Silence Isn't Golden for Car Manufacturers

What influences us to choose one car over another?

Most people would think of styling, colour, speed or economy. But car manufacturers have encountered a new problem. Inside, a car can be too quiet, and car buyers don't like it.

At the University of Warwick's International Manufacturing Centre, the Warwick Manufacturing Group, led by Paul Jennings, has been studying how customers react to the sounds different cars make.

Working with Sound and Vibration Technology Ltd, they have developed a "Noise and Vibration Simulator" based on a car, which uses a virtual reality programme to recreate the sound and feel of the driving experience. It feels like driving a proper car, and users register their reaction to car sound and vibration on a computer.

Engineers from the different car manufacturers working with the University of Warwick team can use the simulator themselves to experience the difference design changes might make, what happens when you alter an engine mount, or a suspension system.

Through the simulator they are learning what the car buyer wants, in what way a saloon should sound different from a sports car. This research is teaching the car manufacturers that from the car buyers' perspective, silence really isn't golden.