Mercedes-AMG GT XX Emits Artificial V8 Sounds Through Its Headlights | Carscoops

      Speakers located beneath each fender are integrated into the headlights, utilizing the light cavity to produce a deep bass sound.

      12 hours ago

      By Chris Chilton

      Mercedes AMG has introduced an intriguing technological feature in its latest four-door electric vehicle concept.

      The Concept GT XX is equipped with speakers that emit synthesized engine sounds from the headlights.

      This artificial combustion sound also serves to alert pedestrians to the presence of the XX.

      When the initial images of Mercedes-AMG’s new Concept AMG GT XX emerged yesterday, the headlights appeared to be the least captivating aspect, overshadowed by many other notable features. However, those seemingly ordinary headlights conceal one of the XX’s most fascinating attributes, unrelated to LEDs or light beams.

      Amidst the excitement over the striking rear lights, the digital display board situated between them, the glass-less rear section, and the adjustable aerodynamic wheel covers, an unusual addition to the front lighting units designed not for visibility, but for audibility, might have been overlooked.

      Each headlight is equipped with a loudspeaker on its side surface to broadcast artificial engine sounds. These small speakers utilize the headlight units as a traditional speaker cavity to enhance bass frequencies—a critical element for AMG when attempting to mimic the roar of a classic V8.

      Passengers in the vehicle, which previews next year’s production AMG GT that competes with the Porsche Taycan, will also hear sounds, though these will come from the cabin speakers. The front speakers are intended for external audiences, marking Mercedes’ acknowledgment that the inherently quiet nature of electric vehicles can be unexciting.

      Moreover, these sounds have an additional function beyond just enhancing the experience for the driver. Legally, EVs must produce some external noise to notify pedestrians of their presence, and a deep growl fits better in a 1,341 hp (1,360 PS / 1,000 kW) EV than random beeping sounds.

      AMG claims that the concept’s three Yasa motors achieve a top speed of 224 mph (460 km/h), and the 114 kWh battery could theoretically support charging at over 850 kW, potentially adding 249 miles (400 km) of range in just 5 minutes. While there are currently no public chargers of that speed in Europe or America, some have been developed in China, and Mercedes remains optimistic that they will become standard in the future.