Growl of last combustion-engine Jaguar sports car preserved

The “unmistakeable, supercharged” sound of the Jaguar F-Type V8 will be stored for posterity in Britain’s national library, the luxury car manufacturer said Wednesday, as it moves towards a quieter, electric future.

Recorded inside a special chamber at the carmaker’s engineering plant in central England, the exhaust note of the last combustion-engine Jaguar sports car was recorded as it performed a number of gear shifts and acceleration sprints.

Recordings of the famous growl will be submitted to the British Library’s archives alongside other culturally significant sounds such as the first street recordings of cars.

Charles Richardson, senior sound engineer with Jaguar, said the sounds were “something we want to be available for generations to come.

“Archiving it with the British Library allows us to do that, and that’s something we’re very proud of,” he added.

The 30-second and 47-second tracks begin with engine start-up, before the revs rise and settle down to a “steady 600rpm” (revolutions per minute).

The count is a measure of how fast the engine is spinning.

“From there the run in the chamber simulates a variety of the F-Type’s vocal abilities,” said Jaguar.

“Each time the F-Type accelerates, the valves in the exhaust system open to alter the exhaust gas routing and this releases the signature roar.

“Listeners will hear the crisp upshifts and downshifts through the 8-speed Quickshift transmission, and the distinctive, hallmark crackles and pops on the overrun from its quad tailpipes,” it added.

Cheryl Tipp, the British Library’s curator of wildlife and environmental sounds, said the famous institution was “delighted to be able to preserve recordings of the F-Type V8 engine for Jaguar enthusiasts and listeners around the world.”

Jaguar will become a pure electric modern luxury brand from 2025, with a range of hybrid and full electric models already available, as carmakers around the world shift away from polluting combustion engines.

© 2023 AFP