Safety regulations, crumple zones and the demand for increased interior space and comfort now mean that cars are bigger than they ever have been. It’s not until you see a car next to its ancestor, however, that you realise just how bloated modern carshave become.
To illustrate these differences, we’ve lined up 10 before and after shots of old cars and their modern counterparts, plus details of each car’s length, width, height and weight.
BMW 5-Series
E12 Wheelbase: 2600mm
F10 Wheelbase: 2968mm
Dodge Challenger
First-generation Wheelbase: 2790mm
Third-generation Wheelbase: 2950mm
Fiat 500
Classic Wheelbase: 1840mm
Modern Wheelbase: 2300mm
Ford Fiesta
Mk1 Wheelbase: 2286mm
Mk7 Wheelbase: 2489mm
Jaguar XJ
X308 Wheelbase: 2800mm
X351 Wheelbase: 3033mm
Mercedes 300SL/SLS Source: blogs.cars.com
300SL Wheelbase: 2400mm
SLS AMG Wheelbase: 2680mm
Mini
Classic Cooper S rally Wheelbase: 2036mm
Countryman WRC Wheelbase: 2595mm
Porsche 911
Classic Wheelbase: 2211mm
991 Wheelbase: 2451mm
VW Beetle
Classic Wheelbase: 2400mm
Modern Wheelbase: 2537mm
VW Golf GTi
Mk1 Wheelbase: 2400mm
Mk6 Wheelbase: 2578mm
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Source: blogs.cars.com
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