U.1 stationary noise level on the registration certificate: 69 sports cars, model by model

Values taken on 31/10/2026 from the official Dutch vehicle register (RDW, open data); definitions from the European texts.

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Contents 9

1. The short answer.
2. Stationary noise of 69 sports cars, model by model.
3. What the figures show.
4. U.1, U.2, U.3: where to find them, how they are measured.
5. U.1 is not a limit.
6. What it means at the MOT.
7. Method and limitations.
8. Frequently asked questions.
9. Sources.

The short answer.

Field U.1 of a European registration certificate gives your car's stationary noise level in dB(A), measured at type approval with the microphone 0.5 m from the exhaust outlet, at the engine speed shown in field U.2. It is not a limit: it is your car's reference value whenever an inspection measures stationary noise.

• Across the 69 sports cars in our table, this value ranges from 74 dB(A) (Porsche Macan 2.0) to 115 dB(A) (Ferrari 812 Competizione); most are above 85 dB(A).
• A few benchmarks: Volkswagen Golf 8 R 84 dB(A), BMW M340i 90 or 95, BMW M3 / M4 Competition G80 89, Audi RS 3 8Y 81, Mercedes-AMG A 45 W176 106, Porsche 911 GT3 992 98.
• In the drive-by test (field U.3, the test that sets the type-approval limits), the same cars stay between 68 and 74 dB(A).
• A high U.1 value is not a fault: it is the official figure for your car as it left the factory, the one a stationary test compares it with.

Find your car: Volkswagen · Audi · BMW · Mercedes-AMG · Porsche · Toyota · Honda · Ford · Ferrari · Maserati · Aston Martin.

Stationary noise of 69 sports cars, model by model.

Type-approval values held in the RDW register for the cars of each model registered in the Netherlands. In bold, the most common value; below it, any other value found on at least 5% of the cars, with their number in brackets. Tap a heading to sort the table. Each model links to its Rog exhaust.

Source: RDW Open Data, datasets "Gekentekende_voertuigen" (m9d7-ebf2) and "Gekentekende_voertuigen_brandstof" (8ys7-d773), public domain data, updated by the RDW on 31/10/2026. You may reuse this table by crediting "RogMotorsport, based on RDW Open Data" and the address of this page.

What the figures show.

• A newer generation is not always quieter. The Golf 8 GTI is type-approved at 89 dB(A) stationary, against 78 for the Golf 7 GTI. The other way round, the A 45 S W177 is at 83 dB(A), against 106 for the 280 kW A 45 W176.
• One model can have several values. Depending on the version and the type-approval extension: M340i 90 or 95 dB(A), Golf 8 R from 82 to 102, C 63 S W205 from 88 to 100. Only your own documents give the value for your car.
• Two Golf 7.5 Rs, two values. 78 dB(A) for the 228 kW version (2017 to 2019), 96 for the 213 kW version (2019 and 2020).
• The test speed varies from car to car. 3,750 rpm for most, 3,325 for the 911 992 and the Civic Type R, 4,250 for the 812 Superfast: that is field U.2, and it is at this speed that an inspection repeats the stationary measurement.

U.1, U.2, U.3: where to find them, how they are measured.

The harmonised European registration certificate can show three entries under code U, "sound level" (Directive 1999/37/EC, Annex I):

These entries are optional: each country decides whether to print them. If your document does not show them, the European certificate of conformity (COC) supplied with the new car also gives the stationary sound level and its engine speed.

Regulation (EU) No 540/2014 (Annex II) describes the measurement: microphone 0.5 m from the exhaust outlet, at 45°, gearbox in neutral, engine warm, at least three readings. The engine speed is 75% of the speed at maximum power if that is no higher than 5,000 rpm, 3,750 rpm if it lies between 5,000 and 7,500 rpm, and half of it above that. Hence the 3,750 rpm so often seen in field U.2.

U.1 is not a limit.

European type-approval limits apply to the drive-by test, the one in field U.3: 68 to 72 dB(A) in phase 3 for passenger cars, depending on the power-to-mass ratio, for all first registrations since 1 July 2026 (Regulation 540/2014, Annex III). They only apply to new cars: a car already registered keeps its values. The U.1 value, taken 50 cm from the outlet, is a different kind of figure and much higher. Nor should it be compared with the threshold of noise cameras, which measure on the move and from a distance.

What it means at the MOT.

In the United Kingdom, the MOT tester judges the noise (during the emissions test, or with the engine at around 2,500 rpm) by comparing it with that of a similar vehicle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition; there is no dB value, and excessive noise is a major defect (MOT inspection manual, section 8). The British V5C does not print U.1: the value is in the COC. In the European Union, the inspector may measure stationary noise when the level seems borderline (Directive 2014/45/EU), and the reference is the car's type-approval value (U.1): a margin of 2 dB(A) in the Netherlands and in Italy (in an approved test hall), and of 5 dB(A) in Poland.

With a Rog exhaust and the valves closed, the car sounds close to standard: that is how it should be presented for inspection. With the rear section alone or a 200-cell sports catalytic converter, the emissions control system is retained; the decat version is for track use only. The outcome always depends on the vehicle, its condition and the rules in force on the day of the inspection.

The rules in your country: United Kingdom (MOT) · Ireland (NCT) · United States · Canada · Australia.

Further reading: Noise cameras and car noise enforcement in Europe · Changing your exhaust.

Method and limitations.

• Data: the official Dutch vehicle register (RDW), queried on 31/10/2026 through its public interface. For each model, we selected the trade name, the root of the EU type-approval number, the net power and the fuel (petrol), then counted the U.1, U.2 and U.3 values of every matching car: 37,917 cars in all.
• What they are: type-approval values recorded by model and by version, not measurements taken on each car.
• Exclusions: cars without an EU type-approval number (individually approved imports). A value missing from the register is also missing from the table.
• Variations: when a model has several values, the most common is in bold and the others are listed when they cover at least 5% of the cars.
• Scope: the value that counts for your car is the one on its registration certificate or its COC.

Dataset published on Zenodo: DOI 10.5281/zenodo.23886816

Frequently asked questions.

What does field U.1 on the registration certificate mean?
It is the car's stationary noise level, in dB(A), measured at type approval 0.5 m from the exhaust outlet. Field U.2 gives the engine speed for that measurement, and field U.3 the drive-by noise.

Is a U.1 value of 100 dB(A) too high?
No. It is the official value of the car as built, measured very close to the exhaust: many sports cars exceed 90 dB(A), for example 106 for the A 45 W176 and 98 for the 911 GT3 992. Type-approval limits apply to a different test, the drive-by test, measured from a distance.

My registration document has no U.1 field: where can I find the value?
In the European certificate of conformity (COC) supplied with the new car, or from the manufacturer. Our table gives the values recorded model by model, but only the value for your own car counts.

Does an aftermarket exhaust change the U.1 value?
No, the recorded value remains the type-approval value. What matters at inspection is how loud the car actually is: with a Rog valved exhaust, valves closed, it stays close to standard.

Is the U.1 value used at the MOT?
Not directly: the MOT tester judges the noise by comparing it with a similar vehicle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition, with no dB value. In the European Union, U.1 is the reference when the inspector measures stationary noise: + 2 dB(A) in the Netherlands and Italy, + 5 dB(A) in Poland.

Sources.

RDW data extracted on 31/10/2026; texts consulted between 26/09 and 31/10/2026.

1. RDW Open Data, "Gekentekende_voertuigen": opendata.rdw.nl, m9d7-ebf2
2. RDW Open Data, "Gekentekende_voertuigen_brandstof" (fields geluidsniveau_stationair, toerental_geluidsniveau, geluidsniveau_rijdend): opendata.rdw.nl, 8ys7-d773
3. Directive 1999/37/EC on the registration documents for vehicles, Annex I: EUR-Lex
4. Regulation (EU) No 540/2014 on the sound level of motor vehicles, Annexes II and III: EUR-Lex
5. Directive 2014/45/EU on periodic roadworthiness tests, Annex I, point 8.1.1: EUR-Lex
6. UTAC, technical instruction for passenger cars, noise (France): utac-otc.com
7. UTAC, technical instruction for two-wheelers, noise (France): utac-otc.com
8. Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (CSRPAD), limits at the revisione: csrpad.it
9. RDW, APK manual, noise: apk-handboek.rdw.nl
10. Poland, regulation on the technical conditions of vehicles, § 9 (Dz.U. 2024 poz. 502): api.sejm.gov.pl