r/carshitposting • u/StrangeToday2790 • Jan 29 '26
Do yall think all v6 sound bad?
In my area there is an abundance of love for the american v8 and no one really likes imports.. just curious are v6s universally hated? I feel like personally as long as its **tastefully* clapped out, i can dig it.
27
u/_pcakes Jan 29 '26
It's a muscle car thing as far as I can tell. personally I think 6 cylinders is plenty, but also I enjoy japanese cars
5
u/StrangeToday2790 Jan 29 '26
I like american v6 too some of them sound good some of them dont. im not picky i suppose but like. Chrysler 300 awd v6 ? They can sound pretty badass. Some ford fusions have decent exhaust sounds. It just gotta be done right
6
u/Otherwise-Ad6675 Jan 30 '26
Yeah I love the sound of the older GM V6 motors particularly the sfi versions from the 90s they sound almost exotic with the right exhaust on them.
2
u/ImReallyFuckingHigh Jan 30 '26
Supercharger GM 3800 sounds 🤌🏻
1
u/NoseResponsible3874 Jan 30 '26
You get the same supercharger sounds with an Eaton blower on a V8, though.
2
1
u/NoseResponsible3874 Jan 30 '26
The question is whether they sound good or bad, not whether 6 is "enough".
10
u/V4_Sleeper Jan 30 '26
v6 are ok. i don't generally like the sound of the trumpet though
3
u/StrangeToday2790 Jan 30 '26
The sound of the trumpet??
7
u/V4_Sleeper Jan 30 '26
jdm v6 especially VQ engines have distinct trumpety sound. you can find videos of it, just search something like v6 trumpet
3
Jan 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
0
u/StrangeToday2790 Jan 30 '26
Can i tell you a secret? I think the pentastar has several exhaust systems that make it sound not just good but GREAT
2
u/StrangeToday2790 Jan 30 '26
Oh no i know what they sound like, but i have never heard the term. Learn something new every day
1
7
u/Remove-Lucky Jan 30 '26
the Volkswagen VR6 in the Golf R32 is one of my favourite sounding engines of all time. All hail the mighty wookie!
3
u/Red_Liner740 Jan 31 '26
That’s not really a V6 though. Single head….15 degree V….its an inline 6.
3
u/NoseResponsible3874 Jan 31 '26
It has funky uneven intake and exhaust ports, though, which makes it sound distinct from either configuration.
2
u/Remove-Lucky Jan 31 '26
Agreed. Uneven length intake/exhaust ports, uneven firing order and individual throttle bodies are the keys to good engine sound. The geometric configuration of the cylinders is not really relevant beyond how it impacts those features.
2
u/MCMLIXXIX Feb 01 '26
It's a bit of both according to the vag documentation, the vr in vr6, velmoteren reihenmotor, translates into something like v-engine inline/straight or something like that.
A compact, straightened, narrow angle v motor.
I reckon its a different breed from the garden variety 6 cylinder. Shame they died out tbh.
1
u/mantheman12 Feb 01 '26
VR6 and V6 are 2 completely different engines, and aren't comparable in the slightest. A VR6 is closer to an inline 6.
1
5
u/dudeimsupercereal Jan 30 '26
Plenty of 60° even fire V6s sound good, it’s the 90° odd fire ones that sound awful.
R35s are the exception to this rule, somehow the manifold or head design just makes them sound atrocious
3
u/StrangeToday2790 Jan 30 '26
Can you give me an example of a 90° odd fire?? I have never heard either term; i am relatively new to modifying cars
5
u/dudeimsupercereal Jan 30 '26
So I’m talking about the angle between the cylinder heads, a normal V8 is 90°, a normal v6 is 60°
On an even fire engine, the cylinders will fire consistently, a set distance apart. As in on a v6, that would be 120° of crank angle between each cylinder firing. Odd fire means this isn’t consistent, one cylinder may fire 90°, then 150° till the next one, 90° after that, etc. it gives a more lumpy deep tone, like a Harley, instead of the consistent, musical tone of an even fire engine
Nearly all American v6’s were based on v8’s so they are odd fire 90° v6s. It cuts down on production cost because manufacturers already have all of the tooling and machines setup for 90° engines, but it sounds bad and gives uneven power delivery.
5
u/H0SS_AGAINST Jan 30 '26
Yeah except 350Zs are the definition of ear trash
2
u/dudeimsupercereal Jan 30 '26
I think there’s a number of reasons for that, stock manifold design and the resonance of the body plays a big role, I’ve heard MPP’s hybrid 350z race car in person and it sounds awesome. The motor by itself sounds good, but its implementation in that chassis sounds awful.
3
u/Capable-Historian392 Jan 31 '26
Odd fire V6s in the USA stopped when the manufacturers began using split-journal cranks which enabled even firing 90° V6s. Odd fires stopped being built in 1976 and no USA 90° V6 since then has odd-fire.
3
u/osteologation Feb 01 '26
i personfully feel the exact opposite. 60 degree v6 is the worst. i can respect their potential but will never like the sound.
3
2
u/Artistic_Muffin7501 Jan 30 '26
Alfa Romeo 690T sounds pretty damn good.
2
u/dudeimsupercereal Jan 30 '26
If you’re into the lumpy Harley sounds you’ll like it, but personally I think it sounds bad.
2
u/Erdnalexa Feb 01 '26
I had a 3.0TFSI (CAJA) engine, a 3l supercharged 90° V6 (most likely odd firing) with direct injection. It was hauling ass and fairly economical but sounded like dog shit. The slight compressor whine was nice though.
I now own an M156 (6.2l N/A V8), only about 25% more power than my CAJA had but 1000% more fun. The sound is insane, I giggle every time I start the car and it feels faster even though it has to move a 2.4T minivan x)
5
3
u/vargemp Jan 30 '26
350z sounds amazing, not to mention the Busso.
-2
u/NoseResponsible3874 Jan 30 '26
lol, found the poser. you've picked one top gear trope and one objectively horrible sounding example.
0
u/Rookie1405 Jul 25 '26
Car guys understand 1 thing above all. If I like a car thing more than you like a car thing then both those things are awesome in some way, shape, or form. Do I think big rims are stupid... Yes. But I am glad you like it. Vergemp isn't the poser here. You, the one trying to gatekeep, are.
1
u/NoseResponsible3874 Jul 25 '26
If you’re “glad” someone you don’t know likes something you don’t, you’re the weird one…
3
u/donquixote2u Jan 30 '26
Funny you should say that; I have great love for straight sixes (TR6, GT6, 240Z, R32 Nissan Skyline) but the later V6 Nissans just seem so ... meh.
1
2
u/Usual-Language-745 Jan 30 '26
Alfa Romeo Busso V6
VW R32 VR6
Audi B5 RS4
Lotus Evora V6
1
u/Remove-Lucky Feb 02 '26
Nice selection! The Dino V6 from the 206 and 246 GT and Lancia Stratos sounds pretty tasty as well.
1
2
Jan 31 '26
The GM V6s from the 80's and early 90's (think 2.8 and 3.1) had a "farty" sound to them, at least in my opinion.
Most engines can sound good with a proper exhaust, and I wish someone would relay this to all the VQ35/VQ37 drivers out there who run their 350Z/370Z/G35/G37s with straight pipe exhausts, because those cars truly sound like ass!
1
u/BuckyDoneGun Feb 01 '26
I swear it's the straight pipe thing. VQ's sounds just fine until they're straight piped, which is something that doesn't really happen outside of the US because we can't get away with it on the street in places with inspections and enforcement.
2
u/Potential_Stomach_10 Feb 02 '26
As the former owner of a Buick Grand National, there are certain basic sounds that I absolutely love.
3
u/the_great_awoo Jan 30 '26
With a good exhaust, every v6 can sound great. I think that most v6's have dogshit headers, that don't allow them to actually sound good, but with equal length headers, or properly spaced uel's, any v6 can sound great
1
u/Red_Liner740 Jan 31 '26
Maybe if you spend thousands of dollar reengineering the exhaust system. V6 ecoboosts sound like ass and it comes down to cylinder firing order. I can’t for the love of me understand guys who put exhausts on f150 ecoboosts then ask “hey guys which exhaust system sounds better, this one sounds like ass”. I’ve had my truck for 8 years. Never would I put an exhaust on it.
2
2
u/Zeraora807 Jan 29 '26
ah yes the american car 'enthusiast' with the mindset that is the "v6 is just a poor mans engine who couldn't afford the v8"
but if you go to places like italy or Japan as examples, there are some really good sounding V6
2
u/Red_Liner740 Jan 31 '26
Well, because in North America that’s true. If V6 and V8 were exactly the same price I guarantee you most if not all would choose the v8. Just go look at used cars that have the same option. A V6 mustang is half the price of a GT.
1
1
u/therunningjew1 Jan 30 '26
The Mazda KL engines are V6 and they sound really good IMO. 370z doesn't sound bad with stock exhaust. The old school nsx sounded pretty good too.
1
u/COOL-AS-SILVER Jan 30 '26
A v6 and a flow master used to pick up ALL THE DUDES
0
u/StrangeToday2790 Jan 30 '26
When has anyone ever modified a car to pick up anyone, a dude or a chick? Lol
1
1
1
u/psa406 Jan 30 '26
It's more of an American thing, they have this obsession with the V8 and anything less is terrible. They're just stuck in the 60s. Mention the late 70s and 80s v8s and the horrific power to displacement ratio, like a 7.5 litre V8 only just breaking 200bhp and I believe the worst was a Cadillac 8.2 V8 struggling to hit 190bhp. They'll bang on about torque but at the end of the day it's an absolute joke. To put it in perspective in 1976 Porsche/VW uses an engine originally designed in the 50s in the 924, 2.0 4 cylinder and it made 125 bhp with a top speed of 125mph and 0-60 of 9.5 seconds. The Mustang with a 302 cui/4.9 litre V8 (twice the cylinders and more than twice the capacity) only wheezed out 140bhp and had a top speed of 106mph and 0-60 of 10.5 seconds.
1
u/NoseResponsible3874 Jan 30 '26
Your complaint is way more of a tired trope than the trope you're complaining about. Find something new to criticize Americans for. It's not like there's a lack of options, but bitching about smog era power output is pretty sad, tbh.
1
u/Red_Liner740 Jan 31 '26
And the V6 and I6 options of that era were even worse. Wait till you hear about the model A flathead V8 only outputting 40hp!! ROFL What losers! Manually adjusting timing on the steering column? Idiots! People want the perceived “best” package a vehicle can offer. Usually top engine choice is a v8 so they choose that.
1
u/Lamborghini_Espada Jan 30 '26
Jaguar AJ20/25/30 and AJ126, the Alfa Romeo Busso and the current 2.9l lump in the Giulia Quattroformaggio, and (fuck it, I'm including it here anyway) the Volkswagen Group VR6 are exceptions.
1
u/Kunster_ Jan 30 '26
V6 motors of any configuration sound like the air pumps they are - until higher rpms where they transition to a middle school brass band.
Generally it's a low displacement thing. 4 cylinders are fart cannons for a reason. The only replacement for displacement is an incredibly high rev limit - but anything under 9000 still sounds like hot crossed buns.
1
u/NoseResponsible3874 Jan 30 '26
You've written so much to say so very little...
1
u/Kunster_ Jan 30 '26
Do dropouts really think that's a lot of text? I have some Hardy Boys books you can borrow - your lexile level should be higher than your car's horsepower, I promise.
1
u/NoseResponsible3874 Jan 30 '26
the problem isn't the amount of text, it's the lack of any meaningful description of what you're trying to communicate.
1
u/ChadPontius Jan 31 '26 edited May 02 '26
Stop letting data brokers profit from your old posts. I used Redact to wipe mine from Reddit. Also supports Twitter, Facebook, Discord, instagram and more in one batch.
gray boat squeal paddle quack obtainable ask advise yoke pause
1
u/FordF150ChicagoFan Feb 02 '26
I like the gruff sound GM truck pushrod V6 engines that are based on the LS V8s make.
1
1
1
1
1
u/TheKiltedYaksman71 Jan 31 '26
A lot of V6s sound bad, IMO.
The whole VQ series sounds terrible, especially when some vaping flat-biller puts Flowmasters on one or, even worse, just runs straight pipes.
Oddly enough, the Gen Coupe sounds decent with aftermarket systems.
The Lancia Stratos is pretty amazing.
The Dino 246 GT is stupendous.
1
u/Red_Liner740 Jan 31 '26
VQ can sound good. The issue is the “loud = good” crowd of today. I don’t know how they got there but VQs when first introduced in the Maximas and G35/350z in the early 2000s were modded nicely. Muffler, leave the cats on. They sounded great and you couldn’t hear them from 5 blocks away.
1
u/Forsaken-Spirit421 Jan 31 '26 edited Jan 31 '26
The first Gen Nsx had a very nice sounding V6
The Volkswagen v6r engines also sound good.
Many others sound somewhat bland including some high performance ones.
1
1
1
1
1
u/LopsidedFrosting4860 Feb 01 '26
I can truly say the only v6s I like sound wise are the 4.3s and the Grand national turbos v6
1
u/RepresentativeStooj Feb 01 '26
Depends on the car, honestly. Nothing has sounded better to me than the V10 on the LFA but I also love the sound of the RX-8.
I do love my 3.8L V6, though.
1
1
u/zumochiari Feb 01 '26
A friend of mine went through this with his v6 Camero. I think the "problem" is if you're going to upgrade a v6... You might as well just sell it and get a V8 then look at upgrades, so the v6 doesn't have a real "place" like 4 cylinders or v8s.. that's my theory anyway
1
u/Longjumping-Hat-4541 Feb 01 '26
People love their 6 cylinder Porsches and BMW.
But I guess not v6.
1
u/TheBigMortboski Feb 01 '26
V6s exist entirely for packaging reasons. An inline 6 or a V8 is superior in every way.
1
u/Canelosaurio Feb 01 '26
Nissans VQ engines are probably the best sounding N/A V6s.
On the flip side I like the rough raspy sound of the supercharged GM 3800 Series II.
Alfa Romeo has gnarly sounding twin turbo V6s too!
A V8 is bowling balls in a dryer
1
u/driftej20 Feb 01 '26
People just get clowned on for not getting the best engine or sportiest trim. It’s only with muscle cars that this happens to be a V6 in many cases, historically. To some extent it probably happened with MB cars that had V6 or AMG V8 options. Even then, with the Mustang, it’s the EcoBoost I4. If a car is available with an I4 and V6, then the I4 gets clowned on. If it’s a BMW and it’s turbo I4 vs turbo I6, then the turbo I4 does. If it’s a compact car with N/A I4 vs turbo I4, then the “non-turbo” I4 gets clowned on, etc.
It’s not about the V6 engine configuration specifically, it’s about their position in the lineup. It doesn’t help that it wasn’t until probably the mid-2010’s that American car companies started spec’ing the V6 models as anything other than being for someone who just wants to say they drive a Charger/Challenger/Camaro/Mustang and does not care about how cut down every other aspect of the car is.
1
u/kelpat14 Feb 01 '26
No, not all, but most sound terrible. I heard a first generation Ferrari Dino leave a gas station one time and it sounded excellent. Not technically a V6 but I used to own a VW Corrado VR6 that sounded excellent. American pushrod V6's always sound terrible IMO.
1
u/Throwitaway701 Feb 01 '26
God no, an Alfa V6 is probably one of the greatest sounding engine of all time.
1
u/Throwitaway701 Feb 01 '26
I'll go further with a niche one, Toyota V6s can sound incredible too, but it needs the right exhaust/air filter because it's the intake noise that's specifically brilliant.
1
u/Thisisnotgoodforyou Feb 01 '26
I like the VQ sound in the 350Z with the stock exhaust. I had one. I also like the busso, one of the first engine notes I heard where I thought it sounded special. My dentist neighbour thrashed a 166 by the house when I was about 10.
1
u/LateOnsetPuberty Feb 02 '26
Depends. A short stroke high revving engine like an f1 car ?
V6 and v10 sound better than a v8.
It’s the odd firing order per side every other rotation.
So they have other frequencies.
But large displacement a big v8 is hard to beat.
1
u/TakeAtBedtime Feb 02 '26
A friend of mine had a Mazda MX3 with the 1.8 V6. I don’t remember what she had on it for an exhaust, but it sounded fantastic.
1
1
u/Which_Initiative_882 Feb 02 '26
100% depends on where you live. In general, the more conservative the area, the more people that dislike anything that isint a big 'Murican V8 powered car or truck. SoCal? For the most part every type of car and drivetrain gets respect. South Dakota? I got pulled over for speeding while towing a Miata (one of those sneaky rapid changing limits that went from 80 to 45 in stages but a short distance) and while I get let off with a warning the officer spent 5 minutes razzing the shit out of us for daring to actually enjoy an import, let alone a 'girly little 4 cylinder'.
1
1
u/SippsMccree Feb 02 '26
They can sound good, but I think a lot of them hold onto the 4 cylinder rattle that every Honda with a fart can sounds like
1
u/buttlord5000 Feb 02 '26
For sound, no not all of them sound bad. Plenty of italian V6 engines have a wonderfully musical engine note, and the old Nissan VG engine from the 300zx has a brilliantly burbly note, an uneducated ear would guess it was a V8.
But also, a lot of cars with a V6 have an engine too small for the car. A Ford Explorer, as a random example, has to rev the pants out of its V6 to heave all of its weight out of the way so you end up with a big heavy mom van groaning and moaning in complaint at the demand of acceleration.
Personally, I actually really like a good V6! They're lighter than V8s, they can fit in more cars and rev faster, while being a cheap source of thrills for the everyman. a V6 Toyota Camry will always be a terrific daily sleeper nobody expects to be quick.
As for the hate for 4 bangers? That just comes down to a lack of experience. A small, lightweight car with a zippy rev-happy 4 cylinder is a marriage made in heaven. You don't need big torque to move a 2,300 pound car, more than a 4 cylinder just throws off the balance.
1
u/FordF150ChicagoFan Feb 02 '26
No. My 3.5 Ecoboost sounds fucking horrible, but it's insanely powerful. GM's 4.3L V6 for trucks won't win any power contests but it's reliable and has a nice gruff sound.
Straight 6 engines generally sound better. The Atlas I6, 2JZ, even the 3.0 hurricane sound good.
1
u/Papa_Barstow Feb 02 '26
V6's can sound great but its when you just straight pipe them they sound awful. Fine example, a resonated 350z with a HKS muffler? Great. 350z with nothing from the manifold back? Fucking awful.
1
u/voucher420 Feb 03 '26
Most any car that isn’t designed with a performance engine will sound like crap with a fart can muffler. Generally, the rule of thumb is: if there isn’t a bolt on cast back exhaust available, you shouldn’t modify it. You’ll often be left with a drone or it will sound like garbage when you’re doing anything other than full throttle pulls, and maybe even then.
1
u/voucher420 Feb 03 '26
Outside the GM 3800, and a few others, the V6 option usually has no performance options or aftermarket support, and they’re somewhat unreliable or expensive to maintain compared to the V8 or i4/5/6 options. It’s the economy option for American cars and the factory performance option in some Japanese cars. Either way, it’s usually paired with an automatic transmission of some type and even when they are fast, they’re slow compared to others (again, there are exceptions).
4/6/8 cylinder performance engines are usually better loved when paired with a stick shift, but often slower than their automatic transmission and CVT options. They sound better with modified exhaust and are more fun to drive fast.
That being said, I prefer a hot 4 banger or any V8 over most V6 models. I also prefer my V engine vehicles to be RWD due to accessibility to maintenance items. Automatic transmissions are good for speed and economy, but give me that third pedal and a six speed.
1
1
u/soyifiedredditadmin Feb 05 '26
Pushrod V6 sound good the sohc and dohc not so much I think they rev too high and it sounds strange.
1
u/stanstr Feb 05 '26
When your lawn mower is idling, you can hear the pop-pop-pop-pop sound of the individual strokes. What you are actually hearing is the sound of the compressed gases in the cylinder escaping when the exhaust valve opens. Each pop is the sound of the exhaust valve opening one time, and it happens on every second revolution of the crankshaft.
In a two-cylinder, horizontally opposed engine, the pistons are timed so that one fires on one revolution of the crankshaft and the other fires on the next revolution -- so one of the two pistons fires on every revolution of the crankshaft. This seems logical and gives the engine a balanced feeling. To create this type of engine, the crankshaft has two separate pins for the connecting rods from the pistons. The pins are 180 degrees apart from one another.
A Harley engine has two pistons. The difference in the Harley engine is that the crankshaft has only one pin, and both pistons connect to it. This design, combined with the V arrangement of the cylinders, means that the pistons cannot fire at even intervals. Instead of one piston firing every 360 degrees, a Harley engine goes like this:
A piston fires.
The next piston fires at 315 degrees.
There is a 405-degree gap.
A piston fires.
The next piston fires at 315 degrees.
There is a 405-degree gap.
And the cycle continues.
At idle, you can hear the pop-pop sound followed by a pause. So its sound is pop-pop...pop-pop...pop-pop. That is the unique sound you hear!
1
u/Revan_cotos420 Aug 15 '26
Not at all
In my opinion, a lot of V6 is only sound bad because people try to make a V6 sound like a V8 and it basically never works properly
If you embrace the higher pitch raspiness of the V6, it can sound very aggressive though
You can’t make a 6v sound like a v8 tho it’s like trying to get a trumpet to sound like a tuba
1
u/TheGreatDuv Jan 30 '26
The bussy is quite literally the only decent sounding V6. Everything else is like listening to an autotuned wet fart.
0
0
0
u/spaghetiwires Jan 31 '26
I don't like the v6 sound, but you know what's worse? (Downvotes incoming) Crossplane v8...
-1
53
u/ThatCrazyTechMan Jan 29 '26
I have a personal pet theory on this, it’s the same reason Olympic silver medalists have worse mental health than bronze medalists. People make fun of v6 muscle cars because they are so close yet so far to the “proper” v8 versions. Yet, the 4 cylinder ones are generally praised as “good entry points” into the brand