I knew a guy who had been to several road race events where they had all sorts of cars running, but while he liked the rotary well enough he hated them for how loud they were. The other cars would hum peacefully compared to the screaming and howling of the open header NA rotaries.

I think it's the higher pitch that makes a rotary hurt your ears more. I compare it to getting hit with a rock (open piped V8) or getting stabbed (open piped rotary). So even if the V8 is actually louder, the rotary hurts more. :rofl: