20 men with obnoxiously loud cars explain exactly why they do it

Not all cars and drivers are created equally. Redditor u/elevate-digital asked, “Guys with extremely loud vehicles, why do you do this to everyone?” The answers came in fast and with plenty of variety. Some responses leaned into the simplicity of it: they just like the sound. The rumble, the growl, the roar; whatever you call it, many drivers admitted it gives them a rush, plain and simple. Others were a bit more candid, saying the volume is part of the appeal when it comes to turning heads or signaling status.

20 loud car drivers weigh in:

1. It’s fun!

“I used to own an insanely loud vehicle. A Pontiac G8, it had a 6 liter V8 and essentially straight pipes. Ripping it through a tunnel truly is a fun experience. That said.. I never truly understood how loud it was for everyone else until I sold it. They drove down the road in a normal fashion, I realized it was obnoxiously loud, and I thought to myself: ‘Jesus I’m such an a**hat.’”—u/thedudear

2. Being young and dumb

“Did a lot of cringe-inducing things in high school. I had a manual Jeep Cherokee 4L. I could peel out in 3rd the engine had so much torque. Had an insanely loud sound system, raced people who didn’t even know they were in a race. Such an a**hole. Speed up 35yrs and see those a**hats with the mufflers and the exhaust cannons sticking out from the top of the truck bed. It just reminds me of how much of a douche bag I was. It’s all for attention, and self-adulation.”—u/Crush-N-It

“One of the things I’ve noticed about people like this is they have an astounding lack of social awareness. Or personal awareness. It’s like they live life on autopilot. I can’t explain it but it’s almost like there’s no decision making going on in their head. It’s just… do.”—u/[deleted]

4. Poor impulse control…among other things

“The loud pipes is part of seeking social status and attention. They think this makes them cool and that people will notice and admire them and their car, with a complete lack of awareness that most people find them annoying. If you look into their background you frequently find a history of poor financial habits, domestic violence, run ins with police, drug and alcohol abuse, and a trail of other lives they’ve negatively impacted.”—u/Bernie_Dharma

5. They like the sound

“The real answer is that there are three possibilities. I’ll give you why real car guys do it first and then the other two.”

“Why real car guys do it: A quiet exhaust is a restrictive exhaust. Car guys are on a never ending quest for more power and a cheap way to make power is with a less restrictive exhaust. Especially on turbocharged vehicles like I own. Actually, the loudness of the exhaust is just a byproduct of decreasing restriction and not always the intention.”

“Why other car people do it: Because they like the sound and it’s their vehicle and they get enjoyment out of listening to the engine roar.”

“Why the last group does it: Because they can’t afford to (or don’t care to) fix their old-broken exhaust.”—u/Tricky_Bottle_6843

6. A stolen catalytic converter

“Why a fourth group (temporarily) does it: Their catalytic converter was stolen, and they’re waiting for an appointment with their local mechanic.”—u/PublicBoysenberry161

7. They just…like it

“Ive found in my experience that people with loud vehicles like loud vehicles and it goes no deeper than that. They just like it and dont really care that others dont.”—u/milkywaymonkeh

8. Loud and proud

“Because the whistles go WOOOOOOOOO”—u/rexiesoul

“Everyone hates it other than some motorheads. Cars will get some improved performance out of it. Basically engines are explosions. They’re loud. Mufflers make them quiet. Suppressing the sound puts resistance on the air flow going out. That creates resistance and reduces the power of the engine by a few horses. Not sure exactly how many, but I think usually maybe like 10 or 15 hp. Which is a noticeable amount on a small car. A small car like a civic might be 130HP so, a 10% increase is pretty good. It’s an easy modification, and attracts attention to make people look over and see your either modified, or sportscar supercar whatever.”—u/Capt_Pickhard

10. They want attention

“There are only two possibilities: they want attention and even negative attention works for them, or they don’t care about anyone that isn’t themselves. Both are childish mindsets.”—u/Quaiker

11. They’re broke

“I can’t afford new rotors yet, my brakes squeak a bit but my engine/exhaust ain’t modified to be any louder.”—u/Lenny_Pane

12. Thinking “loud meant fast”

“I used to be like this. It was always around having fun with my friends and being dumb and thinking loud meant fast. I am no longer like this. I’m sorry everyone.”—u/Noah_Vanderhoff

13. It comes loud

“I have a c6 corvette. When I had a harmonic balancer failure, it was recommended to do an engine refresh, aftermarket camshaft, and head work. [..] Car has catalytic converters and mufflers. Is still just loud, nature of performance. […] I’m not a d*ck with it, and I don’t drive it early in the morning or late at night. Man do I love my car though.”—u/[deleted]

14. They’re more powerful

“Louder exhausts are generally less restrictive, therefore more power/faster, but that’s for track purposes. Loud street cars mostly for the sound, they aren’t doing it for other people, just themselves (usually).”—u/DILHOL3

15. They’re suckers for “turbo noise”

“I’m a turbo 4 guy. I’m a sucker for turbo noise. Ive only owned one naturally aspirated car and that was a 2015 Mustang GT. The owner before me put headers and a catback on it so she rumbled real loud. I gotta say: That thing was so much fun to listen to. I got rid of it fairly quickly (not cause of the exhaust) but I after my brief stint with it, I see why muscle guys like muscle. V8s are so much fun.”—u/Merry_Dankmas

16. Hearing the responsiveness of the car

“Wow the answers are crazy! As an owner of a loud-esque vehicle, I agree some people just want attention but for a lot of us car enthusiasts, its because we want to hear the responsiveness of the car, i can hear what gear it is in, i can hear when it shifts, or down shifts. Also it makes the driver feel more engaged with the road. If i didnt want that car feedback, I would have purchased a luxury electric vehicle for the price i’ve put into my car.”—u/bchen270

17. Just another car

“I have two cars with aftermarket exhaust. Neither are any louder than stock unless I put my foot in it. In town or my neighborhood, I’m just another car. On the highway or back roads, if I choose to, I can swap to sport mode, drop my foot and enjoy the note.”—u/nakedjig

18. To be a rebel

“I’m an ex loud vehicle owner. Had a motorcycle in college with a loud thump and I had a custom built exhaust installed to make it wayyyy louder. I used to think it was a cool thing to do. You know be a rebel and all that. It’s only much later that I realized just how much of an inconsiderate a**hole I was and that I was just doing that to be the center of attention. I’m sure I got the attention too but not the kind I thought I was getting.”—u/__0__-__0__-__0__

19. Driving hard

“I have owned a few loud vehicles. The answer for all except one is this: I live in the Midwest and the exhaust rusted in half. I repaired it as soon as I could afford a new one. The reason for the one exception: It is only loud if I drive it hard. I drive easy in the neighborhood and it sounds normal and quiet. It is only loud on the track/highway.”—u/Ghost17088

20. They just like it, ok!?

“Literally no legitimate car hobbyist does this to impress anyone. It’s not to ‘look cool’ or to ‘compensate for a small d*ck’ or because we think it makes women swoon. We know it does none of that. […] For the rest of us with taste, we like the sound, we like the feeling, the fizz, the emotion from the car. We like to feel our seat vibrate on a spirited drive through some canyon roads. We like the feedback it gives you on top of the stock setting. We like hearing the engineering marvel under the hood of our special-to-us car in even greater detail. We like the experience of driving and it enhances the experience for us.”—u/rconn1469