Will cars ever stop getting bigger and heavier?!
Discussion
Well, being the anorak that I am, I couldnt help noticing that the optioned 320d M Sport in last weeks autocar was 30 Kgs heavier than the 320d they tested in 2005, so in other words, not 50KG lighter as promised. The current 5 series is as big as an old 7 and the new 911 is 1400 KG and big as a 928.
The current Polo is bigger than a Mk3 Golf and the Fiesta as big as a MK1 Focus. meanwhile the Mondeo is bigger than the Granada and about 200 KG heavier in diesel guise....Even an Elise is now 900 KGS....
Where are these lighter cars we were promised in the new age? Everythings just ballooning, much like the great british public who buy them....can anyone see it changing or is the 1500KG Fiesta just around the corner?
The current Polo is bigger than a Mk3 Golf and the Fiesta as big as a MK1 Focus. meanwhile the Mondeo is bigger than the Granada and about 200 KG heavier in diesel guise....Even an Elise is now 900 KGS....
Where are these lighter cars we were promised in the new age? Everythings just ballooning, much like the great british public who buy them....can anyone see it changing or is the 1500KG Fiesta just around the corner?
The new 911 is much lighter than the last generation. Weight and size have both increased alot over the past years, which I'd say was mainly to do with safety regs. Manufacturers seem to be looking at lightness rather than extra power now though.
As for size, I'm not so sure. Cars can't get much bigger surely.
As for size, I'm not so sure. Cars can't get much bigger surely.
I think we are on the cusp of a turning point where engineers are so fussed with fuel economy that they start specifying high-tech lightweight materials.
ETA: engines are certainly achieving higher specific outputs these days so they should be getting smaller and lighter... And manufacturers are exploring two and three cylinder engines in small cars. In large cars, smaller forced induction engines are overtaking from big NA ones, witness the move to blown V8s from V10s for the next M5.
ETA: engines are certainly achieving higher specific outputs these days so they should be getting smaller and lighter... And manufacturers are exploring two and three cylinder engines in small cars. In large cars, smaller forced induction engines are overtaking from big NA ones, witness the move to blown V8s from V10s for the next M5.
Edited by HustleRussell on Wednesday 29th February 20:35
HustleRussell said:
I think we are on the cusp of a turning point where engineers are so fussed with fuel economy that they start specifying high-tech lightweight materials.
I hope so, the problem is at the moment these materials are very expensive but hopefully they will become cheaper over time. Another problem is a lot of composite materials cannot be fixed, just replaced. 4 seater http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/new/up-nf/home
Not big and not heavy (and i wouldnt fancy a long journey in it either)
I suppose if you never attempt to go over 30mph or out of the city its great.
Not big and not heavy (and i wouldnt fancy a long journey in it either)
I suppose if you never attempt to go over 30mph or out of the city its great.
With tightening emissions regulations cars will start to become lighter, after all once you have squeezed everything you can efficiency wise out of the drive train the next logical step is cutting weight down and reducing the drag coefficient of the vehicle. Which it seems manufacturers are starting to do (that is the added benefit of the smaller turbo engines going into new cars replacing bigger NA units - they weigh less.
Mazda have been leading the way with making subsequent models lighter than the outgoing ones.
New model cars are typically bigger than the one they replace. Every once in a while a new small model in introduced, and the largest model may be discontinued although this seems to happen less often.
New model cars are typically bigger than the one they replace. Every once in a while a new small model in introduced, and the largest model may be discontinued although this seems to happen less often.
HustleRussell said:
Would also like to add that the Mazda 3 advert gives me hope- the claim to have reduced the weight of the new one by 100kg from the old one IIRC?
blueg33 said:
New A6 is lighter than the old one.
Zad said:
The current Fiesta is lighter than the previous model.
Maybe the turn around is (slowly) starting to happen?It seems inevitable that cars get bigger, fatter and heavier, until they are so fat that they spawn a diminutive sibling.
Look at the Ford Fester, which got fat and spawned the Ka.
And the Golf, which spawned the Polo. I think that there is now an even smaller VW, but I'm not sure.
The same thing happened with the 911 and the Cayman.
The 911 became a fat, bloated, middle aged, lardy parody of its former self and the Cayman became the car that the 911 should have remained.
Looking at successive generations of 911s is like watching Elvis dancing in blue suede shoes in the 1950s and then wallowing in a sequined one piece costume in the 1970s.
The opposite thing same happens at the other end of the range.
The Cortina grew into the Sierra, which grew into the Mondeo. They became so huge that the Granada/Scorpio became obsolete and was killed off.
Look at the Ford Fester, which got fat and spawned the Ka.
And the Golf, which spawned the Polo. I think that there is now an even smaller VW, but I'm not sure.
The same thing happened with the 911 and the Cayman.
The 911 became a fat, bloated, middle aged, lardy parody of its former self and the Cayman became the car that the 911 should have remained.
Looking at successive generations of 911s is like watching Elvis dancing in blue suede shoes in the 1950s and then wallowing in a sequined one piece costume in the 1970s.
The opposite thing same happens at the other end of the range.
The Cortina grew into the Sierra, which grew into the Mondeo. They became so huge that the Granada/Scorpio became obsolete and was killed off.
Recently there has been an MPG 'arms race'- maybe we'll see a KG arms race? I hope so because it might bring some really clever materials, manufacturing processes and technologies to the mass market. I think the pressure is on for manufacturers especially since they now want to fit very heavy batteries for hybrid and full electric cars.
TorqueTalk said:
My friend was upset that his focus rs was slower than my celica sc untill I pointed out my car weighs 400kg less, cant belive the rs was just under 1500kg, where do the put all the weight?
To put it into perspective for the older readers, that Focus RS is 1/4 of a ton heavyer than a Mk2 granada V6 GhiaX Edited by TorqueTalk on Wednesday 29th February 20:50
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