New GT4, 4900 miles. Runs well (albeit slower than the X51 3.8 in my last Carrera, as to be expected.)

I can hear a strange warbling sound that seems to be coming from the intake. Oddly, it is most pronounced with head straight ahead; if I turn sideways with either ear pointing back at the motor, it vanishes. It starts getting intrusive at 3000, is worst at 3800, but is audible even at idle in a quiet car. You don't notice it at idle, but if you've just come down from 4000 and the sound is in your brain, you can still hear it at idle.

I've run with windows up, AC/Ventilation entirely switched to off, radio/NAV off, all to no effect. While the sound is not unlike the whine from straight-cut gears in a race transmission, it doesn't correlate to the car even being in gear, although it does seem louder at 3800 when driving than when sitting still revving. The sound may even be loudest at a steady 3800 while driving, but under light decel; it warbles a bit.

I'll try and make a sound file this afternoon and post, but just wondering if anybody has an opinion? I bought the car a couple hundred miles away, from a Porsche dealer. The mechanic who rode with me was puzzled and said he wasn't ready to pronounce it out of spec, but that it didn't sound completely normal either. But to be fair, this was a small dealer in Knoxville and I got the impression he'd not spent any time in a GT4.

I'm going to run by my dealer (I already did but their "best tech" was out on a house call, of all things, so I'm going back when he's there), but just wondered if this has been discussed ad nauseum and I just cant find it with my search terms?

 

What you are describing sounds more like gear whine from the transmission? Car has slightly less sound insulation.

 

The only whine these cars have is transmission whine which is completely normal.

 

Yes, but it does it sitting still in the parking lot revving. It definitely sounds like gears but that wouldn't make any sense if it does it when stationary.

 

Yes, I have that too. I does sound exactly like gear whine, but it can't be because it occurs even when the clutch is in -- although note that being stationary would NOT rule out the possibility of gear whine since in Neutral the engine is still spinning the gearbox, whereas that's not true when the clutch is in. I also question how much gear whine would even be audible from the cockpit even if there were any given that the engine sits between our ears and the gearbox. Anyhow, I don't know what it is, but I assume it's normal and it does give the car a bit of a future-y sound at lower revs.

 

Thanks for the info, Jphughan.

I'd love for somebody who has a GT4 in his/her life to listen to mine in realtime -- even good techs won't necessarily have had much exposure to one yet. And the purpose is not to diagnose the sound but to determine if it's normal or way off.

Anybody in the metro ATL area? I'll come to you and you get to drive my car. It's faster than most... because Carmine.

 

This is interesting I have the same question. Just bought a used GT4 w 5000 miles. I already own a Boxster Spyder. ( yeah, I know...). I discovered my newly acquired GT4 has a faint 'whine', or as I describe it, a "metallic whirl" as you described at 3-3.8k revs, immediately thought there might be something wrong. Jumped back in to the Spyder and yes, there is a similar sound just way fainter and never noticed it

My conclusion is that this never caught my attention in the Spyder since the trans is under the aluminum deck, the more open path to the cockpit in the GT4 (oh, and wow, it has a roof, so way less noisy stuff going on) brought the, probably normal, sound to my attention.

You should own a Ducati, they always sound like they are going to fly apart ( and sometimes they do!)

I am still taking the GT4 to my dealer and having it double checked.

 

Good to hear. I took my car up in the mountains on Friday and wrung it out. The sound gets, frankly, nearly intolerable in the 4-5k range when hammering. And this is important: I love lots of mechanical sound in my car -- had an Elan with straight cut gears, Turbos with big exhaust, etc. My previous GTS was a one-car exercise in civility to see how I'd like it, and after 2-years the GT4 is an admission that I like a nastier, rougher sportscar.

So I'm not complaining that it's "loud" per se. It's the -- as you described it -- mechanical whirring sound that is troublesome. It doesn't sound like any car sound Ive ever heard, and it's not pleasant. I took it into my local dealer and they gave me their top guy to ride with me for 15-20 minutes. I displayed the sound. He said it sounded "wrong" but he wasn't going to commit to that until he got in another GT4. He's driven them before and doesn't remember ever noticing that, but he wasn't looking for it.

So now we have to wait for another one to come in, or he said he'd try and call a good customer who has one and lives nearby and see if he could come by with his.

I made a video. If I get around to posting it on YouTube I'll link it on here.

 

Could this be related to reduced sound insulation for the GT4 as well making it more noticeable than even the Spider with the same engine?

 

So here's a link to the file. When you "know" the sound you can hear it throughout as long as I'm above 3k. But it's best to just scroll to 1:20, where I've moved the camera to show the tach. At 1:26 you can get a good sense of the whistle kicking in. At 1:38 you get the strongest sense of the "trilling" sound.

Also, in real life and on this video the noise is very directional; turn your head and it can completely go away. So if you listen on a portable device make sure the speaker is pointed at your ear or you may not hear it. And it's not nearly as obtrusive on this video as it is in the cabin, just as the exhaust isn't nearly as loud as in real life. But at least you can tell the tone and timbre of the noise.

 

Does not seem normal and I know the sound you are hearing.

Going to take my car for a ride and will advise in 60 min

 

Interesting- Just got back from my drive. First off- I never drive with the windows up so the noise is always dominated with wind and the the LT headers and valveless exhaust. So- always busy enjoying the engine blasting.

Now - I shut my windows to listen to the engine between 3000-4000 rpm. Yeh- never really paid attention but makes similar sounds to yours except slightly less pronounced but you also have a microphone on and I had my volume on computer turned up high. I do not hear anything wrong with it. Sound normal. These cars have little insulation and the gears and engine whine and make a bunch of noises but put your window down and enjoy the exhaust and all will be good

 

^^^ Thanks for the feedback, Jimmy. I appreciate you taking one for the team and going for a drive tonight!

Interesting, for sure. I too prefer to drive with the windows down, but during the day in ATL, with the super high humidity, if I need to arrive in a semi-human state of smell, the windows have to be up. So I get a dose of the whirrrr and it just sounds so weird and unmechanical.

It's definitely not gears -- I can be coasting along in gear at a steady throttle state, say at 4000 rpm, with just enough throttle to keep it pegged at 4000. Very lightly loaded engine. Then the instant I give it throttle, as soon as the plates open but before the revs have started up at all, the whirrrrr picks up in volume considerably.

I could accept it so much better if I knew for a fact what it was.

Alas... I'll keep searching. Thanks again.

 

Check your air scoops on the side too. They can pick up quite a bit of junk ( I clean mine out every wash). Not sure if this is the issue but possibly could cause a whistling noise if obstructed.

 

I've been meaning to ask a similar question. Does the sound seem more pronounced to you when you're off the throttle and slowing down? I have a similar sound in my Cayman S and was going to ask the dealer when it's in for service.