Vroom, vroom?

That sound you hear coming from your car’s engine? It might not be real.

As heard on NPR’s “Marketplace,” car makers have been working for years to minimize engine noise. But in some ways they have succeeded all too well. Now many of them are digitally enhancing the sound of their engines (especially on sports cars).

For example, BMW’s new hybrid sports car doesn’t naturally have the engine rumble that so enhances the driver experience. So when you start it up, the car will play some engine rumble sounds through your speakers.

Although we want fuel efficient cars, many of us apparently want to feel like we’re driving an old gas hog from the ‘60s or ‘70s.