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I've always thought this.

Mk1 Golf GTI was very light: 790kg, as was the Mk2 Golf GTI 910kg (hot hatches from Europe) but ever since then cars seem to be minimum 1,200kg. They are a lot safer and that is the main reason. You can walk away from a minor crash with your legs intact.

Car manufacturers have been upping power (speed) over the years and this has lead to an increase in weight from a performance and reliabilty standpoint but also safety.

With lots more comfort, safety equipment, etc. Seems like a valid tradeoff to me :)

That's only a couple hundred pounds lighter than my Miata, which has an empty weight around 2050 lbs.

Granted, the Miata doesn't have anywhere near the Cd that the VW has.

It does have more in the way of safety and comfort features though.

At zero to sixty in twelve seconds, however, it's not appreciably quicker off the line...well, ok, significantly faster if we use a 1963 Type II.