Audi e-tron GT Sound Teased - You're Going to Need Your Headphones for This

Sound did play a big part in automotive history. Motorheads will have no problem identifying the number of cylinders and the layout of an engine just by listening to its tune, and we're pretty sure there are people out there who would rather listen to a Ferrari V12 than any of Mozart's symphonies. Our ears are just as important as our sight or touch when judging a car.

The advent of electric vehicles changed that a bit, so the public is still getting used to the idea of the engine and exhaust sound being replaced by a - let's face it - pretty bland electric whizz. You could argue it sounds futuristic, but the real question is this: do you get goosebumps when you hear it? Does it make the hairs on your arm stand up?

It most likely does not, and that's a problem. It's even more of a problem for performance-oriented EVs like the Audi e-tron GT is supposed to be. Sure, those two letters stand for Gran Turismo, which is synonymous with comfortable long drives, but we all know the e-tron will need to make an impression while flexing its muscles too.

Audi knows it, so it has come up with a special sound for the e-tron. Actually, it has come up with more than that: according to the German carmaker, its engineers have created a whole new digital method for obtaining "the sound that's worth a thousand words." We haven't heard a cheesier line since we stopped watching soap operas - who said the Germans were cold and calculated?

The video below gives a bit of an insight into the process that goes behind the end product, and while we obviously only get a tiny glimpse, it looks very close to the work of a foley artist. Expect this new side of the industry to grow over the coming years, as will the number of speakers on EVs - both inside and out.