Electric vehicle manufacturers have been throwing everything they can at solving the biggest problem for performance EVs: character. Since EVs are silent, many argue they lack the emotion and character of combustion-powered performance cars. T
o replicate the sound of exciting engines, car companies have made fake engine sounds, amplified electric motor whine, and even hired Hans Zimmer. Bentley is the latest to get creative and it’s sparing no expense. It hired an entire orchestra to replicate the sound of a V8 for its upcoming electric Torcal SUV, creating a powertrain soundtrack called the “Bentley Dynamic Symphony”.
Bentley’s electric alternative to the Bentayga needs to perform well on the sales sheet, as the Bentayga is already the best-selling Bentley. So it’s no surprise that Bentley is using a full orchestra for the Torcal’s powertrain soundtrack. What’s interesting about using actual instruments is that Bentley isn’t actually giving you fake engine noise, it’s copying the rhythms and tones that make engine noise so enjoyable but with real instruments, played by humans. And the V8s of its past were its benchmarks.
To get an idea of what makes old-school V8s so fantastic to listen to, Bentley’s team took one, recorded its sound in a studio, and analyzed it. What the team found was that “rhythm, rather than pure mechanical tone, was central to its emotional appeal.” Well, who better to create a good rhythm than expert musicians? Even more interesting is that Bentley realized that engines are alarmingly human in their noises, as they aren’t perfectly uniform. Using parabolic speakers, the team realized that, just like a drummer playing next to the V8 in studio, an engine produces subtle fluctuations and imperfections that we all pick up on.
Photo by: Bentley
Drums were Bentley’s focal point, as they can most closely replicate the feel and cadence of an engine, but the entire orchestra was used, including bass guitars and violas. The idea was to create a sound that is unique but also pays homage to Bentley’s V8s of the past, such as its legendary 6¾-litre V8 and the supercharged V8s from the 1930s. The soundtrack will respond to driver inputs, just like an engine to copy as much of the emotion of a combustion car as possible.
I think this is an awesome way to add some character to an EV. There have been so many methods of creating EV noise, most of which are either copying actual engine noise or making sci-fi spaceship sounds. Both can be interesting, but usually get boring after a bit because you can tell how fake they are. But this is different. If it’s made by an orchestra, it’s inherently human and it might just also sound fantastic in its own right. This is a unique and interesting idea, one that I’m looking forward to try out in when the Torcal finally hits the road.