Mercedes-AMG is following the Ioniq 5 N playbook with simulated shifting and sounds.
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Mercedes-AMG gives us a ride in its next high-performance EV
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Well, they haven't a natural sound so everything is fake. The choices are fake a sound that people are familiar with or fake a sound that people are unfamiliar with. I suppose there's also "no sound at all" but don't people generally prefer some sort of feedback? Eg, are you cross when smartphone keyboards make keyboard noises?
As for outside, when I'm walking, I appreciate that they don't generally sneak up on one unawares. However, the two sounds I usually notice are some sort of musical note as if I'm being stalked by an orchestra again or a wibbly noise reminiscent of Jetsons flying cars...neither of which I would consider good.
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And the closest we were going to get (Bolt and Leaf updates) are now delayed, again. I can see automakers wanting to make a profit per unit, and for EVs that still requires a higher price than similar ICE models, but by now the increment should be a lot smaller than it was 10 years ago.
And those very cheap Chinese EVs are produced with large explicit and implicit government subsidies that aren't available (any more) in the US outside of tariffs.
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All manuals should be banned in favour of this technology. Because it's electronic the 16 year old morons who buy manual to fake being a race car drivers can't stall out in front of me at every red light. Also because it's electronic it'll hit the brake lights instead of having the car in front of you suddenly lose 10km/hr without warning on the highway because they fucked up a shift. Always have at least 2-4 seconds of space in front of you folks...
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How about making jet engine sounds so you can make believe you're driving a Chrysler turbine car?
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That's a good point. I've seen people with newish Mustangs (with a V8?) manage to kill it on a normal takeoff from a signal. How that's possible absent a gimpy clutch is beyond me (the V8 should be able to just idle away from the stop at a fair speed), having learned to drive in a 40hp VW on SF hills.
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Best description I've seen of the pedestrian warning sounds used these days is a chorus of depressed angels...
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This is kind of off topic but fans of electric engines, trains, and transport might appreciate this fun fact. Montreal’s first metro cars were electric. They had a current chopper in them that made a specific sound when initializing motion, “doo-doo-DOO” (turn it up loud to hear), then “DOO-doo-doo” as the cars came to a stop. So when the old cars were being retired, Montreal synthesized the sound and made it the doors closing notification. This sound has become emblematic of the city of Montreal.
While this specific sound would be annoying on a car, if folks want to make electric cars have a sound (safety for pedestrians being a good reason), perhaps reaching into the history of electric engines would be a good idea!
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Lucid Air already has more than your desired range
https://insideevs.com/news/732101/2025-lucid-air-gt-range-test/
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I want to be able to use music, preferably the "Ride of the Valkyries" from the "Apocalypse Now" movie.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ_zNUmr8fM
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After 50 years of loving everything wheels, I have completely lost interest. It's all a money grab at this point. New old, doesn't matter. Would rather spend on other things.
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It does. And I’m waiting to see the details on the Gravity Touring when it becomes available to order later this year. Much as I love the Air (in the abstract; I’ve not had the opportunity to drive one), once I went hatchback I lost my tolerance for the inconveniences of the sedan form factor.
The Gravity is big - bigger than I’d like, coming from a 2012 GTI - but aside from height (the least important dimension to me, as long as it fits through my garage door), the Air isn’t much smaller.
Depending on how certain employment questions get answered (my wife is a professor in an NIH-funded field), I might be leasing a Gravity this time next year.
Or I’ll be making the much wiser financial decision of continuing to drive my GTI which is showing no particular signs of dying (it better not, at only 105k miles).
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Yeah, but I've never had as much fun driving an auto as I have any MT. And paddle shift/sport shift autos are just autos that take requests. I've driven a few, and I've never been impressed. I've even autocrossed a McLaren, and walked away from that thinking I would've have more fun on that track in my Mazda3.
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It
Might be their first MT. It's a mustang after all. All of us that can actually drive an MT had to learn at some point, and it probably wasn't pretty.
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I wanted to share some lived experience here given I have a 2024 AMG EQS, or more accurately, I lease one. This was my first EV and with battery advancements evolving so quickly, I didn’t want to lock myself into a long a purchase where the resale value is largely a function of range. I’m glad I made that decision because Mercedes is already offering to pull me forward on my lease with the 2025 model, which offers an extra 100 miles of range! I’m finding range has not been an issue for me, so I’ll probably pass.
This is my first EV, and I was coming from an AMG GT. The EQS initially felt like a bit of an imposter, with simulated engine sounds that Mercedes clearly wanted to sound futuristic, but they border on gimmicky. But the car grew on me, mainly because of the incredible amount of customization it offers. Mercedes nailed this aspect. You can personalize nearly every dynamic and sensory element of the car and save those preferences in profiles that you can access on the fly. A multifunction OLED dial on the steering wheel lets me choose from profiles that adjusts the intensity of the sounds or turn them off completely, at least above 20 mph because in the U.S. all EVs emit sound for pedestrian safety.
I’ve had the car for over a year and I’m still discovering features of the car that I can customize. I think Mercedes figured out that a performance EV is an emotional and cognitive shift for drivers, most of which will be transitioning from performance ICE, so having preset configurations along with driver customizable configurations that are deep allows you to make the car your own. Based on what I’ve seen, I can all but guarantee the synthetic engine noise, fake gear shifts, or even those throttle pauses that mimic an ICE transmission, that Mercedes will allow the driver to modify or disable them and more than likely not just from the within the car, but outside of it through their mobile app.
In a performance car, for me, it all comes down to what you believe gives a car its “soul” because the performance is going to be there. For each driver, it will be different, it might be aesthetics, it might be the “feel” of the car, but it varies with each person. When I transitioned from the GT to the AMG EQS, I missed those overrun pops from the exhaust and that deep growl when I was in idle from the GT to the point of regret where in my first month of having the AMG EQS, I seriously considered getting rid of it. I tried Race Start thinking maybe some personality might be lurking in there and it almost made things worse, the car made this it revved up sci-fi “time warp” sound, rocked back and forth by cycling the suspension, pulsed the ambient lighting to near seizure inducing levels, tightened the seatbelts and then launched like it was shot from a freaking rifle!
Take away all the theatrics - which I could have done without - and the fact was it was off the line faster than I could have ever achieved in the GT (although it would have been caught by the GT!) but the power and performance was undeniable and once you’ve configured your profiles, you can dial in the car YOU want, albeit with multiple personalities, from calm luxury sedan to full-on performance monster with the flick of a switch. It’s not an imposter. It’s a sleeper.
So yeah, there really is such a thing as a performance EV and I definitely don’t miss the monthly fuel bill from the GT. I mostly charge at home, and my entire year’s electricity cost is about the same as what I used to pay for two months of fuel when I had the GT. I’m certain the new AMG EV will be fun, but my understanding is that Mercedes is pausing EV production and deliveries here in the US because of the recent legislation, so who knows if this new car will actually arrive here.
This is my first EV, and I was coming from an AMG GT. The EQS initially felt like a bit of an imposter, with simulated engine sounds that Mercedes clearly wanted to sound futuristic, but they border on gimmicky. But the car grew on me, mainly because of the incredible amount of customization it offers. Mercedes nailed this aspect. You can personalize nearly every dynamic and sensory element of the car and save those preferences in profiles that you can access on the fly. A multifunction OLED dial on the steering wheel lets me choose from profiles that adjusts the intensity of the sounds or turn them off completely, at least above 20 mph because in the U.S. all EVs emit sound for pedestrian safety.
I’ve had the car for over a year and I’m still discovering features of the car that I can customize. I think Mercedes figured out that a performance EV is an emotional and cognitive shift for drivers, most of which will be transitioning from performance ICE, so having preset configurations along with driver customizable configurations that are deep allows you to make the car your own. Based on what I’ve seen, I can all but guarantee the synthetic engine noise, fake gear shifts, or even those throttle pauses that mimic an ICE transmission, that Mercedes will allow the driver to modify or disable them and more than likely not just from the within the car, but outside of it through their mobile app.
In a performance car, for me, it all comes down to what you believe gives a car its “soul” because the performance is going to be there. For each driver, it will be different, it might be aesthetics, it might be the “feel” of the car, but it varies with each person. When I transitioned from the GT to the AMG EQS, I missed those overrun pops from the exhaust and that deep growl when I was in idle from the GT to the point of regret where in my first month of having the AMG EQS, I seriously considered getting rid of it. I tried Race Start thinking maybe some personality might be lurking in there and it almost made things worse, the car made this it revved up sci-fi “time warp” sound, rocked back and forth by cycling the suspension, pulsed the ambient lighting to near seizure inducing levels, tightened the seatbelts and then launched like it was shot from a freaking rifle!
Take away all the theatrics - which I could have done without - and the fact was it was off the line faster than I could have ever achieved in the GT (although it would have been caught by the GT!) but the power and performance was undeniable and once you’ve configured your profiles, you can dial in the car YOU want, albeit with multiple personalities, from calm luxury sedan to full-on performance monster with the flick of a switch. It’s not an imposter. It’s a sleeper.
So yeah, there really is such a thing as a performance EV and I definitely don’t miss the monthly fuel bill from the GT. I mostly charge at home, and my entire year’s electricity cost is about the same as what I used to pay for two months of fuel when I had the GT. I’m certain the new AMG EV will be fun, but my understanding is that Mercedes is pausing EV production and deliveries here in the US because of the recent legislation, so who knows if this new car will actually arrive here.
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That and the fact that dumping the clutch from idle in just about any car without a giant heavy flywheel is going to kill the engine...especially if it's a good clutch that actually bites.
Mustangs and other sports cars don't have dampers on the clutch line to prevent this because it slows shifting.
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Mercedes is literally the only car brand that spans ALL categories from the cheapest barely accelerating models to the exclusive custom builds. Some of them are indeed in the "want" category, but that's hardly 10% of their product line.
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I love trams, but I can't help but think that in the US there'd be people wandering across the rails while looking down at their phones. In the NL there's impressive discipline and cooperation between the various road users.
There's something weirdly compelling about that video, but no, I didn't watch all 55 minutes.
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That tram video was such a surprise. The Frederik Hendriklaan stop around the 1:00 mark (so just before your time stamp) is my stop. My house is about 50 metres from that stop. I park my car on the street (Statenlaan) the tram is going down before and after that stop. I fully expected to find my car parked there but didn’t. I use that tram all the time.
I’m sure readers are fascinated by this (not) but I had to say it, ha ha.
I’m sure readers are fascinated by this (not) but I had to say it, ha ha.
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Ah, I found my car parked in this one by the same YouTuber (a tram driver?):
View: https://youtu.be/X7KhqeDvZuk
Satisfying but strange to see it.
I always assumed that accelerating whine was the tram’s actual motors. So it’s a fake sound? Disappointing.
View: https://youtu.be/X7KhqeDvZuk
Satisfying but strange to see it.
I always assumed that accelerating whine was the tram’s actual motors. So it’s a fake sound? Disappointing.
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I just tried to find a clean recording of a tram accelerating and that one was what popped up after a bit of searching, I'm not even Dutch. So pretty funny that I got someone's home stop here.
But no, I think that's just the sound the motors make. I really doubt anyone would fake them in a tram
In Europe yeah, there are all sorts of commercial and povertys-spec passenger cars, but I think in the US they maintained a "fancy German luxy" brand vibe.
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People complain about noise when the high displacement engine is loud. Antisocial behaviour they call it. So they make the speakers make the noise for the driver, where it won't bother anyone else. People still find a reason to complain about it.
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Because they are two different things. The first is people being assholes. The second is the audio equivalent of chrome-plated plastic. Fake AF, and it's obviously fake AF.
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Fake noise and gearshifts seem silly, aimed at those perpetually stuck in the "glorious" past and in need of something that says "look at me". Me, I actually love the fact that modern EVs are super quiet, and make their impressive acceleration seem... effortless. (While the nearby ICE cars fall behind among much sound and fury.)
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Like I said in my original post, I have no issues with the concept, especially if it brings more people across to EVs. And I definitely understand the "I want to be better against myself" discussion, but it's not really relevant here. You're still not comparing your times against someone else, you're just artificially limiting what you can achieve with the hardware you have.
Not a valid comparison. That's like saying "why have a recreational vehicle when you can catch a Greyhound". Again, I understand the desire for recreational vehicles. But people who want to fly old-school Fokker biplanes, or Spitfires, or any other classic, don't buy the latest and greatest and then and just turn the settings down. They might do that for training purposes, but if you want the authenticity of an old WWI fighter you go and take a ride in a WWI fighter.
Same goes here, if you want the authenticity of an old manual transmission...
What I want to know is why a fake manual transmission is more engaging for you. It's something that I don't understand, so I'm genuinely curious as to the motivation.
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And outside of this recreational feel of "engagement", what are the merits of a manual transmission?
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When all the bullshit boils off, that's pretty much it: Manuals are more fun. That's why many of the people that absolutely love driving also love driving manuals. That's why my last three vehicles, and the next two I'm about to buy, are all manuals. You can point at spec sheets and trap times all day, but at the end of that day being in, or on, a vehicle that requires the active involvement of all four of my limbs and the finesse of years learning how to hit perfectly timed shifts and rev-matched downshifts while trail-braking into a corner and all the other things will absolutely always be more fun than riding around in this glorified high performance tablet on wheels. That may change when I finally build one of the EV projects I have in mind, but the products big manufacturers are putting out don't have a chance in hell. They may be fast, but they are muted, numb, tamed, and boring. They are perfect for the crowd that doesn't actually enjoy driving, and just want something that can get their blood pumping occasionally by putting their foot a little further into the floor to distract themselves from just how little they actually enjoy getting into their vehicle.
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Simplicity and reliability are 2 factors, descent control is easy.
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For an EV though, it's the opposite. It's simplest and most reliable to have a fixed gear transmission.
Maybe it's more fun if it fakes the gear changes, I've never driven one. But I'm not a fan of fake sounds. I want my car silent. The low speed pedestrian warning sounds make sense. But if there's anything more then it better be toggleable. And a persistent setting, not one you have to change every trip.
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I think it's pretty clear that simplicity and reliability only apply if there's an ICE in front of the transmission/clutch.
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This is a bit like making fun of someone because of their music taste.
You might have a legitimate argument if there were grounds for a noise complaint, but it's hard to see how that could arise given that the fake sounds are all happening within the privacy of the driver's car.
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I dislike boring driving experiences. Granted, I'm not in AMG territory, but the Hyundai N sounds like fun. I like the experience of driving, it's not just getting from point A to point B.
But I wouldn't count Mercedes as an "Affordable" car, and the N is a model line for Hyundai, they're not doing it on all their cars.
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I can absolutely have a legitimate argument. For the same reason I can hate vehicles that come with 18+in wheels, advanced cruise control that cannot be permanently overridden, and driver aids that cannot be permanently turned off installed as standard features. In this case you could probably turn it off, granted, but it's still more added points of failure, cost, complexity and, possibly, weight. All for a feature that is just a stupid gimmick that does nothing to improve the driving experience for anyone that actually enjoys driving.
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I never said a fake manual was for me. The question was why drive a manual on the track and that is what I answered. I never said anything about EV or ICE, new or old tech for that matter other than not shifting is faster.
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What are the merits of a Lotus Elise with manual steering over electric assist. It is simply a preference. Why do some people like Coke over Pepsi or RC Cola?
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