The size development of cars: Growth into madness

The crux of capitalism is that it always has to grow in order to survive. And the crux of humanity is that it has not yet found a better, somewhat democratic economic form. After all, the Earth is finite, and so are its resources. Therefore, alongside the gross national product, efficiency must also continually increase— the performance of the industry, of each individual. And that of cars, which must also continue to grow— including in dimensions!

Even the Americans found some models too big!

In many cases, more dramatically than ever before. The BMW 7 Series, which already stretches a worrying 5.3 meters, competes with U.S. dinos of the late 1950s (the 1958 GM model year was even too large for many Americans and was replaced by much more compact models in 1961). Following are the new pick-ups from Ford and VW, which also stretch to a good 5.3 meters (where a length of five meters already posed significant problems), and now the 5-series BMW, which stretches to 5.06 meters, and the Passat, recently reaching nearly 4.92 meters in length— growing by 14 centimeters.

Additionally, widths are trending towards 1.9 to 2.0 meters— including mirrors, you're only two hands away from the 2.55 meters of a truck, which means, in the city center: You can't get through anymore!

Take a typical city center cross-section of 6.5 meters, where parking is allowed on both sides: If the new vehicles, each 2.1 meters wide with mirrors, park right at the edge, there would be— since the outer mirror is over the sidewalk— exactly 2.5 meters plus x left after deducting two times two meters. With this, trucks can barely squeeze through, and drivers of new cars must drive a bit slower. But it only takes one poorly parked car for the truck to be blocked and for the driver of a broad SUV or sedan to break into a sweat.

Parking spaces? They exist, but they are all too small

Moreover, drivers of the new models increasingly have to pass by spaces that they could have easily occupied with the predecessor model. Thus, with these newer, much larger models, one gets frustrated daily by crawling around and searching for spaces, though sitting much more comfortably and securely than ever before.

Traveling in the countryside: In doubt, the 40 or 70-tonner has the right of way

In the countryside, you are especially pinched where old 4.0-something meter roads run, often in Great Britain, Italy, or Norway. Just as we preferred the entrance of a farmhouse over a direct encounter with a 60-tonne lumber truck in our Lotis Eletre. Sure, we could have somehow dodged each other via the shoulder, but drivers managing 60 tonnes have no desire for that. Hence, with our 700, 800, or even 1000-horsepower cars, we are forced to crawl at a snail's pace or stop, where our parents barreled through with their deadly 1960s and 1970s rust buckets, showing no fear...

What does this mean?

Progress is a snail, and growth—including car models—must eventually stop. Dear auto industry, dear Euro NCAP testers, dear politicians and road planners, at least consider it!

Because more size also means more weight, resource consumption, and traffic space usage— and we can no longer afford that in most parts of the world!