Posers of the world rejoice.
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Can't afford a Ferrari? Well, Faurecia SA, the French auto parts maker, has what might be the next best thing: A system that makes your car sound like one.
Faurecia is offering car makers a mini loudspeaker that can amp up the muffled sound of a small engine's exhaust so it has the roar of a supercar's...
...Faurecia's system uses sophisticated software that captures what a car's engine is doing to drive a loudspeaker contained in the muffler, whose only role normally is to reduce sound.
Through the loud speaker, Faurecia's system that will be preinstalled at the factory will also allow drivers to select from a few different exhaust sounds ranging from quiet to sporty.
The system also uses its software to strip out annoying ambient sounds, like the whine of the turbocharger, by using active noise control technology to cancel out the unwanted noise, similar to noise-cancelling headphones. The noise signal frequency picked up by a microphone in the muffler is slightly modified and played back over the loudspeaker so that the original sound isn't audible.
Automotive tuneup stores selling noise-generating systems already exist but they play different engine or exhaust sounds over the speakers inside the cabin, giving drivers the impression that they're driving a souped-up Lamborghini. There's no such sound outside the car.
A key component of the system is the loudspeaker that will nest inside the muffler and will be "hardened" so that it will last the life of the car.
Mr. Lakin says the additional cost won't be all that significant, as the dynamic sound system replaces much of the muffler. "In future, we could even get rid of the muffler altogether and just use a speaker."
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