Sports cars about to become a lot quieter, thanks to new regulations in Europe.
Specifically, Mercedes-AMG said its next-generation sports and sporty cars won't have the exact same bark and snarl as we know today. Head of product planning for Mercedes-AMG compact cars, Bastian Bogenschutz, told Australian website Car Sales that the first cars subject to new European noise restrictions are the recently revealed AMG A45 S and CLA45 S. Before you ask why European regulations affect U.S.-spec cars, Bogenschutz has the answer.
2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S
Frankly, it's too expensive to develop a different exhaust system for various markets that each have their own sound restrictions. Therefore, Mercedes-AMG will adhere to the strictest of them and sell its cars around the world with the same gear. That's not stopping anyone from sourcing the aftermarket to spice things up, however.
The new European Union regulation, No. 540/2014, aims to reduce noise levels from the current 74 decibels to 68 decibels by 2026. It begins this year and changes in steps until 2026. The regulation takes into consideration the loudest exhaust setting available for a car, and that did away with the snaps and crackles that the A45 S and CLA45 S can emit. However, AMG is making sure it's not all quiet and serene.
2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S
The division instead uses sound enhancement to pump noise into the cabin. Rather than use stereo speakers to amplify a sound with artificial noise, Bogenschutz said the system routes the exhaust sound directly into the cockpit. We imagine Mercedes-AMG will change the exhaust notes of numerous cars as they are eventually renewed and sold in the U.S. We won't get the CLA45 S, at least not immediately.
The new regulation obviously doesn't just affect Mercedes-AMG. Every carmaker that does business in Europe will need to adhere to the regulation. That means we'll soon hear neutered exhaust notes from any sports car that hails primarily from Europe and perhaps for others that are sold in Europe and built elsewhere.