If one is searching for a quality vehicle what do you look for? To me, it is no surprise that most consumers are looking for a combination of performance, style, luxury, and technology. For decades, there has been one country that has not only combined all of these aspects successfully into their car brands, but have been tweaking and perfecting the art for years. This innovative country is Germany. Germany has been rooted in and noted for their engineering accomplishments and innovations for decades. Looking on the road today, you don’t just see 4 wheels, seats, and a few cup holders in a German Car. Rather one is awestruck with luxury performance icons that are smothered in technological goodies like navigational systems, top-notch safety features and road scanning ( a particular car will scan the road around the driver to verify that the road does not contain hazards). Yes, one may argue these features are not necessary to make an automobile a good vehicle, but consumers today find these accessories enjoyable and required in their search for their vehicle. Germany has a rather competitive spirit because they are constantly inventing new car technologies that can trump the accessories competitors have invented and German manufacturers have invented as well. Two German automobile manufacturers that are icons for their innovation are rival Companies BMW and Mercedes-Benz.More specifically BMW’s 7-Series and Mercedes’ S-63 AMG.The video below from Top Gear highlights the rivalry of the companies while displays the innovations that both models contain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsofZq2pxVA
A review of the 760Li (the top of the line model, aside from the Alpina B7, of course, which is the link under this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPxzcJEVuQ0&feature=fvsr
This is the Alpina B7, essentially BMW’s “M Version” of the 7 Series
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3-a39-iLHY
And of course, the Mercedes S 63 AMG
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLeGKKlXxlk
Of course, the S-Class and 7-series are for the everyday executive looking for a car to compliment his suit as he drives to work every day , but what if you have more than $140,000 to spend on top of the line technology? Let’s say you have $3 million to spend, for example. Who do you turn to with pockets that deep? Let’s put it this way, this $3 million car comes from a little comapny called Volkswagen. This fine German comapny not only boasts the Beetle and owning rights to Porsche, they also have an ace up their sleeve that also has the Bragging rights to the world’s fastest car: the Bugatti Veyron. This $3 million super car has plenty of interesting feats that make it capable of reaching 260 miles per hour. Along with it’s 1,000 horsepower engine with 4 turbochargers, $17,000 set of tires, 10 radiators, and hydraulic rear wing, developed in association with Airbus, this car comes with luxurious amenities that you would never expect to be on a supercar with these performance specs. Again, I could obsess in writing about the sheer second-to-none levels of engineering that Bugatti have achieved through the Veyron, but I think Top Gear could explain it better.
Top Gear’s Views on the Veyron:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO0PgyPWE3o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NZ9X9A2efA&feature=relmfu
The latest from Bugatti: The Super Sport:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w-rXyahaWk
To put it quite simply, Germany has been doing automotive for decades; and undoubtedly, they’ve been doing it right. From the early days of the Volkswagen to the world famous Bugatti Veyron, Germany has nearly perfected the mixture of luxury, performance, and contemporary style that any car buyer would point out on a car lot and say “That’s the one”. They’ve perfected their engineering from affordable to outrageous. The Germans know what they’re doing; and they’re doing it well.
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