>>28478585 (OP)Because new car engines do have to comply with more strict emissions and noise limits. Second reason is turbocharging/supercharging that muffles away many engines own natural sounds, then replaces those muffled sounds with whistle and whooshing sounds. Turbocharging adds low pitch compressor sound type rumbling to engine idle sound that you can also hear with many idling turbodiesel engines. Thats a reason why I have said long time ago that forced induction generally ruins engine sounds. High compression ratios alone has nothing to do with this.
Third reason is the bigger size engine beauty cover that is part of engine sound deadening so you dont hear the sounds of the cam gear, valve train, fuel direct injection so loudly. With some cars there actually is a sound deadening mat or foam that's glued/mounted at the bottom of the engine beauty cover. You can test this difference in engine sound by taking off the beauty cover then putting it back on the engine couple times when engine is idling. Just make sure not to wear any jewelries or loose clothing so nothing gets caught to engine's moving parts.
4th reason is the difference in timing chains, modern engines use more silent/lower friction timing chains than those 23 year old engines that more often had thicker, dual row timing chains. Modern engines also use low tension piston rings. if you compare something like 50 year engine to modern engine, then 5th reason is the difference in engine cooling system. Those 50 year old engines had air/oil cooling while all modern engines have liquid cooling system. Liquid cooling system also makes engines quieter than air/oil cooling.