We can't say we were entirely shocked that the 2015 Ford Mustang Ecoboost was pumping artificial engine jams through its stereo. What we weren't expecting was actually hearing the fake noise do a five-chord solo thanks to some tuning software.
The crew at Cobb hooked up their AccessPort system to the turbocharged Stang, and by cycling through each of the five different map slots, they were able to activate the car's faux engine noise.
The engine is running, but you can barely hear it at idle. And each map slot brings the revs up by 1,000 – faux – RPM, jumping from 1,000 to 2,000 then 3k, 4k and 5k.
Ford engineer Shawn Carney previously explained that the system is called Active Noise Control, and that in addition to canceling out unwanted noises, it also layers "certain sounds characteristics on top of what's already there."
He also calls it "natural", and with the engine running, it sounds fine. But take out the mechanical melody up front, and it's more robotic hum than engine thrum.