Alfa Romeo reveals UK’s best driving tunnels with ‘Sound Tunnel Index’

Alfa Romeo has created a ‘Sound Tunnel Index’ to determine the best tunnels in the UK for driving through.

The sound index ranks the top 10 tunnels for motorists in the UK, with each location given a rating based on a sound recording generated by an Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio driving through each tunnel.

The sound, which is captured from within the vehicle, was then assessed by Sandy Brown, one of the UK’s leading acoustic consultancies. Its team of sound experts – who worked to improve the acoustics of the Royal Albert Hall – measured the engine and exhaust sound as well as tyre, road and wind noise as a way of determining the best tunnel.

Through this method, they were able to create a ranking of the top 10 tunnels in the UK.

The Penmaenbach tunnel in North Wales took the overall top spot, with its smooth road surface and U-shaped profile contributing to its first place ranking. This was followed by the Saltash tunnel in Cornwall and the Beaminster tunnel in Dorset in second and third places respectively.

Richard King, associate at Sandy Brown, said: “The shape and size of tunnels, their length, the speed of the road, background sounds such as other cars, airflow and tyre noise, all have an impact on the sound you hear while driving through it.

“This is heightened in a performance SUV like the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, where the combination of the V6 Bi-Turbo engine and exhaust sound add to the excitement, so this index will help petrolheads and car lovers across the UK make the most of their drives.”

Alfa Romeo also asked its fanbase to nominate the UK tunnel with the best sound.

The 2.9-litre V6-powered Stelvio Quadrifoglio was driven in Dynamic mode through each tunnel, with this setting giving a sharper throttle response and a louder exhaust sound.

Other notable entries into the list included the Hindhead tunnel in Surrey which was praised for its ‘good road surface’ and the Hatfield tunnel in Hertfordshire which, despite having a ‘good one-way traffic system’ faltered due to its road surface which ‘produces a really loud noise’.