Do the Ioniq 5 N's sportscar like sounds satisfy the enthusiast?

Jason Cammisa said it's so convincing that, if you put an everyday person in the car, he won't even know that it's not an ICE car.

GTO recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Other than the Chinese giants like BYD, it is Hyundai & Kia who are making big strides in Electric Cars. Drive their latest range & you'll know why. But that's a topic for another day.

This thread is to focus on the amazing execution of ICE-like engine & transmission sounds on the Ioniq 5 N. Yep, we have an existing thread on the car, but this level of sound execution really needs its own thread.

Jason Cammisa said it's so convincing that, if you put an everyday person in the car, he won't even know that it's not an ICE car. Really looking forward to cars like these. ~600 BHP on tap (comparable to the Ferrari Enzo), 0 - 100 in 3.5 seconds (faster than the Ferrari Enzo), zero tail pipe emissions & incredibly fun to drive, if the reviews are anything to go by. Luxury cars & Sports cars are going to find it increasingly difficult to justify their pricing.

Enjoy the sounds

• Video 1
• Video 2

Here's what BHPian electric_eel had to say on the matter:

I am not a big fan of EVs simulating ICEs. The engine noise, the power delivery pauses during shifts are all "bugs" in the ICE drive train that are being sold as "features" to get enthusiasts to convert to EVs.

However I think there might be a point to adding ICE like sound but not the gear shift pauses. Right now while driving, we look at the power meter to get an idea of how much energy is being consumed. The RPM like meter shows the extent of battery drain and is useful to see how efficiently one is driving. An audio feed back would save us from looking into the instrument cluster for this (which is a good thing). Reminds me of my old maruti zen where the drivers ear is the tachometer (or in this case power meter).

Here's what BHPian 14000rpm had to say on the matter:

Exactly what I said in the Ioniq thread.

The Ioniq 5 N indeed seems to add Fun to EV's. Frankly, what Hyundai has made with this car is what I was expecting from the Mustang Mach-E which has, sort of, gone dull.
However, the N is pretty pricey which could be challenge for volumes.

Fun Fact I discovered in the Camissa video - The former head of BMW M division, Albert Biermann, is the head of Hyundai R&D globally. He conveniently created 'N' as his next chapter from 'M'. Cheeky this.

Here's what BHPian Asoon had to say on the matter:

I have a very different and may be unpopular take on this, our generation and all the generations before were born in ICE era, so the engine grunt is music to us. 30/40 years down the line things will be very different, upcoming generation will not be conditioned to the music of exhaust.

Imagine how you feel if you enter from a AC room to room with large, noisy window cooler, thats what is going to happen to perception of ICE sounds (music to us) in next 30/40 years.

Here's what BHPian ferrarirules had to say on the matter:

What an implementation!! Sounds so real. I drive an EV and its a pleasure that EVs are silent and vibration free. But that is for daily use cars.

But when it comes to sports cars or performance cars, the sound is the essence. I have simple example - Formula E vs F1. The thrill of F1 is the high revving engines going through the motion, you cannot feel the same in the Formula E cars. I have followed the F1 era since mighty V10s to the somewhat muted V6s of today. There was such a hue and cry when V6 engines were introduced as spectators didn't feel as much thrill as before. So much so that F1 introduced rules specifically to make the engines noisier.

What makes a Lamborghini a Lamborghini or Ferrari a ferrari or Mclaren a Mclaren, the sound you hear when you take the car through the paces. An electric car like BYD Seal can do everything a M5 might be able to do but M5 will give you the theatre and Seal will just give you the thrill.

Recently there was a statement from Ferrari's CEO -

it’s going to roar just as loud as a combustion engine

That is what a Ferrari is. A muted Ferrari is not something that people want.

In summary, I think Hyundai is on the right track by replicating the years of feeling which enthusiasts have had when driving performance cars.

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:

I think the road to mimic ICE cars won't go too far. The love of ICE sports cars is deeply rooted in our understanding of the beauty of intricate mechanical synchronisation - similar to a mechanical watch. EVs have to chart new roads and I'm sure we will figure out a way to make EVs also as endearing as old mechanical stuff. The more you democratise, the more it will lose the wow factor. Interesting times.

Here's what BHPian dhanushs had to say on the matter:

Umm.. Enthusiasts are enthusiasts for a reason. They are so deeply connected to their cars, and enjoy every sound of it. Atleast for me, when I'm in the 'Zone' with the sound of the engine revving up, I try to visualise whats happening inside the engine, from combustion to the crank to the transmission and to getting the raw power on the wheels! Every minute sound is corelated to the vehicle behaviour.

To get an enthusiastic following for the EV, they should be doing that, instead of mimicing an ICE car. Every enthusiast will love to know whats happening with their machines. EV Companies should be trying to show off sounds of haptics that showcase their Electric Car, like how when you are pedal to metal the electric motor spools up generating that insane torque, how the battery and the electrical systems are in total sync, how eddy currents are generated during regen etc..etc..

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.