Seen any recent old vs new pictures like this? Love a good size comparison!

Updated: 09 Dec 2024

A few years ago I ran a piece about old vs new comparison images that show just how big cars have become due to safety regulations, increasing interior space and the lust of creature comforts. I was reminded of this when parking ‘our’ M2 longtermer next to Alex’s E36 M3 - the M2 looks huge in comparison!

Seen any other images like this recently? Share them in the comments!

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

not a car but this guy never ages

I here it’s impossible to clone him because that would require unicorn tears

Dang the M2 has grown so much fatter.

This Tipo 33 Stradale and 8C comparison always amazes me

Fxxk if that’s the M2 imagine the M4

My profile shouod have a meme about car “obesity”…does that count?

Even worse when you compare the Dakar Mini Countryman.

I don’t agree it’s because of safety regs… it’s more because they take on what customers want, which is always more room. And cup holders. And technology.

Hence BMW have to make the 2 series, which is the same size as the old 3 series, which was in E46 form a compact.

Also Matt Robinson … shhh… on the quiet… I think you wanted show instead of show ;)

Hey, I wrote this really late, aren’t I allowed one lousy typo? ;)

It’s a mix of all of those things - for instance that bonnet wouldn’t need to sit so high if it wasn’t for pedestrian safety regulations. F-Type and others get away with it to an extent by having a deployable bonnet

The funny thing is that modern cars usually have less interior room.
Big safety cages, crash structures and support beams usually make for a big car on teh outside but a small car on the inside. Older cars aren’t burdened with this. For instance, just look at any modern Volvo compared to say, a 740 or 940. The older cars have way more space inside.