This was the iconic statement of Colin Chapman, the founder of Lotus cars. In essence it refers to whilst a big powerful car was quicker in a straight line, a lighter vehicle would be quicker around corners and ultimately win more races. Even today, Lotus minimises components in it’s current vehicle line up and lives up to its founder’s ethos.

Strangely, today manufacturers just offer more powerful engines to an ever wanting consumer. This leads to an increase in weight, as related components have to be made heavier in order to cope with this extra power. To combat this, exotic materials, such as carbon fibre and titanium, are used in conjunction with complex design to try and reduce the extra weight that is needed.
Definitely a contradiction of the above statement.

Why do we need a two tonne four wheel drive to take children to school? Why do we need vehicles capable of 250kmh plus in a country with a speed limit half that on potholed and rutted roads? Conspicuous consumerism seems to be the reason, we need to constantly show one up-manship between ourselves as an (incorrect) sign of success and manufacturers are only to willing to appease this desire.

Even the most hardened motoring enthusiast will concur that cars basically fulfil a need, a need to get around with the easiest convenience and without breaking the bank. Anything else, unfortunately, is superfluous to us, you can still satisfy all your needs without falling into the consumerism trap.