Silent cars, noisy boos

Silent cars, noisy boos

Sir,

I agree with Demetris Yiokkas’s sentiments about falling in love with motor sport because of the charismatic engine sounds produced by high-performance cars over the past few decades (Letters, July).

At the 2010 Race of Champions, held in Dasseldorf’s Esprit Arena, there was a race between two drivers in battery-powered Lotuses. Half a lap into the race, the crowds booed because of the lack of noise and drama!

While I champion the idea of zero emissions, one day I am sure we’ll be able to download onto our MP3 players a desired car sound as we drive along, with external loudspeakers so pedestrians can hear us coming. The temporal/ auditory part of our brains need stimulation and I hope that F1, at least, will always remain noisy and exciting, unlike the diesel Le Mans cars. Can you imagine a football match without the fans making noise? Paul Cheung, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire