They sound kinda like sewing machines now. Sewing machines that will do 0-100-0 in less than 5 seconds, but still.

Back when they had V-10's and V-12's was the time when they'd make you think your ears were going to bleed. I was in the grandstand that sits on the hill climb out of Eau Rouge at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, and a couple times, I felt the side of my head to see if my eardums had actually burst and if blood was leaking out.

They were 3.5 litre normally aspirated cars back then. Now, they're 1.6 litre V-6 turbo hybrids, and they go faster than anything ever made before them - even the Williams FW15C car of the 90's with semi-automatic gearboxes, active suspension and anti-lock brakes. Ridiculous fast, sound pretty lame.

If you want noise and cars, check out top fuel. Nothing crushes you with the noise of horsepower like top-fuel drag racing - except maybe the space shuttle or Saturn rockets.