What should an electric car sound like?

The truth is, no one really knows. Some automakers have left their EVs in their natural states, making them as quiet as possible; others have installed systems designed to alert nearby pedestrians (there are laws about this, but they aren't fully fleshed out yet). Still others occasionally "enhance" the audio to make the driver's seat sound like the cockpit of a muscle car.

Then you have Japan's GLM, whose ZZ electric roadster (pictured above) will be getting some weird sounds courtesy of synth giant Roland. A new system available starting on ZZ models this fall will pipe a variety of sounds into the passenger compartment based on acceleration and other factors, creating a sympthony of "ingenious neo-futuristic sounds that will give sports car enthusiasts the experience of driving a space ship on the road," reads Roland's press release. Furthermore, the driver will be able to select from a number of different sounds: perhaps a lion's roar, or Christopher Walken purring "zoom, zoom" as you smash the accelerator to the floor. (Those are actually very unlikely, but you never know what this might mean for downloadable sound packs.)

The ZZ is only produced in very limited numbers and isn't available in the US — Japanese sales started last year — but here's video of one tearing up the Goodwood Hill Climb a couple months ago: