours when you leave the house early in the morning or arrive home late at night,” said Matt Flis, Ford exhaust development engineer.
While all this may seem comical, a recent poll by Ranker.com revealed loud engine revving as being the most annoying noises neighbours make, alongside other common nuisances including power tools, barking dogs and band practice.
“When sounds get up into the upper-70-decibel range, that’s typically about when they start to bother people. With quiet start activated, the decibel level of the new Mustang GT drops by about 10 decibels, to a much more comfortable 72 decibels – about the level of a household dishwasher,” said Flis.
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with this feature..now i can sneak out of the house easily without my parents knowing! LOLOLOLOL
Those who buys V8 stangs want to be as obnoxious as possible. This GN mode just gets in their way.
This is so great when late night home!
This is nothing new… just that with other cars, the default is the quiet mode, and there’s a button you can push to make it loud. For example the Jaguar F-Type R… in default mode it’s barely louder than a regular car, but push a button, and all hell breaks loose. Someone measured 118 dB… and that was with the car stationary, where revs are limited to 4000 rpm.
Also, some cars are now coupling the loud exhaust to the driving mode, i.e. the Alfa Romeo Giulia only lets you enable it in race mode… which means no traction control, no stability control, and the ride set to the firmest setting. Basically the car becomes undriveable for anyone but a professional racing driver on a closed track.