COVER Old vs new drag races

Insidestor y

A different take on the world of motoring

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Pe te Gibson SHARP

Giugiaro’s sharp exterior design has aged well; the square instruments look dated

We compare top performance legends to their modern equivalents against the clock

Rebecca Chaplin

THIS year has marked the release of a new Mazda MX-5 and Vauxhall Astra, while an eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI is in the pipeline, too. All three cars are following in the footsteps of iconic predecessors, but the question is: can modern cars match up with their past? And, of course, any old versus new comparison wouldn’t be complete without the UK’s biggestselling car – the Ford Fiesta.

To see how things have changed, we took old and new out on the road, and, to make things more scientific, we also tested them over a quarter mile to see what a difference a few decades can make. se of a new Mazda eighth-generation ne, too. All three of iconic an modern of course, wouldn’t estQUALITY

Retro checked seats are only real throwback; Mk7’s interior has a highgrade feel

Mazda MX-5

Mk1 (1989) vs Mk4 (2015)

THE MX-5 is a cult classic, and the 26-year-old original is widely credited as having created the trend for B-road driving thrills on a budget. Up against this legendary roadster is the all-new, latest-generation MX-5. The Mk4 has managed to match the original’s stats, and it’s unusual for a modern car to be so close in size yet feel much bigger – and safer – on the inside.

When it comes to power, early models came with a 114bhp 1.6-litre engine, but we got our hands on a later 1.8-litre version with 16bhp extra. The MX-5’s appearance has really stood the test of time, and it doesn’t look particularly dated when parked alongside modern cars.

Its rival was the 2015 1.5-litre option, but despite having a smaller engine it delivers similar performance, with 129bhp, although officially the lighter original should sprint from 0-62mph two-tenths-of-a-second faster.

Unsurprisingly, the years have taken their toll on the older MX-5 – it took 16.9 seconds to complete the quarter mile compared to 16.4 for the new one. CLASSIC

Cute original Mk1 has been a hard act to follow, but new Mk4 goes back to its roots

Volkswagen Golf GTI

Mk1 (1979) vs Mk7 (2015)

WHEN Volkswagen stuck a GTI badge on the Golf in 1975, the world fell in love. Modifications were simple: a chin spoiler was the only aerodynamic addition, with black plastic wheelarches, some black decals and the important red GTI pinstripe around the grille setting it apart.

With a kerbweight of 810kg and a 1.6-litre engine giving 108bhp and 140Nm of torque, the hot Golf covered 0-60mph in nine seconds and hit an impressive 110mph.

The latest Mk7 is the fastest version yet, offering 217bhp from its 2.0-litre engine. But when you compare power-toweight ratios, the lightweight Mk1 trails by only 24bhp.

Taking that into consideration, how would the two fare head-to-head? Our 1979 GTI completed the quarter mile in 19.7 seconds; the Mk7 stopped the clock at 18.2 seconds.

It’s a clear victory for new against old in terms of pace, then, but the old GTI has so much more character and led the way with its quirky interior back in the seventies. BACK TO BASICS

Cabin is utilitarian and the quality of the plastics is showing its years, but original’s driving position is firstrate, with driver-centred instruments and controls all within easy reach SPACE AGE

Even with the latest infotainment and safety kit, the new MX-5 has a more spacious cockpit and is still compact and lightweight – the Mk4 is only 50kg heavier than the Mk1

It’s a clear victory for new against old in terms o then, but the old GTI has so much more character an the way with its quirky interior back in the seventies.

Vauxhall Astra

Mk2 GTE (1983) vs Mk6 VXR (2012)

YOU might think this is a bit of an unfair comparison, but we wanted to test Vauxhall’s iconic original GTE model, based on a second-generation Astra, against its natural descendant, the three-year-old Astra VXR.

The new hatch is now out, but there are no details on a new VXR, so we had to make do with a 2012 model. ‘Make do’ is perhaps a little harsh as it’s the most powerful car in our eight-car line-up, with 276bhp and a top speed of 155mph. The GTE has less than half the power (115bhp) and hits 115mph.

Visually, these two models couldn’t be more different. The design of our 1983 GTE is angular and sharp, with the square look continuing inside, right down to the padding on the door panels.

Fast-forward 32 years and the VXR, based on the three-door GTC, has become far more curvy. It’s all change again now for the Astra, as the all-new hatch, out this year, has reverted to a simpler style, harking back to the GTE.

There were just 2.8 seconds between the cars, but the VXR was victorious. In total it took the old Vauxhall 17 seconds to do the quarter mile, and the Mk6 Astra just 14.2 seconds. That’s nearly a second per decade – impressive. WHITE HEAT

GTE is worlds apart from the 2012 VXR, both in style and performance

BLOCK SOLID SPORTY TOUCHES

The first of a series of hot Astra VXR cabin is a comfortable place to

hatchbacks, the GTE has a solid, blocky interior design, although the sports seats are surprisingly supportive for a 30-year-old car enjoy the pace, with driver-focused instruments and performance car touches including full-leather sports seats and drilled pedals

“XR2 styling is classic eighties...“XR black wheelarches and pepper-pot bla alloys give it a distinctive look” allo

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Ford Fiesta

Mk2 XR2 (1989) vs Mk6 ST-3 (2014)

BUILT from 1984 to 1989, the XR2 cost £8,430 when new. It was a boy racer’s dream car in its day and a total of 150,000 were sold during the five-year period of production.

Despite that love affair, the maximum power available is only 96bhp – making it the least potent car here. The top speed is 110mph, though, which, combined with a kerbweight of only 840kg, makes it very nippy – although it has the worst power-to-weight ratio.

The styling of the XR2 is classic eighties, with a small and angular design. Black wheelarches, pepper-pot alloys and rally driving lights all give the XR2 its distinctive look. Compare that to the ST-3, which has a much smoother, modern design and is only mildly tweaked from the standard Fiesta.

Inside, the XR2 has barely anything on board, while the Fiesta ST-3 is the top-spec model, packed with kit, which makes it great to drive but also much heavier.

In our drag race, the XR2 took 17 seconds and the ST-3 15 seconds for the quarter mile. BOY RACER TONED DOWN

Fiesta XR2 was sought after in the Fast Fords have grown up since

eighties for combination of nippiness XR2’s day, with more understated

and style – although power output of only 96bhp seems weak now, styling – ST badges are the main difference from standard Fiesta.

car’s low weight helped igh elp

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Still, great driving dynamics remain