Quote:
Originally Posted by Demothen
Note that I didn't say that modern cars are unreliable. In fact, modern cars are much more reliable than classic cars were, even when new.
Cars today weigh a lot. No questions asked. But that weight is not just extra sheetmetal. Wiring harnesses are huge. My GLA has something like 9 airbags. It also has power seats, a power liftgate, a ton of sound dampening (though so does my w123, to be fair), 10 or so speakers. It weighs about 200 pounds less than my w123, even though it has all these extra features. Both cars are roughly the same size, the GLA is quite a bit shorter front to rear, but also a lot taller.
My point is that modern cars are heavily engineered. Classic cars are heavily built.
If modern cars were built like classics, but still had to meet today's safety standards and carry the equipment they do today, they would probably weigh 50% more than they do now.
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And probably cost 50% more too. I've learned to accept the plastic interior/exterior trim. Even the plastic radiators.
But I really detest the many other plastic underhood parts. Especially in the cooling systems and valve-covers on BMWs. Despite what they claim, I believe the weight reduction over aluminum is negligeable, and it's mainly done to save money, make the cars 'biodegrade', more expensive to fix once the warranty's up, and encourage new car sales.
Happy Motoring, Mark