While Alfa Romeo's sales have not been as high as they anticipated, you can't deny that their cars have a more emotional feel than their German rivals. That's especially true with their great-sounding cars such as the Quadrifoglio versions of the Giulia and the Stelvio. In what is probably the most car enthusiast thing anyone could scientifically ever do, Alfa Romeo has just created a way to determine the best tunnels to hoon your loud internal combustion engine vehicle.

The study was conducted in the UK, and in order to achieve this, Alfa Romeo collaborated with Sandy Brown--one of the UK's leading acoustic consultancies to create what Alfa Romeo calls its "Sound Tunnel Index".

The Sound Tunnel Index was able to rank the top 10 tunnels across the UK based on a sound recording from the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio driving through each tunnel. The sound recordings were then objectively assessed by Sandy Brown, which measured the engine and exhaust sound, along with tire, road, and wind noise.

After the objective analysis, the experts at Sandy Brown then subjectively ranked each tunnel recording based on the overall quality of its sound. Both scores were combined and the result is the Sound Tunnel Index.

So, what was considered the best tunnels to drive in? The Penmaenbach tunnel in North Wales was deemed to be the UK’s best tunnel in terms of sound. This is followed by the Saltash tunnel in Cornwall, and this tunnel proves that high speeds don't necessarily equate to great sound. Because of the 30 mph speed limit, the tunnel apparently provided low levels of wind and tire noise, which meant that the Stelvio Quadrifoglio's 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6's noise was pure and unadulterated.

Rounding out the podium is the Beaminster tunnel in Dorset. Its U-shaped design meant that drivers can hear the engine sound clearly despite the presence of traffic.

If you're in the United States (which you probably are) and can't travel to the UK, you'd be glad to know that Alfa Romeo uploaded a playlist on YouTube that features sound clips from each of the top 10 tunnels. However, don't expect any crazy upshifts or throttle blipping here as this study was conducted by Alfa Romeo themselves. After all, they still need to be a role model to society and not encourage exuberant driving to the public.

Here's the full list that Alfa Romeo has created for its Sound Tunnel Index: