For those who love nothing more than the noise a performance car makes, we have some seriously bad news for you – particularly if you live in the EU. Strict European regulations mean that car makers are having to tone down those growling engine sounds, or, worse, fake them. But how bad is it getting? And will we soon say goodbye to engine sounds for good?

Tough Rules

In a large European Union regulatory document, surrounded by legal jargon and all sorts of things nobody really understands, European Parliament have set out some rules and regulations when it comes to exhaust sounds. While we’re not lawyers, we get the gist of it… No loud cars! Car manufacturers have to provide sound levels for their cars, to ensure they are under the strict limits imposed by the EU rules. However, while most vehicles fall under these sound levels as standard, it seems as though performance cars are finding it tough.

Quiet Cars

Several car manufacturers have already found issue with these new regulations, particularly when it comes to their sportier models. After all, people love a noisy sports car, right? Unfortunately, this has led to them opting to make performance cars quieter than the growling vehicles of yesteryear… But there is a solution – faking it.

Exhaust Noises

Some car manufacturers are all too aware that there are plenty of people who buy a car like this because it’s noisy. So, in order to combat the EU regulations and provide people with the driving experience they’ve come to expect, they’ve opted for faking it into the cabin of the car.

It might seem odd, but it seems to meet their needs. We just don’t know if this fake noise could ever replace the real thing.

Living can be fun and scary at the same time — especially when we’re not in control of what’s going on under our feet. Sinkholes can occur due to soil erosion and can endanger people’s lives. Imagine walking down the street and the ground below your feet disappears! How terrifying would that be? Keep scrolling to read about the scariest sinkholes around the world…

Sinkholes can occur anywhere around the world including Japan. It happened on November 8th, 2016 right in the center of Fukuoka — located in the southwestern part of Japan.

A large sinkhole formed and created significant material damage, causing traffic jams, according to local media. Authorities evacuated the buildings around the sinkhole in time, and thus no major events or human injuries were recorded.

This sinkhole began to form in 2007 and is continuously expanding. It was formed in Berezniki, Russia — and is thought to have industrial implications.

Its position is not in a very safe place, because next to it is the largest potassium mine in Russia and one of the largest mines in the world. If the sinkhole expansion does not stop, it’s expected that the only railway line that reaches the mine will be destroyed.

It happened in Manchester, UK, and caused a major street in the city to be blocked. The sinkhole, which formed on Enterprise Avenue, was six meters deep and almost 50 meters long.

The British authorities established that this sinkhole occurred due to a catastrophic failure of one of the sewer pipes. The street was immediately blocked, and the necessary repairs began, with costs amounting to over $30,000.

This sinkhole first appeared in July 2018 after the collapse of the surface layer. It was photographed in the village of Pinzon de Morado, part of Guerrero, Mexico. It appeared after a landslide and grew day by day.

The photo showing the sinkhole is more than two months after its appearance. The Mexican government announced that works were being carried out at a mine in that area, more than 10 years before the landslide.

The incident took place in the Chinese town of Harbin on August 4th, 2018. Two cars fell in the sinkhole that formed in the middle of the road, which was most likely due to heavy rains.

The resulting sinkhole was over 10 meters long, four meters deep, and endangered the lives of two drivers who entered the sinkhole one after the other. According to local media, the second said he saw the first car falling, but failed to press the brake on time and couldn’t stop the fall.

The state of Florida is “famous” for sinkholes. The soil there is made of porous rocks, and underground gaps appear quickly and quite often. It also happened to a girl from Dunedin, who — on November 14th, 2013 — began to hear strange noises in the house’s structure when a large hole started growing behind her bedroom.

The sinkhole is now 70 meters wide and 50 meters deep. It swallowed everything in its way including the neighbor’s pool. Seven houses around the sinkhole had to be evacuated so that the authorities could close it safely.

Perhaps the most shocking and publicized sinkhole of all is the one that occurred in Guatemala on May 31st, 2010. The sinkhole was somewhere between 60 meters deep and 30 meters in diameter.

Its presence was reported in northern Guatemala City, and residents said it was formed due to rain and old drainage systems. At that time, a tropical storm called Agatha had passed through Guatemala, and more than 100,000 homes needed to be evacuated.

On February 12th, 2012, an extraordinary thing happened at the National Corvette Museum. Around 5:30 am, a sinkhole started to form and no more than 15 minutes later, it had already enlarged and swallowed eight cars in the museum that were on display.

The measurements established that the pit was 40 meters wide and almost 30 meters deep. Of the affected cars, only six of them were owned by the museum. Some of them were even historical masterpieces — a 1962 black Corvette, a 1984 PPG pace car for the Indy 500, and even the one-millionth Corvette (a white ’92 model).

Another strange phenomenon happened on November 21st, 2013. It occurred in Bosnia, specifically in the village of Sanica, and it has to do with a pond that simply disappeared.

The villagers say that in the place of what is now a sinkhole — that’s 50 meters wide and 30 meters deep — was a beautiful pond where people would come to fish. Before this tragedy, the villagers were used to seeing the pond there, which was surrounded by plum trees and old willow. They called the place the “abyss.”

In November of 2010, around 2:30 am, a strange occurrence took place in the south of Guangxi Province — located in China. A huge crater formed in a family house. The sinkhole was more than two meters deep and was located in one of the rooms on the ground floor.

The “lucky” owner of the house, who initially thought it was an earthquake, was sleeping in another room at that time. When he saw what was happening in his home, the owner alerted his family and urgently evacuated the house.

It happened on July 30th, 2013 in Philadelphia. A strange sinkhole formed in front of some residences and swallowed the front end of a car that was parked there at the time.

Authorities confirmed that the incident was caused by the water supply network, and police investigated the scene. The car owner was naturally shocked by what had happened to the car — and at first sight, he thought he had two missing tires. He didn’t initially even realize that the car was submerged in asphalt.

As we mentioned, Guatemala City is prone to sinkholes due to tropical storms. This time it happened to a man, on July 19th, 2011 right in his house, and he thought it was an explosion.

The sinkhole was three meters in diameter and about 12 meters deep. Fortunately, the house owner said he was relieved that his grandchildren had not suffered any injuries, even though they were very close to the scene of the incident.

It all happened on May 11th, 2010 in a town of 1,000 inhabitants called Saint-Jude — located in Quebec, Canada. As seen in the picture, the sinkhole swallowed everything it caught around, resulting in the casualties of four people.

This landslide grew to a size of four football size fields. Those who helped search for the family under the rubble said all of the victims were in the basement when they were crushed.

This sinkhole appeared right behind the house of a resident of Walters Ash, Great Britain. It happened on February 6th, 2014 when a crater of nine meters deep was formed.

There were no human casualties, but a car was swallowed, and it couldn’t be recovered. The pit was finally mended using over 300 tons of concrete.

The incident took place in Guiping City at about four in the morning on March 24th, 2016. Water levels dropped dramatically, leaving gaps behind. Only five hours later, at 9:00 am, the pond was nearly empty and whatever water was still there could be seen draining down the scary hole.

This is not only terrifying, but the gaping holes in ponds have the potential to create considerable material damages. Furthermore, all the living creatures in the pond, such as fish, are lost.

In this photo, we see some workers trying to figure out the best way to retrieve a truck that has been swallowed by the asphalt. This sinkhole — which occurred in June of 1997 — formed in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania when the actual road gave way, to the amazement of people nearby.

The garbage truck was eventually brought to the surface. Luckily, there was also material damage or human casualties.

In this picture, we can see a collapsed sidewalk in London. This pothole began to form on April 23rd, 2015 on North End Road. The photo was taken by a passerby who claims to have seen a woman swallowed by asphalt.

The London ambulance service was immediately called, and they intervened promptly. They said the woman was safe, had no severe injuries, and was just scared of what had happened.

This sinkhole was produced in a slum in the Brazilian city of Natal on June 22nd, 2014. It was caused by water accumulations due to torrential rain and caused material damage, literally swallowing houses and cars.

Authorities quickly evacuated residents from the area, and thus no human losses occurred. The sinkhole is located near the Arena das Dunas stadium and occurred during the World Cup.

A giant sinkhole that swallowed several homes was photographed in Guatemala City on February 23rd, 2007. The sinkhole has a depth of over 300 meters.

The huge crater that formed was supposedly due to the sewers. Over time, there has been false news claiming that the sinkhole isn’t real. Unfortunately, though, it’s completely real — so much so that it’s not only destroyed tons of houses but it has also caused human casualties.

This eery image was taken on September 28th, 2014 outside the Crimean capital, Simferopol. The exact location that the sinkhole took place was on the highway between Nikolayev and Yevpatoria, and six people passed away as a result of this incident.

The sinkhole was very deep, with a measurement of about eight meters wide. Those driving cars that fell into the pit had no chance to escape.

In the picture here, we can see how these firefighters save the life of a man who fell inside the sinkhole. The incident occurred on July 12th, 2017 in Mexico, on a street in Cuernavaca.

The Mexican authorities were accused of being irresponsible with the presence of this sinkhole. According to reports, the pit formed due to the sewer insulation network, which was over 40 years old and was increasingly damaged after each passing storm.

The photo was taken on July 11th, 2016 in Israel near the Dead Sea at a now-abandoned resort called Ein Gedi. It’s an area well known for its multitude of sinkholes.

Experts have determined that by 2050, the Dead Sea — one of Earth’s saltiest bodies of water — could dry out with the onset of these sinkholes. What’s more, it’s due to these sinkholes that the authorities have been forced to close certain resorts and beaches. They also say that these pits even affect agriculture in the area.

In the picture presented, we see people stare in amazement at a sinkhole that formed — and swallowed a truck — in the middle of the street. Judging from the expressions on their faces, these people were in pure shock. It occurred in China, on a road in Xi’an of the Shaanxi Province in 2013.

Authorities said that at the time, the sinkhole was created due to a sewer failure. Although no casualties were reported, this pit remains one of the most impressive sinkholes ever seen.

This sinkhole — also known as the Sunken Garden — is perhaps the most famous and spectacular garden in the Mount Gambier region of Australia. This sinkhole was created naturally with the help of waves when the Earth’s surface collapsed.

At first, it seemed scary, but it has now become a place for tourists to visit — particularly for those who enjoy being surrounded by nature. This pit was transformed into a garden in 1886 by James Umpherston and is also called Umpherston Sinkhole. It’s open from morning until sunset.

This image is an intersection of Mexico City during Tropical Storm Lidia. The pit — which was a result of water accumulation — began to form on August 31st, 2017 right near the city center.

The sinkhole was 30 meters wide and 10 meters deep. That period of time was a very challenging one for the authorities as they had struggled with overcoming the floods. It had gotten so bad that the authorities were even forced to close the airport for a few days.

It’s really no secret that Florida is greatly affected by the occurrence of sinkholes. One of the most disastrous events of its kind occurred in Winter Park back in 1981 and had a devastating impact. The sinkhole that formed ultimately swallowed houses, swimming pools, and several cars.

Its opening was about 106 meters wide and a frightening depth of 32 meters. According to CNN, Florida is a combination of geological and natural disasters, registering over 5,000 reports of damages due to sinkholes during a year.

The sinkholes in Texas are not considered anomalies. One of the most complex was produced more than 30 years ago, and its presence will both scare and intrigue you at the same time. The one you’re staring at right now is known as the Devil’s Sinkhole.

It was registered in 1985 and is considered a national landmark. The sinkhole is over 12 meters deep and is regarded as the largest sinkhole in the USA. The hole is in third place with the deepest single chamber. People are ironically advised not to look at this sinkhole for too long so as not to be drawn in by a demonic force.

What the people of Ottawa, Canada wanted to recognize as a holiday quickly turned into a shocking tragedy. On February 21st, 2014, it was officially a year since the new rail transport system had been installed. Naturally, that was supposed to be a festive day.

Things took a 180-degree turn, though, when a massive sinkhole formed at one of the underground tunnels intended for transit. No official diagnosis has been made of what happened, but there were certainly no reasons to celebrate.

Oh, Florida — yet another incident that occurred ‘Sunshine State.’ This time, though, the sinkhole formed on the inside of Summer Bay Resort in Orlando. The pit, which will forever be remembered by tourists who witnessed it form, affected the structure of two buildings.

The complex, which housed more than 105 people, was evacuated urgently by a security guard who acted promptly in this case, and thus possible serious incidents were avoided. Such surprises are increasingly common in Florida, and frequent rainfall encourages these massive sinkholes.

July 3rd, 2013 is a date that Pamela Knox — a woman behind the wheel of the car inside the sinkhole of Toledo, Ohio — will forever remember. Although the driver in front of her managed to escape and subsequently witness the whole incident, Knox couldn’t avoid the disaster and collapsed into a sinkhole almost 20 meters deep.

Luckily, though, Pamela suffered only minor injuries and was evacuated from there on her own two feet. With the help of some firemen and a crane, Knox’s car was also retrieved without any major damages.

In December 2001, a miracle happened! A house in Waihi, New Zealand, collapsed into a 15-meter-deep sinkhole, which was inhabited by five people — a couple and their three children.

The miracle is that, although the house was crushed under the rubble, the five escaped with only a few minor injuries. It appears that the sinkhole, which formed during the night, occurred due to an old mine well.

A huge crater has developed inside a subway station — Pinheiros — in São Paulo, Brazil. This incident took place in January 2007 and created a sinkhole 40 meters deep.

The misfortune was that the disappearing ground swallowed a minibus with passengers and other vehicles on the road’s side. Initially, workers were digging to facilitate access to supplies there when the landslide occurred.

The unfortunate incident took place in Salt Springs, Florida on June 25th, 2012. The images show a truck hanging over the edge of a sinkhole.

These sinkholes are mainly due to limestone — which dissolves with water — under the asphalt and most often develop around sewer holes. Similar incidents have occurred in Florida over time, and authorities face complaints of all kinds when it comes to this.

In the picture, you see workers trying to cover a sinkhole in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The incident occurred on February 11th, 2015, and happened as a result of a malfunction at the subway line.

Authorities said no one was injured when the asphalt collapsed, and the situation is under control. They quickly closed the side streets and rebuilt the road.

A huge sinkhole mysteriously occurred in Daisetta, Texas, on May 7th, 2008. Initially smaller, the pit grew larger every day — reaching the diameter of three football fields and about 200 meters in depth.

However, there were no human casualties although the sinkhole swallowed telephone poles, trees, oil equipment, a tractor, and storage tanks. The case was highly publicized at the time and was taken over by the Texas Railroad Commission in order to resolve it urgently.