News Published on : 10-Feb-2022 12:48:55

The best road tunnels in the UK for motorists to enjoy the sound of their cars have been revealed in the new Alfa Romeo Sound Tunnel Index . The 658-metre long Penmaenbach tunnel in North Wales topped the Alfa Romeo rankings after being judged to provide the best acoustic environment to fully appreciate a car s engine and exhaust sounds. The Alfa Romeo Sound Tunnel Index ranks the top 10 tunnels for motorists across the UK with each location rated based on a sound recording of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio performance SUV driving through each tunnel. The sound captured from inside the vehicle was then assessed by Sandy Brown - one of the UK s leading acoustic consultancies. Its experts - who led acoustic improvements to the iconic Royal Albert Hall - measured the engine and exhaust sound plus tyre road and wind noise to help rank the findings. Following the objective analysis Sandy Brown experts then provided a subjective score for each tunnel with both scores combined to help create the definitive Sound Tunnel Index . With a one-way traffic to each of the tunnel s twin bores an excellent road surface and a distinctive U-shaped profile the Penmaenbach tunnel in North Wales provided the best acoustic environment to enjoy a car s engine sounds. The Saltash tunnel in Cornwall and Beaminster tunnel in Dorset finished second and third in the ranking respectively. Alfa Romeo began by asking its Alfisti fanbase to nominate the UK tunnels that provide the best acoustics. The top 10 were shared with Sandy Brown whose experts visited each tunnel. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio which is powered by a 510hp 2.9-litre V6 Bi-Turbo engine was driven through each tunnel in Dynamic mode giving the performance SUV a sharper throttle response and enhanced exhaust sound while a sound metre recorded each drive from the passenger seat.