Mercedes-AMG Exhaust Notes To Be Crippled By New Noise Regulations

Mercedes-AMG has admitted that its future performance cars won’t be as loud as those in the past due to nw sound regulations imposed by the European Union.

Speaking with Motoring during the recent launch of the new Mercedes-AMG A 45S and CLA 45 S, the head of product planning for AMG compact cars, Bastian Bogenschutz, said vehicles sold outside Europe will also come with the same restrictions.

“It’s coming from the European regulations. We can [design specific exhausts] but it’s too expensive for every market to do it, it’s pretty difficult,” Bogenschutz explained.

Also Read: New Mercedes-AMG A 45 And CLA 45 Pack Supercar Performance In A Compact Body

New sound regulations in Europe are measured against the loudest setting in the car’s driver mode menu. This means that automakers cannot even design exhaust systems that are quiet most of the time but can be made much louder, such as through the opening of butterfly valves in certain driving modes.

In a bid to ensure owners can enjoy an intoxicating exhaust note, Bogenschutz said that AMG has employed a sound enhancement system inside the cabin.

“The regulations were getting pretty difficult for the sound to just come from the exhaust system. So we added the AMG pure performance sound, there we take the real sound from the exhaust system, the pulsation of the real sound and move it inside the car. It works together with the exhaust system.”

What this means is that owners of mew Mercedes-AMG models will need to turn to the aftermarket if they want an exhaust system which pops, cracks, and bangs. Unless they, too, are banned at some point in the future…