The 2019 2.3-litre EcoBoost-powered pony car will go on sale this summer in the United States.
There are specialists at Ford that work on creating the right acoustic exhaust notes for a model, which in this case is the iconic Mustang.
“We’re probably the few engineers here who do not have to design to a number or a specification,” said Hani Ayesh, Ford exhaust development engineer. “Instead, we work to identify that signature sound DNA that connects drivers to the emotional expectation they have for a specific car.”
These automotive sound engineers rely on computational analysis to design, for example, a computer-controlled active exhaust system that opens valves – much like a saxophone or a large pipe organ – to change the sound of the car based on the mood of the driver.
According to Ford, the 310-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder Mustang is able to produce a throaty rumble in the exhaust that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, just as it might on the larger-engine Mustang GT and Shelby GT350 models.
Click a switch on the center console, and the sound instantly changes to match your mood – normal, louder and more aggressive sport and track settings, as well as a quiet mode, when all you want is to just keep the peace.
Ford explains the instintive thrills from an exhaust rumble as an autonomic response. It traces back to ancient humans who successfully learned to react quickly to loud and powerful sounds, like the roar of a lion or the crash of a tree. Over time, this fight-or-flight response to avoid danger was passed along in our DNA and hardwired into our minds and bodies.
The next time you jump at the sound of thunder or feel an adrenaline rush when you hear the new active valve performance exhaust on the 2019 EcoBoost-equipped Mustang, thank your prehistoric ancestors.
