Then and now

[decoupe]

Sent to me by a friend that was driving through where I was parked. He taught for the local BMW chapter advanced driving schools. Quick little car - super handing and braking.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g120/decoupe/IMGP1926_3.jpg

 

[Stan]

It is amazing how large the modern 3 has become. To think the CS was a larger BMW!
The coupe is so much more elegant looking!

 

[bjshafer]

Pictures don't lie

That photo --- unfortunately --- says it all about current car "design."

 

[dang]

That "large 3-series" is an e36 318ti hatchback, one of the smallest made. A late-model 3-series would be huge next to a coupe.

 

[TravL350]

Here's another good shot - new 1 series vs e36. (not my photo, or my cars unfortunately). These two are almost identical in size.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/dbaker/Fronts.jpg

 

[deQuincey]

absolutely agree, it is terrible to compare with actual cars, because:

1st- a magnific coupe looks so weak and small
2nd- you see that all these years had made the car design gone through the sink

here are my examples

in this pic, on her left you can see a new 3-series, it seems huge !!

 

[Arde]

absolutely agree, it is terrible to compare with actual cars, because:

1st- a magnific coupe looks so weak and small
2nd- you see that all these years had made the car design gone through the sink

here are my examples

in this pic, on her left you can see a new 3-series, it seems huge !!

In your picture an E9 looks even smaller than a new VW Beetle...

 

[deQuincey]

In your picture an E9 looks even smaller than a new VW Beetle...

right sir !

 

[polaris68]

That photo --- unfortunately --- says it all about current car "design."

Here is a photo I took earlier this year while in Santa Barbara. I think it validates your point about current car design.

 

[SicilianE9]

Interesting topic...

So many parameters changed the proportions of our cars...
crash tests, pedestian protection, environmental rules, comfort, globalisation...

The modern cars fit all and are idiot proofed but with the cosequence that the fun is filtered...

Last summer drive allowed me to make those shots with my wife's RS5 showing two similar coupes: RS5 is 18mm longer , 3mm lower sports 20 inches instead of 16" a much lower belt line.
The CSI is 127mm narrower and its wheelbase is 125 mm shorter.

 

[Stevehose]

Hmmm, I might need to angle my antenna back, that looks very cool.

So many parameters changed the proportions of our cars...
crash tests, pedestian protection, environmental rules, comfort, globalisation...

The modern cars fit all and are idiot proofed but with the cosequence that the fun is filtered...

Last summer drive allowed me to make those shots with my wife's RS5 showing two similar coupes: RS5 is 18mm longer , 3mm lower sports 20 inches instead of 16" a much lower belt line.
The CSI is 127mm narrower and its wheelbase is 125 mm shorter.

 

[SicilianE9]

It does make it more dynamic....

Or drive faster... ))

 

[snj5]

Substansial

Both wonderful, wonderful cars.

There is no doubt which is faster.
There is no doubt which is more beautiful.
Substantially.


"A thing of beauty is a joy forever"

Yes I know I mispelled the title.

 

[CSteve]

One word describes most modern cars: Booooring. The wind tunnel rules. When I took my coupe to driver's schools the instructors asked to drive with me!! Some asked to take the wheel for the warm up laps. Yes! as Molly Bloom said, Yes.

 

[SicilianE9]

The whole process started with Ralph Nader' s "unsafe at any speed" book in 1965.
Unfortunately globalization in the eighties contaminated the whole world with his theory ( i wanted to write disease) making sure the cars were idiot proofed no matter where they came from.
So usually we have our daily 450 hp" boring cars" we drive to work with reaching top speed on the Autobahns while texting, eating, smoking and on the week end we drive our unsafe classics in order to remember what driving a car should be.

 

[Stevehose]

A different take on "then and now" - my first coupe in 1985 and my current one both parked in the same spot 26 years apart:

 

[Bwana]

The bushes have filled in nicely! :lol:

What happened to the tree?