Thursday, June 11, 2009

Guest Post: Old vs New – Are the Cars Getting Better?

Today I've got a guest post from the CarsoBlog.

Like me, the writer of that blog doesn't blindly buy into the hybrid hype and greenwashed marketing. Also like myself, he wants to enjoy his car, not just look for a tool to get him where he wants to go.

Be sure to look for more content from the CarsoBlog in the future as well.

Some time ago I watched a road test of the new Ford Fiesta on TV. Guy was doing a full scale review, praising Ford for a good job. Talking about the interior, trunk, drivers position, brakes, engine, fuel economy and prices… all the boring stuff. And then he said (what was in his opinion the greatest news there) about the car: New Fiesta is not heavier than the previous model! Wow, a success?

And that made me think. What happened with the motoring… if during the review they find as a success that the car didn’t get fatter? That is a real success for myself, when I look in the mirror from time to time and see that the diet is working. But with cars? All the hi-tech, aluminium, carbon fibre, computers – and they still get heavier. And needless to say: what weight does with the fun of driving.

Let’s start with the example: Volkswagen Golf GTI.

We all know the Golf GTI badge. It have been spreading around the world for over 30 years now. The concept of “Hot Hatch” class was started by the very first Golf GTI Mk1 in 1983. The car was small, cheap and fast. It had only 4 gears, small 13 inch wheels. Today You get that configuration in “shopping cart”. But it was fun! Although it had only simple 1.6 l 110 HP engine, but it weight only 800 kg (1785 lbs).


You can read the rest of the article HERE.

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