Agility then and now
05/22/2022
We've discussed it many times before: Cars have become heavier and bigger over the decades. If the cars of the sixties had had the dimensions and weight of today, they would almost certainly have been denied any agility back then.
Back then, agility was defined by comparatively dainty dimensions and, above all, low weight in conjunction with well-tuned chassis components and not oversized tires.
The fact that a modern super sports car or a comparatively huge saloon today is also considered to be agile is due to the fact that the weight and huge dimensions are offset by sophisticated technology and a great deal of engineering. Steerable rear wheels, dynamically adapted damper characteristics, weight positioned low to the ground, aerodynamic tricks, power steering systems that support and translate depending on the speed and much more are all part of the modern car manufacturer's toolbox to conceal the enormous weight from the driver.
A Lotus Elan or an Alpine A110 didn't need that back then. Thanks to filigree designs weighing less than 800 kg, narrow tires and sportily tuned chassis, no power steering and certainly no rear wheels that swivel in to support cornering were needed to speak of agile handling. No wonder Gordon Murray, the inventor of the McLaren F1 and many other designs, still says today when asked about the best sports car: "The Lotus Elan. I've never driven anything better. Including the McLaren F1."
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