https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Racing_Motors_V16
Mind you - I still think the best engine sound I've heard is from a Rolls Royce Merlin...
Hadn't heard of that engine before. Was a very pleasant way to take a break from emails. Thanks.
I really like the sound (in recorded footage, would love to hear it in person) of the Cosworth DFV, although it's a much more conventional engine. The (inherently unbalanced) flat plane V8 engine with an unusual valve arrangement, coupled with a tuned exhaust has a great sound. It's was a handful to drive with a very narrow power band, giving out only a few hundred horsepower at ~6000 rpm, and quickly jumping to 400+ hp at 7500 rpm when the exhaust tuning does its trick. You can hear from the exhaust note when it's about to kick.
Back when I had an RX8, I wanted to convert it's stock 2 rotor over to a 3 or 4 rotor purely because of this engine sound!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Fgi1OQqao
The rotary engine is amazing. In the RX8, the powerband kicks in around 4500-5000 rpm, and pulls strong right up through the redline at 9500 rpm. The engine loves high rpm! You can sit in 3rd gear running at 8500 rpm at 80+ mph on the highway and it'll just take it without question. The BMI 4 rotor has a much higher redline, if I recall, near 11,000+ rpm.
And no fake anything in that car! You really feel the road when you're driving, feel the mechanicals as well as hear them. I really should buy it from him one of these days.
And thus we reach biggest complaint about rotary engines.
Complaint? Never heard one from an RX8 owner (only shock from new owners who didn't read-up on how the engine operates, and thought they had a leak someplace!).
If you changed your oil out when you were supposed to, chances were you'd never notice it eating oil.