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Ratdat

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On a related note, I've been getting increasingly annoyed with the current Peugeot 308 advert, in which they tell us they've made it better to drive by, amongst other things, making it lighter. I looked it up-they weigh 1,750kg.

 

Which got me thinking-what else weighs that much? By an amazing stroke of luck my second guess was right. A Jag XJ6. 

 

'Which one?', I hear you asking. Well, that's the interesting part. All of them.

 

Series 1: 1630kg

Series 2: 1742kg

Series 3: 1766kg

XJ40: 1720kg

X300: 1800kg

X350: 1790kg

X351: 1755kg

 

The current model is only 7% heavier than the first one, and less than 1% heavier than a series 2. Obviously the newer car is physically bigger though, but compare that to the Peugeot-a 306 (the oldest comparable model I could think of) weighed between 1010kg and 1155kg, so has put on at least 51%!

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I saw one of those new 308s the other day.  It looks like the cars you see in adverts where they mock-up lights and grilles in order to try and disguise what it really is.  It looked awful.

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I'm going to put in a good word for one modern and that is the mk3 octavia. A vRS is under 1300kg and this is the same weight as my mk1 laguna while having more strength, space and toys. Why other manufactorers struggle to make cars at a decent weight I have no idea.

 

A poverty spec Octavia will weigh in at well under 1200kg which is feather weight by modern standards.

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2014 BMW 760li - 2,274 kg (5,013 lb)

1961 Imperial Crown Southampton 4-door - 2,208 kg (4,855 lb)

1978 Chevrolet Caprice Classic 4-door w/350-350 - 1,940 kg (4,268 lb)

 

Imagine putting the new BMW 760 engine in a 334 kg (735 lb) lighter Caprice.

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I can fit both of my cars into my 1960s garage (Rover Metro and mk 3 FIAT Panda) (not both at once!) but it's a tight squeeze, especially round the garage door.

 

You have to do a flat Stanley impersonation to get out of the car doors. I've not checked but surprisingly the Fiat feels slightly narrower than the Metro and is marginally easier to get in and out. You'd have absolutely no chance with something like the latest Fiesta or Corsa. Plenty room lengthways but widthways, not so generous.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 5 years later...

Bump.  Walked past a lovely patina'd 1964 VW Van in Finchley last night.  It looked tiny compared to the modern vehicles parked on either side.  Because I'm sad I decided to work out which van had the nearest "footprint".  Turns out the old shape Doblo has almost the same dimensions:

1965-VW-Bus-1024x768.jpg

s-l1600.jpg

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VW's smallest van from today parked next to their biggest car from the 90's. Guessing the owner felt solidarity in parking next to me as we both have silly "scene points" bonnets

 

48273072307_016f6fe267_k.jpg20190713_142436 by RS, on Flickr

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21 hours ago, bunglebus said:

VW's smallest van from today parked next to their biggest car from the 90's. Guessing the owner felt solidarity in parking next to me as we both have silly "scene points" bonnets

 

48273072307_016f6fe267_k.jpg20190713_142436 by RS, on Flickr

why has a german branded van, probably built in germany, got a union jack on the bonnet. 

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Spotted outside of a neighbours the other day.
Some Kind of horrid genetic mutation has occurred. 
image.thumb.jpeg.38971b617679e435c86fafd09a64d011.jpeg
In isolation they look smaller than the original Discovery to me. Probably because all Land Rovers big and small look similar now.
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45 minutes ago, Lacquer Peel said:
1 hour ago, Tinytim said:
Spotted outside of a neighbours the other day.
Some Kind of horrid genetic mutation has occurred. 
image.thumb.jpeg.38971b617679e435c86fafd09a64d011.jpeg

In isolation they look smaller than the original Discovery to me. Probably because all Land Rovers big and small look similar now.

To me it's the depth of panels/bumpers , not just on land rovers  but now on many cars that exaggerate their size

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On 7/17/2019 at 11:19 AM, TheDoctor said:

Any excuse to share this pic from a few years ago... 

FB_IMG_1563358517511.thumb.jpg.d6ceae8aaef993aa214e7bf9b1617395.jpg

This reminds me of the sadistic pleasure I used to take when I had my old (original) Mini of parking as far back into a space as I could so that folk would think there was a free space there until they got right up to it.

Note, it is not acceptable when other people do this to me!

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A good prank is to park in the best parking space in town (outside the post office or whatever) and sit there all day with your reversing lights on ignoring people gesturing "are you leaving?".

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On 2/14/2014 at 1:18 PM, robinmasters said:

On a related note, I've been getting increasingly annoyed with the current Peugeot 308 advert, in which they tell us they've made it better to drive by, amongst other things, making it lighter. I looked it up-they weigh 1,750kg.

 

Which got me thinking-what else weighs that much? By an amazing stroke of luck my second guess was right. A Jag XJ6. 

 

'Which one?', I hear you asking. Well, that's the interesting part. All of them.

 

Series 1: 1630kg

Series 2: 1742kg

Series 3: 1766kg

XJ40: 1720kg

X300: 1800kg

X350: 1790kg

X351: 1755kg

 

The current model is only 7% heavier than the first one, and less than 1% heavier than a series 2. Obviously the newer car is physically bigger though, but compare that to the Peugeot-a 306 (the oldest comparable model I could think of) weighed between 1010kg and 1155kg, so has put on at least 51%!

Careful of gross weight v kerb weight 

81121C3C-6786-4F5F-956D-3E9491922630.thumb.png.107e32edc66920ef4ddc13cd21494b96.png

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3 hours ago, Alan_Green said:

A good prank is to park in the best parking space in town (outside the post office or whatever) and sit there all day with your reversing lights on ignoring people gesturing "are you leaving?".

Conversely these days if I am in a prime parking space in town waiting for someone to come back to the car - I move over and sit in the passenger seat to avoid being hassled all the time with "are you moving".  

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My MG ZS 180 weighs about the same as my daughter's R53 Mini Cooper S (both 2005), is about as quick and a bit more economical*. My wife has a Jag XF - the ZS seats 5 people just as comfortably, albeit with less 'spare' room in the front seats, and has a bigger / more usable boot with better opening as well as being half a ton lighter. The diseasel XF is both faster and more economical.

The ZS appears smallest because it is marginally less tall with lower bonnet line, but being a MKII, has a fat arse.

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On 7/17/2019 at 9:25 PM, New POD said:

why has a german branded van, probably built in germany, got a union jack on the bonnet. 

Ask a “mini” owner

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