Somewhat OT: mk5 Golf to be called Rabbit in NA

[bgsterling at bluebottle.com (Brad Sterling)]

<snip Kevin> 
The whole weight thing is a bit overblown IMHO.  Take the R - it's one heavy
pig, at least on paper.  But drive one and you'll quickly agree that it
doesn't drive/handle like a car carrying that much weight.  The age of 2200
lb cars is OVER, and we should be (mostly) glad it is, as it's impossible to
build a safe featherweight car (at least not at mass produceable prices)
nowadays.  I have no desire to meet an Excursion in my Scirocco.
<end snip>

<LURK MODE OFF><RAMBLING RANT ON>
Well, I don't want to meet an Excursion in my Scirocco either, but I'll
respectfully disagree on the demise of lightweight cars being a good thing.
Too many cars are heavy for the sake of "unnecessary" add-ons:  electrically
cooled cup holders, 16-speaker stereo systems, extensive sound deadening
material to give the car that quality feel, etc.  To counteract the weight,
most car companies add power in the form of a bigger engine, which adds
weight in the form of the engine, beefier transmissions, more sheetmetal to
hold the bigger mill, etc.  That's how we end up with a 600hp Mercedes that
weighs 2.5 - 3 tons but can't outrun a handful of four cylinders.  Adding
displacement to counteract weight is not new, which is why it's such a
shame.  With all of the newer technologies in engines, body panels,
transmissions, etc., why are relying on a business plan that was embraced 40
years ago in the late sixties?  Give me innovation.  Look at what an Ariel
Atom can do (now being built in Ashland, Oregon).  An Elise/Exige can meet
the same safety standards as any other car on the road at a shade under 2000
lbs.  Add a backseat, a reasonable trunk, dial back the suspension to be
more forgiving, and you've got a quick, daily driver at 2500 lbs that will
outperform most cars on the road.  I'm oversimplifying, of course.  But safe
featherweight cars can and are being built.  Arguably cars like the SVT
Focus and Mini Cooper S fall in that category at around 2700 lbs.  The
Cooper will only be a 1/2 second behind an R32 to 60 mph with literally half
the displacement.  The reality is there will always be drivers on the road
that, compared to you, are driving bigger vehicles, are less skilled, and
less attentive.  I'd prefer not to get nailed by any of them in any vehicle.
But believing that an additional 700-1000 pounds of flip-out cupholders,
stereo wires, and noise reduction foam makes a car safer is a false sense of
security.

Seriously, this is not an attack on Kevin (although he hit the proper button
to start the rant).  I'm glad he likes his R32.  It's the wrong approach for
me.
<RAMBLING RANT OFF><LURK MODE ON>

-Brad
'86 Scirocco 16v