Wheels Blog: Wheelies: The Make-Some-Noise Edition

In which we bring you motoring news from around the Web:

• A proposed rule from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to establish a minimum level of noise electric vehicles must make would make cars too loud, lobbyists for major automakers told the safety agency. The proposal, mandated in 2010 by Congress, is aimed at making vehicles noisy enough for pedestrians and bicyclists to hear. The automakers’ representatives said the noise levels established in the proposal would require sounds “that are too loud and too complicated” and would be louder than some high-performance sports cars, according to The Detroit News. (The Detroit News)

• Pedestrians and bicyclists are not the only ones interested in what a car sounds like. “Sound is quite important for the car experience,” the Web site Jalopnik said. “Give something a fantastic engine note and you’ll be ready to forgive any other flaws.” It asked its readers to determine “10 Cars That Don’t Sound as Good as They Look.” Among the 10 were the new Camaro, the Mitsubishi Evo and the Nissan GT-R. (Jalopnik)

• If shopping for a car sounds like the last thing you want to do, you’re not alone. The Web site Edmunds.com recently held a two-day “Hackomotive” brainstorming session, Forbes reports. The idea was to rethink the car-buying experience. Among the suggestions, make car buying more like online dating and less like going to the dentist. (Forbes)

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