I still remember the first time I had the opportunity to drive an Abarth 500 as if it were yesterday. Those sensations, some of them surprising. The face many pedestrians made when stopping me, or coming out of a traffic light, turning to see the brand new sports car that projected that thick and forceful sound and finding a Fiat 500 on steroids. He was younger and witty. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t think of a better way to define it as a baby, a newborn, with the voice of Darth Vader / Constantino Romero.
The sound of the Abarth was always one of the keys to its charm. Since its launch, Abarth has actively promoted modifications to further enhance the sound and character of its pocket sports car. In its early years, Abarth offered packages to its customers that included, among other things, a new exhaust system. So that after having enjoyed one or two years of his Abarth 500, the client could go to his workshop to improve the performance, and the sound, of his 500. And continue enjoying it as if it were the first day.
A lot has happened since then. And now the Abarth 500 – called the 500e – is electric. And without exhaust pipes or engine sounds, Abarth has opted for a synthesized sound emitted by a speaker.
The synthetic sound of the Abarth 500e
Abarth tells us that they could not give up one of the most important features of their product, the sound. And that is why they designed a system that, according to the brand, “offers an immersive sound experience to those who want to drive electric vehicles without giving up the famous and unmistakable Abarth roar.” In other words, simulate an internal combustion engine sound in an electric. Abarth has called it the Sound Generator.
This sound can of course be switched on and off at will.
We do not know to what extent the sound simulation of the new Abarth 500e can be immersive. Will it be realistic? Punchy enough to compare to a real internal combustion engine? Will there be backfires? How will they approach the linear acceleration of an electric, with no jumps between gears that one expects in a gasoline Abarth?
In the video above, posted by Abarth, we were shown a rather punchy and, honestly, evocative sound. But an official video of the brand will never give us a realistic vision and even less convey the true sensations that this sound emulator transmits.
This is how the new Abarth 500e sounds. And this is what the external speaker looks like – it’s massive! (Sorry that this pre-production prototype was unable to ‘rev’ for the camera) #abarth#abarth500epic.twitter.com/EgAZrrOeFv
—Chris Rees (@quillerrees) January 17, 2023
Today we were with a publication by Chris Rees, Italian journalist and editor of the Auto Italy magazinewhich gave us some additional details about the Sound Generator of the Abarth 500e.
Many doubts still remain unresolved. But yes that shows us the sound that will be heard outside, from the engine to a false “idle”. And what is even more interesting, the big speaker that has replaced the exhaust system, at the base of the carso that the synthetic roar of the Abarth 500e is heard not only in the passenger compartment, but also outside.
Electric that try to achieve the sensations of the cars of yesteryear
As a personal appreciation, just add that in no way would I want to insult the electric, or Abarth’s work with the 500e, with this article. The only future facing the automobile industry is through the electric car. And the only possible future for Abarth is electric.
I am not in favor of this type of solution, which of course we will have to test in the new Abarth, which tries to simulate the sound of an internal combustion engine in an electric one. I believe that the electric ones will have to find their feelings in some way, taking advantage of their qualities, not reminiscing about a better past. And I also believe that those of us who want to continue enjoying the sensations of the cars of yesteryear will have no choice but to do so by driving the cars of yesteryear and not cars that try to imitate those sensations.