A short (1.1-1.8 seconds) groaning-sounding Rumble given by an adult male who is on the receiving end of a serious threat. The call has the quality of an outboard or V8 engine, thus its name. The V-8 Rumble is similar in acoustic structure and in social context to a Grumbling-Rumble and it is possible that its deeper, more resonant quality is merely because it is produced by much larger individuals. Adult males may produce this call in several specific circumstances including: When seriously threatened at close range by a higher-ranking (often musth) individual; when chased or lunged at by a higher ranking individual; during rough sparring matches or other rough play.
It is almost dark and two young males are Sparring. It is getting rough. There are loud clanks of ivory. Toward the end of the clip the slightly smaller male with shorter tusks has the upper hand and is forcing the other male back and down. The larger male pulls away and signals defeat with a soft V8-Rumble. (Maasai Mara, Kenya)
