4 replies to this topic

[mariner]

Autocar magazine has a huge database of road tests going back ll over 100 years  so this recent analysis is interesting if not surprising.

 

https://www.autocar....0kg-seven-years

 

It would be intersting to see the same analysius for, say 1990 to 1997, pre SUV and EV's - probaly less growth but stil significant 

[Greg Locock]

"As a reporter, Charlie plays a key role in setting the news agenda for the automotive industry."

 

Never heard of him.

 

In 7 years think what new tech has gone into your car. Ad Blue/DPFs, big TV screen, probably more airbags, and so on. I'm not saying the article is wrong it just misses some other trends.

[gruntguru]

"Average"? There are lots of ways to arrive at an "average" but a claim like this - "Average weight of new cars rises by nearly 400kg in seven years" would suggest a sales-volume-weighted-average which it surely is not.

[MikeTekRacing]

it adds up lots of things if the popularity of the SUVs affected the numbers. 

We also have a lot of hybrid/electric cars out there. Yes, they are heavier but we breathe less toxic sh!t

[BRG]

It's hardly an earth shattering discovery.  I had a 2019 Mini Cooper S and I parked it next to a 1960s Cooper S like the one I had back in the day.  The owner of that and I compared the two.  The current "Mini" is longer, wider, taller and of course far heavier - 635kg plays 1295kgs.

 

Just the seats in the newer car probably account for 50+kgs extra weight.  Add in all the trim that the older car basically didn't have, the a/c and all the other gubbins probably accounts for 100kgs or more. And that's before we look at the relative strengths of the two basic bodyshells.  Although the old Mini was one of the safest cars of its day (as long as you had a frontal accident) I would prefer to crash the modern car!

 

Of course, the modern Mini is far faster and far more economical despite lugging all that extra weight around.  Not quite as much fun to drive though...

Edited by BRG, 04 July 2024 - 08:28.