One of the pleasures that driving enthusiasts enjoy is the ‘music’ from the exhaust of their cars. It can convey emotion and form part of the car’s character, especially with sportscars. Some manufacturers have their engineers spend a lot of time and effort to ensure that the car has a sound unique enough to become an aural signature that signifies the presence of the car near or far.
Generally, the growls or roars have been associated with sportscars but now, Ford is also bringing a new feature to truck owners which will allow them to customise the exhaust sound in various ways. It’s made possible by the new active valve twin exhaust system fitted to the 3-litre twin-turbo V6 engine of the latest Ranger Raptor.
The system is designed to control the noise emitted from the powerful engine by adjusting the opening of valves – much like a saxophone or a large pipe organ – to change the sound. The driver can select sounds in 4 different drive modes: Quiet, Normal, Sport or Baja. The Baja mode is very loud and Ford reminds owners that it should only be used in off-road conditions.
