Video: listen to the glorious noise of F3000 racers on a hillclimb

We know modern Formula One cars sound a bit limp – closer to electric toothbrushes in timbre than internal combustion engines. Clever as those powertrains are, F1 fans deserve better noise. 

With any luck, within a couple of years the noise will be back, but to tide us over until then, spare eight minutes of your day to watch these Formula 3000 cars tear up a (probably) Italian mountain. 

Tremendous noise, right? So named for the 3000cc V8s used early on, F3000 replaced Formula 2 in the mid-Eighties and ran on until 2004, when it was replaced by the GP2 series. Past champions include Pablo Montoya, Nick Heidfeld and Jean Alesi.

Turn it up, and enjoy.