Don’t weight up

How much weight have cars actually piled on over the last 20 years and have the power gains been enough to offset it? We examine five case studies

IN THE TWO DECADES THAT EVO HAS been celebrating the thrill of driving we have witnessed many achievements: a golden era of hot hatches; saloons with supercar performance; the birth of the GT3 and the hypercar, and a quantum leap when it comes to safety.

We’ve also witnessed some alarming trends: the 600bhp+ SUV, a bigger-is-better mentality to product evolution and a technology arms race that’s out of step with what drivers actually need. And everything has got heavier.

But by how much? It’s easy to bemoan any extra kilos, but have we been doing a disservice to manufacturers who have doubled-down in their efforts to keep increases to a minimum?

Below are five cars that have continually evolved over the life of this magazine. Have the weight gains been as bad or as detrimental as we think? Or should manufacturers be applauded for continuing the fight against the bulge?