Thanks for including just the engine working with no voice over. I remember those days, but living in the southern US, I've never had the opportunity to attend an event. The Matra V12 was truly a growling beast of an engine...almost like some mythical monster
I was there too! We attended the race weekend in our motorhome which was parked along Shoreline drive. So we had some of the best seats in the house! Listening to that Matra-powered Ligier accelerating out of the turn 5 hairpin and coming down Shoreline Drive all weekend long was a truly life-altering experience for a young kid like me. Even the sound it made when Laffite was shifting gears was incredible because at times the backfire made it sound like it was exploding. To this day, no engine I’ve ever heard has sounded as singularly unique as that Ligier/Matra!
@@michaeltyler4034That's great! I was a junior in high school. Bought a camping permit, drove my dad's VW Westphalia camper out from Colorado. Pit row grandstand seats for us, directly above the Ferrari pits. I had a distant relative who worked for the City of Long Beach, so we got a tour of all the innards of the Queen Mary and then some kind of government passes that allowed us to roam the race course.
For anyone interested, the Matra V12 powered Matra Simca 670 won Le Mans 24 in 1972-1974, taking 1st and 2nd, 1st and 3rd, 1st and 3rd respectively. 1972 was Graham Hill and Henri Pescarolo. Graham Hill hadn’t competed at Le Mans since 1966. He’d never won Le Mans, until 1972, when he did it with Pescarolo. Pescarolo raced Le Mans 33 times, won overall 4x, class winner 6x. Raced Le Mans in 4 decades. Far and away the most experienced Le Mans driver of all time. Next closest still active is Emmanuel Collard at 24 races and Jan Magnussen at 23. They’d each have to race into their 60’s to catch Pescarolo.
Went to the ‘73, ‘74, and ‘75 Watkins Glen GP. Back then fences were about 20 feet from the track guardrail and you could almost FEEL the shriek of the Matra. And the venerable Ford DFV that howled and the Ferrari flat 12’s scream. F1 cars now sound like vacuum cleaners on steroids.
No, the Matra sounds quite different because the tuned length exhaust only paired cylinders that fired 180 degrees apart, whereas most 12 cylinders connect the exhausts of 3 cylinders firing 120 degrees apart.
He joined Matra due to a common contact. Matra is a french industrial conglomerate that did much more than formula one. He only found out after accepting the job what his task was. He never took “the job” as an engine designer for an f1 team. Not that simple.
The Ford/Cosworth DFV was anything but boring. On the contrary. He vibrated, screamed, the sound was terrifying - and he was strong, light and reliable. Unfortunately, there were A and B engines. Only the top A-motors got the A-motors...
I remember hearing the Matra V12 at the defunct Ontario Speedway during the Questor Grand Prix. The sound was phenomenal, reminding me of the Air Force fighters stationed nearby.
I was at the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit in Montréal in 1981 when Jacques Lafitte won there. I was sitting in the grand stands in front of the garages. To hear the Matra engine revving up and down in the pits was an enthralling experience. For me no other F1 engine ever produced such an exciting sound.
I still remember attending the first day of practice for the 1972 British GP at Brands Hatch and hearing the Matra V12 driven by Chris Amon howling it's way around the entire circuit. An absolutely magical sound
V12s were great sounding but ineffective in F1 with a single title for a V12 car in 1991 for Ayrton Senna in the McLaren MP4/6 Honda V12, though Ferrari won 3 drivers titles with the flat 12 in the 70s.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but besides those three WDCs, Ferrari won four constructors championships in the 1970s with a V12 engine (and it was a V12 and not a flat 12 - just a V12 with a 180 degree angle; the reasoning behind this designation was a bit beyond my understanding, but had something to do with how the crankshaft was configured.)
@@Argent_99the Ferrari flat 12 was still a flat 12, just not a "boxer", so yes, in essence it's a horizontally opposed V12, a great design for the pre-ground effect era but once skirts and venturi tunnels became de rigueur packaging this configuration became very problematic, the fact that they won the '79 title was mainly down to reliability and the fact that the opposition were getting their ground effect cars together during the season and encountering problems, Ferrari with their resources and private test track were simply better prepared for 1979 and Lotus, all conquering in 1978 dropped the ball in terms of further developing their ground effect car
Great sounding engine but Stewart wasn't a fan and Tyrrell chose to split with Simca Matra to keep the Ford DFV in the back. Interestingly, Tyrrell kept using French racing blue after the split.
@@patrickporter6536, Stewart also mentioned when they first put the DFV in the chassis, after a session they would have to retighten all the bolts as the DFV vibrated so much more than the Matra V12.
I was a marshal at the 1968 Silverstone GP when Jackie Stewart’s Matra pulled off at my post. I was standing 4 feet behind it when Jackie fired it up to rejoin. Oh my God ! Sheer music to the ears !!
My favourite F1 engine sound is a tie between the Ferrari 3.5L V12 (‘89-‘94) and the V10’s from the early 00’s. Another one of my favourite engine sounds that isn’t from F1 is the CART/Champ Car 2.65L turbo V8.
I was sitting in the main grandstand on the main straight of old kyalami during practice for the f1 South African Grand Prix. By the way the longest straight in grand prix at that time. Vividly remember the ford dfv v8. Wonderful. The higher pitch but drone sound of the Ferrari flat12 and the mind splitting, deafening high pitch howl of the Matra v12. The one with the enormous air scoop that was banned later in the season. Had to block me ears. They were in top gear flat out at that point. Just unbelievable. By the aay Lauda in the t2 Ferrari won that year. Thanks for the video.
What year are you talking about? I'd have thought the Mistral straight at Paul Ricard was longer than the run to Crowthorne? Dottinger Hohe at the Nurburgring is much longer without question.
To be fair I don't think you played comparable clips of the engine sounds. Seemed like in the Ford and Ferrari clips the drivers weren't revving the engines nearly as much as in the Mantra clips.
Around that time, I went to the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. There was everything from V-8s to H-16s, but the standout was the Honda V-12. It shrieked.
The Matra V12 was the best sounding F1 engine in its days and for sure had one of the most exciting sounds ever in competition motoring history.I still have full recollection of it's sharp howling sound down the Monza straight lines both during the F1 GP and the 1000 Km Sport Prototypes.This said,it proved itself to be a winner in the long term races of the Sport Prototypes Championship while,in full fairness,it was most often outperformed by the"boring"Ford Cosworth in F1 competitions.Let apart its less than decent reliability the french engine was constantly suffering high fuel consumption and consequently this meant quite an extra weight on the car.
The very first F1 cars i heard in the flesh were two Matra MS120'S blasting up through Abbey curve at Silverstone in May 1971, Amon and Beltoise. i was 17 and went with a mate called Graham Hill(no relation). that sound has stayed with me ever since. todays cars just don't do anything for me, it's not just the sound, it's everything about them. the size, the sound, the wieght, f1 going in the wrong direction as far as i am concerned. i'll leave the latest iteration of F1 to the young generation, though i doubt they will be able to look back in 50 years time with the same excitement that i remember.
I disagree. I have heard the BRM V16 in the flesh and it’s certainly impressive. But the Matra is something else. I remember at Brands in the 70s it would literally drown out every other car in the field. Standing at Westfield, you could hear where it was whichever part of the circuit it was on. RUclips in no way creates its banshee howl. Probably, I suspect, because they are largely videos in preservation where it does not reach full revs. The engine which sounds closest to the Matra is the Le Mans winning Mazda 787B
As a child I was lucky enough to visit the British GP a number of times in the 70s (and 80s) at Brands Hatch and Silverstone and the Ligier Matra V12 going from Paddock to Druids at Brands Hatch is a memory that still makes the hairs on my neck stand up.... Awesome. The Ferrari flat 12 was also awesome but different...
So let's do a beauty competition, marks out of 6: A. Feedback sound under load: 5; B. Liftoff sound: 4; C. Overrun feedback: 3; D. Harmonics: 4; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 4. For comparison, the BRM V16: A. Feedback sound under load: 6; B. Liftoff sound: 6; C. Overrun feedback: 5; D. Harmonics: 6; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 6. Mazda quadruple-rotary: A. Feedback sound under load: 6; B. Liftoff sound: 4; C. Overrun feedback: 4; D. Harmonics: 6; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 6. Porsche 917 flat-12: A. Feedback sound under load: 6; B. Liftoff sound: 6; C. Overrun feedback: 5; D. Harmonics: 6; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 5. Subaru WRC Boxer: A. Feedback sound under load: 5; B. Liftoff sound: 6; C. Overrun feedback: 4; D. Harmonics: 4; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 4. Audi S1: A. Feedback sound under load: 5; B. Liftoff sound: 6; C. Overrun feedback: 6; D. Harmonics: 6; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 6. Ford BDA-4: A. Feedback sound under load: 5; B. Liftoff sound: 5; C. Overrun feedback: 6; D. Harmonics: 5; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 4. Mercedes-Benz W123 4-cyl: A. Feedback sound under load: 3; B. Liftoff sound: 2; C. Overrun feedback: 1; D. Harmonics: 1; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 0. Voilà.
That's what I miss about modern racing, they all sound the same (well, not exactly, they are pretty similar). For me, I have a thing for: Matra V12 Ferrari V12 from about '67 F1, then the later F1 flat 12s The Honda V12s from late 60s The V16 BRM from the 50s Ferrari V12 from 94-95 Honda V12 and V10 from early 90s Renault from 1991, 1992 The DFV is still cool, and I prefer the onboard noise it makes, rather than external.
Music was good in the 70's. You want a proof? Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and of course Matra V12, Cosworth DFV, Ferrari flat 12..... These engines are music to my ears
I heard as well as saw the Matra's at Watkins Glen twice in the early 70s. Once in the F1 race and once at the Glen 5 Star Weekend which included a 6 hour endurance race. 50+ years later I still can hear the scream of the Matra's in my mind. An amazing sound, one you can't forget
It would be great to have these Matra, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, BRM and Honda V12s racing in the Masters Historic F1 3 litre series 😊 instead of the all DFV's
Fabulous video! Loved F1 all my life, but missed this one!! It sounds absolutely stunning!! Re watched this with headphones on! 😲 I agree...possibly the best sounding engine ever!! Thanks for sharing.
I'm a Cosworth fan, but that Matra is one of the best engines from F1 . In those times , was something to hear on a track that engines sound . Not in our days ,unfortunately.
All three engines do sound very very nice. Ok, the Matra is indeed the nicest 😎. There is a kind of drama in this voice, which reminds me a little bit of todays Maserati V8 engines (e.g. in the Quattroporte). And the sad thing is: We will never get back that sound in motor racing.
The Ford DFV has the reliability but not whole lot of power so it would struggle with certain races but it one of those race proven engine where the Matra V12 shines is the noises it produce is eargasm no two ways about it but it a pity they didn't continue to make more racing engines in different configurations
I own a matra and i'm so sad this brand died. A car shapped like a space dorito with 3 seat in the front and a transversal back engine and with a low price is just unique... Only this brand made those thing and now there is just void where matra stood.
I didn't realise until now how different these engines sound. I prefer the matra. To put into words the why, the dfv had a harsh deep sound in part of the gear change and the flat 12 had a higher harsh sound in the same manner. The matra sound was a whole more uniform sound throughout the gears.
the matra got a more rounded plesent sound and not so much mechanical rattling as the ferrari that sounds more klunky rattling noice. DFV well its a V8 so its a bit of another sound by that but also got that rounded pleasant sound as the matra. not that the ferrari sounds bad at all but it just got that little bit of odd rattling that the other engines dont got.
My parents had a Simca hatchback, my mother rolled it down a hill so my panel beater father rebuilt the front end, made his own wings and front, used lights from a bus, was an interesting car, very Volvo like in it's new shape
It may be one of the best V12s But Jackie Stewart didn't think so. His Matra had a Cosworth V8, and he won the championship. Look, in order to finish first , you have to first finish.
I remember the sound of this remarkable engine echoing through the hills at Mosport. I also remember its association with the unluckiest driver ever in F1, Chris Amon. Such a talented driver.
And when he passed several years ago there was not a Single mention of his death at the following F1 race. Hobbo piffe 8:46 d me off with his no mention...hell, he raced against him ims.
Yeah I agree, making the next video a bit longer to run through the lasting effects / changes on the sport as a whole. Next one is on the last v12 the ferrari 412t2.
I have been a lover of F1 since I was a small boy. In addition to those engines mentioned, which were all incredible, I would add the BRM V16. Quite simply, for me personally, the most exciting F1 engine ever. It was overly complicated, unreliable, and notoriously difficult to work on. But, that sound- going up through the rev range and gears, it still sends shivers down my spine. On full chat, it would frighten the Devil himself.
Despite knowing everything about Matra's V12 and that era of formula 1, the first minute had me HOOKED. Great editing, music choice, clip choice, everything really.
In '67 or '68, I saw a white Honda F1 car, with a V-12 that sounded insane. It was at Watkins Glen. By far the best sounding car in the race. But I think it was a DNF. V-12's just sing my song.... Edit add: Needless to say, the Mazda GTP rotary gives me serious chills....LOL
I first heard the Matra in the non points 1971 Argentina GP, one of the few races Chris Amon won. I was 11 then and it was etched in my mind ever since. I could tell it was coming long before it came into sight.
Yes marvelous sounds when F1was F1!! The Ferrari 333 had a beautiful howl to it too!and REV MATCHING DOWNSHIFTS! No semiauto transmission s back then! They
I have never heard it in person, maybe one day at a vintage race. My favorite in person is the DFV, but only in mid 70’s tune, as the earlier are too mellow and later are too harsh sounding. 75-77 DFV’s are the sweet spot, at Waltkins Glen stand at the last corner looking down the front straight, as a DFV accelerates away the scream will change as it gets farther away and a secondary resonance hum forms, no other engines do it there.
![DDG & G Herbo - Nosey [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/I9Ra0Zc2NlQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I hope you enjoyed this video on the mighty Matra V12. What is your favorite Formula 1 Engine? Let me know down below! 😎💥
The 16-cylinder BRM. Nothing sounded like before or after. It was beautiful to hear and see!
I agree, a good engine, but NOT the best sounding - that is i.m.h.o. the BRM V16 of 1953-55. I also think it's unsurpassable.
Thanks for including just the engine working with no voice over. I remember those days, but living in the southern US, I've never had the opportunity to attend an event.
The Matra V12 was truly a growling beast of an engine...almost like some mythical monster
Hart 415T. Support another underdog!
Ferrari 312 t
My first in-person F1 race was Long Beach in 1976. Laffite finished fourth in the glorious, screaming Ligier/Matra! Those were the days!
Amen to you your a legend
Yes, those were the days.
I was there also, watching those wonderful machines.
Thanks for the memories.
I was there too! We attended the race weekend in our motorhome which was parked along Shoreline drive. So we had some of the best seats in the house! Listening to that Matra-powered Ligier accelerating out of the turn 5 hairpin and coming down Shoreline Drive all weekend long was a truly life-altering experience for a young kid like me. Even the sound it made when Laffite was shifting gears was incredible because at times the backfire made it sound like it was exploding. To this day, no engine I’ve ever heard has sounded as singularly unique as that Ligier/Matra!
@@michaeltyler4034That's great! I was a junior in high school. Bought a camping permit, drove my dad's VW Westphalia camper out from Colorado. Pit row grandstand seats for us, directly above the Ferrari pits. I had a distant relative who worked for the City of Long Beach, so we got a tour of all the innards of the Queen Mary and then some kind of government passes that allowed us to roam the race course.
Man I wish I was around back then, best era of F1 for sure
For anyone interested, the Matra V12 powered Matra Simca 670 won Le Mans 24 in 1972-1974, taking 1st and 2nd, 1st and 3rd, 1st and 3rd respectively. 1972 was Graham Hill and Henri Pescarolo. Graham Hill hadn’t competed at Le Mans since 1966. He’d never won Le Mans, until 1972, when he did it with Pescarolo. Pescarolo raced Le Mans 33 times, won overall 4x, class winner 6x. Raced Le Mans in 4 decades. Far and away the most experienced Le Mans driver of all time. Next closest still active is Emmanuel Collard at 24 races and Jan Magnussen at 23. They’d each have to race into their 60’s to catch Pescarolo.
The Matra was unique. It screamed, it howled, especially when it echoed of the Hockenheim grandstands.
Went to the ‘73, ‘74, and ‘75 Watkins Glen GP. Back then fences were about 20 feet from the track guardrail and you could almost FEEL the shriek of the Matra. And the venerable Ford DFV that howled and the Ferrari flat 12’s scream. F1 cars now sound like vacuum cleaners on steroids.
I watched the 12 cyl Matras in Watkins Glen in the early 70s. What a terrific sound they made.
Was standing at the esses when the Shadow went by with the Matra making it's sound all the way down the straight. The sound just hung there!
All 12s sound almost alike,it’s a personal preference.
No, the Matra sounds quite different because the tuned length exhaust only paired cylinders that fired 180 degrees apart, whereas most 12 cylinders connect the exhausts of 3 cylinders firing 120 degrees apart.
"he had no idea what he was getting into" why wouldn't he? You take a job as engine designer for a Formula 1 team, you know what you're getting into.
He joined Matra due to a common contact. Matra is a french industrial conglomerate that did much more than formula one. He only found out after accepting the job what his task was. He never took “the job” as an engine designer for an f1 team. Not that simple.
Enjoyed
Not like the engines nowdays that sound very boreing
The Ford/Cosworth DFV was anything but boring. On the contrary. He vibrated, screamed, the sound was terrifying - and he was strong, light and reliable. Unfortunately, there were A and B engines. Only the top A-motors got the A-motors...
I remember hearing the Matra V12 at the defunct Ontario Speedway during the Questor Grand Prix. The sound was phenomenal, reminding me of the Air Force fighters stationed nearby.
Hearing one of these engines in person is a bucket list activity. That must’ve been an amazing experience.
I drive by where the track was almost ever day when I go to work in Rancho Cucamonga
It's a shame that RUclips sound compression can never do a sound like that justice.
I love that, when the engines started to sing, the auto translate shifted between "music", "foreign" and "applause".. Indeed auto-translate. Indeed.
I was at the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit in Montréal in 1981 when Jacques Lafitte won there. I was sitting in the grand stands in front of the garages. To hear the Matra engine revving up and down in the pits was an enthralling experience. For me no other F1 engine ever produced such an exciting sound.
Cosworth.
@lameduck3630 Definitely a Talbot badged Matra V12 in 81 and 82.
I love everything about this video. The history, the aesthetic, the sounds; all perfect. Immediate sub.
Thanks so much for watching, glad you enjoyed the work put into it 😄
yes, very good video
I still remember attending the first day of practice for the 1972 British GP at Brands Hatch and hearing the Matra V12 driven by Chris Amon howling it's way around the entire circuit. An absolutely magical sound
I still remember its glorious sound at Monza 1000 Km 💫
This and the BRM V16
V12s were great sounding but ineffective in F1 with a single title for a V12 car in 1991 for Ayrton Senna in the McLaren MP4/6 Honda V12, though Ferrari won 3 drivers titles with the flat 12 in the 70s.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but besides those three WDCs, Ferrari won four constructors championships in the 1970s with a V12 engine (and it was a V12 and not a flat 12 - just a V12 with a 180 degree angle; the reasoning behind this designation was a bit beyond my understanding, but had something to do with how the crankshaft was configured.)
@@Argent_99the Ferrari flat 12 was still a flat 12, just not a "boxer", so yes, in essence it's a horizontally opposed V12, a great design for the pre-ground effect era but once skirts and venturi tunnels became de rigueur packaging this configuration became very problematic, the fact that they won the '79 title was mainly down to reliability and the fact that the opposition were getting their ground effect cars together during the season and encountering problems, Ferrari with their resources and private test track were simply better prepared for 1979 and Lotus, all conquering in 1978 dropped the ball in terms of further developing their ground effect car
Great sounding engine but Stewart wasn't a fan and Tyrrell chose to split with Simca Matra to keep the Ford DFV in the back.
Interestingly, Tyrrell kept using French racing blue after the split.
They said of the Matra that the power came out the exhaust.
@@patrickporter6536, Stewart also mentioned when they first put the DFV in the chassis, after a session they would have to retighten all the bolts as the DFV vibrated so much more than the Matra V12.
I was a marshal at the 1968 Silverstone GP when Jackie Stewart’s Matra pulled off at my post. I was standing 4 feet behind it when Jackie fired it up to rejoin. Oh my God ! Sheer music to the ears !!
There's MAYBE only one F1 car that sounds better than the Matra V12 and that's the BRM V16.
My favourite F1 engine sound is a tie between the Ferrari 3.5L V12 (‘89-‘94) and the V10’s from the early 00’s. Another one of my favourite engine sounds that isn’t from F1 is the CART/Champ Car 2.65L turbo V8.
I was sitting in the main grandstand on the main straight of old kyalami during practice for the f1 South African Grand Prix. By the way the longest straight in grand prix at that time. Vividly remember the ford dfv v8. Wonderful. The higher pitch but drone sound of the Ferrari flat12 and the mind splitting, deafening high pitch howl of the Matra v12. The one with the enormous air scoop that was banned later in the season. Had to block me ears. They were in top gear flat out at that point. Just unbelievable. By the aay Lauda in the t2 Ferrari won that year. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the story. Love hearing about these moments. Thanks for watching!
What year are you talking about? I'd have thought the Mistral straight at Paul Ricard was longer than the run to Crowthorne? Dottinger Hohe at the Nurburgring is much longer without question.
@marks7197, you may be correct. 1976
@@peterfisher9286 Wonderful circuit though in any case. Sad to lose Revson and Pryce there and the modern circuit was never in the same class.
I live near Watkins Glen. Went to the 6 hours races in the 70s. I had to the Matra for 6 HOURS! I’ll never forget that sound! Thanks for the video!
To be fair I don't think you played comparable clips of the engine sounds. Seemed like in the Ford and Ferrari clips the drivers weren't revving the engines nearly as much as in the Mantra clips.
How Could it make this sound ? What was the particular design which could sound like this versus other V12?
Second to only the Mazda 3 rotor for making a hangover worse
Was mecanic for lotus at historic GP Monaco. 2 matra v12 were there. As it was covid empty stages Monaco filled with matra sounds, best ever
Around that time, I went to the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. There was everything from V-8s to H-16s, but the standout was the Honda V-12. It shrieked.
i miss the days when f1 was unique. when you had v8s and v12s on the same track in the same race. so much more exciting
The Matra V12 was the best sounding F1 engine in its days and for sure had one of the most exciting sounds ever in competition motoring history.I still have full recollection of it's sharp howling sound down the Monza straight lines both during the F1 GP and the 1000 Km Sport Prototypes.This said,it proved itself to be a winner in the long term races of the Sport Prototypes Championship while,in full fairness,it was most often outperformed by the"boring"Ford Cosworth in F1 competitions.Let apart its less than decent reliability the french engine was constantly suffering high fuel consumption and consequently this meant quite an extra weight on the car.
I had the pleasure of the Matra symphony echoing off the hills of Mosport all though the 70s... Amazing as was this video, thank you!
At Watkins Glen I heard this, the Ferrari flat-12 and the Alfa 12 in the same race.
The very first F1 cars i heard in the flesh were two Matra MS120'S blasting up through Abbey curve at Silverstone in May 1971, Amon and Beltoise. i was 17 and went with a mate called Graham Hill(no relation). that sound has stayed with me ever since.
todays cars just don't do anything for me, it's not just the sound, it's everything about them.
the size, the sound, the wieght, f1 going in the wrong direction as far as i am concerned.
i'll leave the latest iteration of F1 to the young generation, though i doubt they will be able to look back in 50 years time with the same excitement that i remember.
V10 supremacy, you can't beat the sound of 20 000rpm
Sure Matra-12 is amazing with fantastic sound. But saying its the most unique etc is over the top. No one is like the BRM 16.
I disagree. I have heard the BRM V16 in the flesh and it’s certainly impressive. But the Matra is something else. I remember at Brands in the 70s it would literally drown out every other car in the field. Standing at Westfield, you could hear where it was whichever part of the circuit it was on. RUclips in no way creates its banshee howl. Probably, I suspect, because they are largely videos in preservation where it does not reach full revs. The engine which sounds closest to the Matra is the Le Mans winning Mazda 787B
The longest exhaust pipes ever.
As a child I was lucky enough to visit the British GP a number of times in the 70s (and 80s) at Brands Hatch and Silverstone and the Ligier Matra V12 going from Paddock to Druids at Brands Hatch is a memory that still makes the hairs on my neck stand up.... Awesome.
The Ferrari flat 12 was also awesome but different...
So let's do a beauty competition, marks out of 6: A. Feedback sound under load: 5; B. Liftoff sound: 4; C. Overrun feedback: 3; D. Harmonics: 4; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 4. For comparison, the BRM V16: A. Feedback sound under load: 6; B. Liftoff sound: 6; C. Overrun feedback: 5; D. Harmonics: 6; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 6. Mazda quadruple-rotary: A. Feedback sound under load: 6; B. Liftoff sound: 4; C. Overrun feedback: 4; D. Harmonics: 6; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 6. Porsche 917 flat-12: A. Feedback sound under load: 6; B. Liftoff sound: 6; C. Overrun feedback: 5; D. Harmonics: 6; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 5. Subaru WRC Boxer: A. Feedback sound under load: 5; B. Liftoff sound: 6; C. Overrun feedback: 4; D. Harmonics: 4; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 4. Audi S1: A. Feedback sound under load: 5; B. Liftoff sound: 6; C. Overrun feedback: 6; D. Harmonics: 6; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 6. Ford BDA-4: A. Feedback sound under load: 5; B. Liftoff sound: 5; C. Overrun feedback: 6; D. Harmonics: 5; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 4. Mercedes-Benz W123 4-cyl: A. Feedback sound under load: 3; B. Liftoff sound: 2; C. Overrun feedback: 1; D. Harmonics: 1; E. Sound transfiguration (or "fear of God factor"): 0. Voilà.
That's what I miss about modern racing, they all sound the same (well, not exactly, they are pretty similar).
For me, I have a thing for:
Matra V12
Ferrari V12 from about '67 F1, then the later F1 flat 12s
The Honda V12s from late 60s
The V16 BRM from the 50s
Ferrari V12 from 94-95
Honda V12 and V10 from early 90s
Renault from 1991, 1992
The DFV is still cool, and I prefer the onboard noise it makes, rather than external.
I remember Mario Andretti talking about the Matra's and how loud and powerful they were.
They had less power than the DFV.
Music was good in the 70's.
You want a proof? Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and of course Matra V12, Cosworth DFV, Ferrari flat 12.....
These engines are music to my ears
I heard as well as saw the Matra's at Watkins Glen twice in the early 70s. Once in the F1 race and once at the Glen 5 Star Weekend which included a 6 hour endurance race. 50+ years later I still can hear the scream of the Matra's in my mind. An amazing sound, one you can't forget
I've experienced 3 in real life and they are borderline terrifying.
It would be great to have these Matra, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, BRM and Honda V12s racing in the Masters Historic F1 3 litre series 😊 instead of the all DFV's
Matra v12 one of the most beautiful exhausts in history. great video. subscribed! If you could add Spanish subtitles to your videos it would be great.
I will definitely look into adding Spanish subtitles for future videos. Glad you enjoyed the video 😁
Fabulous video! Loved F1 all my life, but missed this one!! It sounds absolutely stunning!! Re watched this with headphones on! 😲 I agree...possibly the best sounding engine ever!! Thanks for sharing.
The Matra MS670 driven by French legend Henri Pescarolo in Le Mans 1972 remain the best sounding V12 race car of all time. Period.
I'm a Cosworth fan, but that Matra is one of the best engines from F1 .
In those times , was something to hear on a track that engines sound . Not in our days ,unfortunately.
Its sounds very much like the Porsche 911 RSR just even louder and a bit higher reeving. The Porsche has half the amount of cylinders XD.
All three engines do sound very very nice. Ok, the Matra is indeed the nicest 😎. There is a kind of drama in this voice, which reminds me a little bit of todays Maserati V8 engines (e.g. in the Quattroporte). And the sad thing is: We will never get back that sound in motor racing.
1976年の富士でのF1日本グランプリでマトラV12のエンジン音を聞きました。
素晴らしいサウンドでしたよ。
Chris Amon won the 1971 non championship Argentinian grand prix in a Matra ms120 v12.
Yes he did, rarely gets a mention. it was a sort of a test event to see if Argentina could host a championship GP, They did of course for years.
That sound is the best thing the French ever made
Honestly? I thing the 1995 Ferrari V12 is unbeatable on the pure sound standpoint.
The Ford DFV has the reliability but not whole lot of power so it would struggle with certain races but it one of those race proven engine where the Matra V12 shines is the noises it produce is eargasm no two ways about it but it a pity they didn't continue to make more racing engines in different configurations
I own a matra and i'm so sad this brand died. A car shapped like a space dorito with 3 seat in the front and a transversal back engine and with a low price is just unique... Only this brand made those thing and now there is just void where matra stood.
Nothing is just changed any more, it's changed "forever." Forever is a long time.
I didn't realise until now how different these engines sound. I prefer the matra. To put into words the why, the dfv had a harsh deep sound in part of the gear change and the flat 12 had a higher harsh sound in the same manner. The matra sound was a whole more uniform sound throughout the gears.
on 2:31 I'm glad to learn ipads where already a thing at the 1968 Dutch Grand Prix !
The t50 sounds really close to the Matra v12 . Same firing order.
the matra got a more rounded plesent sound and not so much mechanical rattling as the ferrari that sounds more klunky rattling noice.
DFV well its a V8 so its a bit of another sound by that but also got that rounded pleasant sound as the matra.
not that the ferrari sounds bad at all but it just got that little bit of odd rattling that the other engines dont got.
Does anyone know what the song is in the background for the segment of the 1977 race?
Best sounding engine was the BRM V 16….. on cam. Music to your ears.
The Matra is not in my time but here it sounds really good. My time was with the Ferrari V12.
The Matra v12 sounds good, but ever heard the Honda RA272? :)
I personally favour the DFV, probably because it's the sound I heard most when I attended motor races,when I was young.
And the 1995 Ferrari V12?
I miss the sounds and the ‘smell’ of racing in the days of my youth.
Those really echoed the whole boot at Watkins Glen.
My parents had a Simca hatchback, my mother rolled it down a hill so my panel beater father rebuilt the front end, made his own wings and front, used lights from a bus, was an interesting car, very Volvo like in it's new shape
It may be one of the best V12s But Jackie Stewart didn't think so. His Matra had a Cosworth V8, and he won the championship.
Look, in order to finish first , you have to first finish.
Very high chance if he didn’t use the DFV he wouldn’t have won the championship
I remember the sound of this remarkable engine echoing through the hills at Mosport. I also remember its association with the unluckiest driver ever in F1, Chris Amon. Such a talented driver.
And when he passed several years ago there was not a Single mention of his death at the following F1 race. Hobbo piffe 8:46 d me off with his no mention...hell, he raced against him ims.
It's like high pitch Ferrari V12 of the '90s, but 20 years earlier, I wouldn't be surprised if Ferrari copied some parameters of it.
Very good point, love the brutal Ferrari v12s
It was music, art, passion. Not anymore, ever, never.
I have to say, the video title made it sound like you'd explain why it changed F1 sound forever and I think that would have been really interesting.
Yeah I agree, making the next video a bit longer to run through the lasting effects / changes on the sport as a whole. Next one is on the last v12 the ferrari 412t2.
Loved this. Very interesting. The DFV was hardly boring, though! The thought!
Definitely agree, was more so saying in comparison to the matra it was the voting choice. Ask things considered the DFV was the right choice to make
Great sound but nothing better than a V10 at 19000 rpm
the92 mclarem, and 95 ferrari are the other best sounding f1 engines ever.
The Ferrari 412 T2 is my favourite sounding F1 car personally. The matra is a very close 2nd. I am very biased towards Ferrari though haha
Funny that the nowadays Cosworth V12 for the GMA T50 sounds like the Matra !
I agree, the t50 is a beautiful car
Apparently, people named George(s) Martin are good at producing perfect sounds.
Apparently that is the case
I saw BRM testing at Kyalami with the same exhaust systen as Matra on their own v12. It sounded exactly the same as the Matra.
I have been a lover of F1 since I was a small boy. In addition to those engines mentioned, which were all incredible, I would add the BRM V16. Quite simply, for me personally, the most exciting F1 engine ever. It was overly complicated, unreliable, and notoriously difficult to work on. But, that sound- going up through the rev range and gears, it still sends shivers down my spine. On full chat, it would frighten the Devil himself.
i think the manual gearchange adds to the sound...
Thank you, Aubrey Woods, BRM
It was awe and passion and now it sounds like a Toyota hybrid with straight pipes, it's awful.
Bring back the v12s i say
Great video mate! liked and subscribed 🤘
It would have been useful to know what was special about this engine n why it sounded like it did.
Will be adding a more in depth section / more technical section at the end for future videos similar to this one.
Brm h16 better
This is the perfect age of F1 V12s. They growled, where newer ones shriek.
I love this era, thanks for watching !
Fantastic sound , too bad the F1 of today has lost the beautiful sound of the V 12s
Very true.
Despite knowing everything about Matra's V12 and that era of formula 1, the first minute had me HOOKED. Great editing, music choice, clip choice, everything really.
Nothing sounds like a V12
In '67 or '68, I saw a white Honda F1 car, with a V-12 that sounded insane. It was at Watkins Glen. By far the best sounding car in the race. But I think it was a DNF. V-12's just sing my song....
Edit add: Needless to say, the Mazda GTP rotary gives me serious chills....LOL
Flat 12 Ferarri best sounding
Poor old Chris Amon. Just never in the right car at the right time.
Seems to happen to many drivers
I first heard the Matra in the non points 1971 Argentina GP, one of the few races Chris Amon won. I was 11 then and it was etched in my mind ever since. I could tell it was coming long before it came into sight.
That sounds amazing, i wish i added the Argentinian non championship Grand Prix in this video
Yes marvelous sounds when F1was F1!! The Ferrari 333 had a beautiful howl to it too!and REV MATCHING DOWNSHIFTS! No semiauto transmission s back then! They
I have never heard it in person, maybe one day at a vintage race. My favorite in person is the DFV, but only in mid 70’s tune, as the earlier are too mellow and later are too harsh sounding. 75-77 DFV’s are the sweet spot, at Waltkins Glen stand at the last corner looking down the front straight, as a DFV accelerates away the scream will change as it gets farther away and a secondary resonance hum forms, no other engines do it there.