Buying Guides & Insights

ASMCar: The Most Soothing Supercars on the Road

7 Oct 2025

5 min read

ASMR can improve the mood of up to 80% of people, and for motorheads, there’s nothing that quite beats the roar of an engine.

Of course, for the more sophisticated palette among us, we know that different cars can provide us with different sounds, from deep, velvety tones to more guttural, primal cackles and howls. It can even be a key factor in purchasing.

We’re all different, and in everyday life, we find different things to soothe us. For some of us, the gentle sounds of folk music is what we turn to after a difficult day at work. For others, heavy metal can really help relieve the tension.

The University of Sheffield ran a first-of-its-kind study back in 2018 to establish the physiological underpinnings of ASMR. They found that those utilising it had significantly reduced heartrates compared to those who didn’t, while also showing signs of positive emotion, including relaxation.

Dr Giulia Poerio, who led the study, explained: “What’s interesting is that the average reductions in heart rate experienced by our ASMR participants was comparable to other research findings on the physiological effects of stress-reduction techniques such as music and mindfulness.”

Referred to as low-grade euphoria, car sounds have been proven to be a great tool for ASMR, and there are hundreds of YouTube videos with ASMR car sounds, or ASMCar, as we like to put it. But, as we’ve mentioned, the supercar market has a smorgasbord of sounds, so what are the perfect ASMCar sounds for you?

ASMCar: Finding the Perfect Roar

We decided to break down the best supercar sounds to uncover those that provide a more cultured, regal tone and those that will give you the powerful, aggressive scream that’ll make your hair stand on end.

To do that, we searched Reddit threads and YouTube channels to find the most popular ASMR supercars, creating a shortlist of around 30, and analysed the sounds of each.

We then placed them into four categories based upon the sounds they were producing from startup through to full throttle. These being: Cultured, fine-tuned, power and raw.

Bucketing the Supercars: From Cultured to Raw

Using AI to analyse the sounds heard from the supercar, we labelled the sounds of a car’s startup, running idle, acceleration, full throttle and downshift, as well as a one-word description of the sound, which we were then able to bucket into four clear categories.

Each had familiar descriptive words within them that were able to be bucketed, with sounds that could be described as melodic, operatic and regal fitting into Cultured. Precise, hyper, subtle were located in Fine-Tuned; thunderous, fiery, and aggressive went in Powerful; and guttural, raucous and piercing in Raw.

These all help us find the right sounds for us, whether we’re more attuned to folky, cultured sounds or heavy-metal, muscular, full-throttle sounds.

But what cars fit into each bracket?

The Cultured: The Most Melodic of the Pack

For those seeking more symphonic and majestic sounds, naturally aspirated V12 engines are the most commonly found here, including the likes of the Pagani Zonda Cinque and the Aston Martin Vantage S. However, the legendary orchestral tones of the Lexus LFA also receives cultured status, alongside the Ferrari F40 and 458 Italia.

Based upon our findings, it’s the Zonda Cinque, Vantage S and Aston Martin DBS Superleggera that stand out as the most cultured models based upon their sound and descriptions, providing real velvety rumbles for supercar lovers.

The Fine-Tuned: Perfect Precision

Porsche dominated the list of fine-tuned cars, with the 911 Turbo S and 918 Spyder popular among those ASMCar enthusiasts. The hybrid howl of the V8 in the latter is a sound to behold, but it didn’t quite make it into our top three, with the Koenigsegg Jesko and McLaren P1 joining the 911 Turbo S.

The P1 is built to be the best driver’s car in the world, and that too is the case with how it sounds, with the hybrid hypercar offering a smooth burble combined with its electric hum. It’s all about gradual crescendos in its acceleration and has plenty of layers which can really soothe the mind.

The Powerful: Explosive Screaming

Most of our 30 cars fitted best into the power category, as is to be expected when you’re dealing with V8 to V12 engines and RPMs of 8,000+. Words such as monstrous, brutal, and relentless can all be used to describe the likes of the McLaren 765LT, Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV and the SCG 003S.

But it was the Bugatti Bolide, Aston Martin Valkyrie and Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 that provided the most primal of the shrieks and barks, with the Valkyrie often being described as one of the best ever with its 11,000 RPM V12 Cosworth bursting out a savage howl in full throttle.

The Raw: Unfiltered, Piercing Energy

The fine line between power and raw can be found in the likes of the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, Pagani Zonda R and Radical RXC Turbo 600R, the former of which can be described as having otherworldly exhaust notes.

Sounds that can be described as sharp, savage and snarling are prominent across the three supercars mentioned, alongside the Mercedes-AMG One, Ferrari F12 TDF and the Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06, all of which are cars perfectly suited to ASMR.

You Want Noise? The Loudest Roars

While most will give you a similar output in terms of decibels, the Bugatti Bolide is the loudest car within our study, hitting up to 120 dB. To put that into perspective, a Boeing 747 produces around 140 dB during take-off!

However, if you’re looking for a sheer wall of noise, you can also look to the 11,100 RPM of the Valkyrie, which can also hit noise levels of 115 dB. The Mercedes AMG One also hits 11,000 RPM with a 110 maximum dB capacity.

The Koenigsegg Jesko, Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 and the Pagani Huayra R will also give you among the most revs and loudest sounds if you really want blowing away.

The Closest to Perfection: The Top Five ASMCars

Exploring the cars closest to perfection based upon the most commonly used descriptive words across our entire study and where they are used most, combined with Maximum dB, RPM and engine, the Pagani Zonda R leads the way.

Looking for cars with either a V8 or V12 engine with an RPM of around 8,060 and over 108 dB sounds, the Zonda R is an explosive, barking, race-tuned machine that offers a real escalating scream. It’s one for those looking for raw and powerful, and is complemented by being one of the best-looking cars on the market.

For those looking for something more cultured, the Zonda Cinque features highly, while the McLaren P1 lives up to its ultimate driving status by featuring in our top five perfect-sounding cars.

Lamborghini also enjoy two entries in the top five, both offering unrivalled primal and ferocious power.

Of course, there are many more great sounding ASMCars that are proven to help relieve tension and even improve mental health.