Are German cars still cool?
Discussion
MysteryLemon said:
Flumpo said:
But I’m fairly sure a povety spec a class with the 0-60 of 11 seconds isn’t a cool car.
Wrong. Any model can be made "cool" with some dished, negative offset wheels and air-ride. Everything is about brand these days, not whether or not the actual product is the best or not. Take the Iphone for example. Audi is the Iphone of the car world.The majority on here really aren't the right demographic for deciding what is cool or not, myself included. I think my Nissan Cube is pretty cool but I think the vast majority of people would beg to differ.
Edited by MysteryLemon on Friday 20th July 11:01
Are you o e of those who like a morning smoke of crack?
Flumpo said:
If it has after market upgrades then it’s not a base spec a class. If it’s ‘made cool’ then that’s completely different thing.
Are you o e of those who like a morning smoke of crack?
I'm not a big fan of German cars to be honest but there's no denying that a large majority of the UK general public love German cars.Are you o e of those who like a morning smoke of crack?
I have a 650i gran coupe so I'm biased, I think it's a beautiful car and packed with a 4.4 V8, that said I'm not keen on what you get at the lower end of the German ranges, they seem very tight in terms of what you get. My other car is a 350z which is plenty of fun to take apart and get my hands dirty with 
MysteryLemon said:
Flumpo said:
If it has after market upgrades then it’s not a base spec a class. If it’s ‘made cool’ then that’s completely different thing.
Are you o e of those who like a morning smoke of crack?
I'm not a big fan of German cars to be honest but there's no denying that a large majority of the UK general public love German cars.Are you o e of those who like a morning smoke of crack?
Define "German" - a lot of the popular "German" cars are Hungarian (Audi A3, small Mercs), Spanish (Audi Q3), Belgian (A1) etc and a lot of non-German cars, e.g. the Ford Focus, Opel Insignia are actually built in Germany.
If you want a small, fast, German hatchback, should you buy a Ford Fiesta ST (built in Cologne) or an Audi S1 (Brussels)?
If you want a small, fast, German hatchback, should you buy a Ford Fiesta ST (built in Cologne) or an Audi S1 (Brussels)?
Mother in law is currently looking for a new car to replace her 2006 C-Class coupe. She wanted something which is cheaper to run for her 45 minute commute to work and something a little bigger for when she has to take her parents places. It also needed to be low mileage, preferably no older than 3 years old and something reliable, as the Merc has cost her a small fortune in the past year.
I've shown her the Mazda 3 and 6, the Juke and Qashquai, a Mini, a Fiesta and a Focus, all top specs, all within her budget, age and mileage limitations. She won't consider any of them simply because it's not a German Premium brand.
I've shown her that German brands always score quite low on reliability surveys and that she can get a lot more car for her money, if it's more of a mainstream brand, all the BMWs, Mercs and Audi's in her price range are either low spec, pre 2015 or have a high mileage but she still won't consider anything if it doesn't have an Audi, BMW or Mercedes badge on it. Anything else is a downgrade from her current, car in her mind.
This is the power these German brands have. The preconception that anything German is the dogs b
ks, reliable and well built was established in the 80s and is still firmly set in people's minds. If you have a BMW and your neighbour doesn't, well you're better off than them. I've even had people in car parks, who have banged their door on my car, tell me not to worry as they wouldn't damage their on car in the process, as it's more expensive than mine. They have no idea what mine cost but because it has a Ford badge, it automatically makes it cheap.
Personally I have no interest in any low spec, run of the mill Audi, BMW or Mercedes or any of their SUVs for that matter but I do respect and yearn for one of their more expensive performance models but the avereage car buyer cannot distinguish the difference. Their car might be £300 a month on PCP but because there's a 3-series that costs £60,000, that means that their own car is as elite as a top of the range M3.
I've shown her the Mazda 3 and 6, the Juke and Qashquai, a Mini, a Fiesta and a Focus, all top specs, all within her budget, age and mileage limitations. She won't consider any of them simply because it's not a German Premium brand.
I've shown her that German brands always score quite low on reliability surveys and that she can get a lot more car for her money, if it's more of a mainstream brand, all the BMWs, Mercs and Audi's in her price range are either low spec, pre 2015 or have a high mileage but she still won't consider anything if it doesn't have an Audi, BMW or Mercedes badge on it. Anything else is a downgrade from her current, car in her mind.
This is the power these German brands have. The preconception that anything German is the dogs b
ks, reliable and well built was established in the 80s and is still firmly set in people's minds. If you have a BMW and your neighbour doesn't, well you're better off than them. I've even had people in car parks, who have banged their door on my car, tell me not to worry as they wouldn't damage their on car in the process, as it's more expensive than mine. They have no idea what mine cost but because it has a Ford badge, it automatically makes it cheap.Personally I have no interest in any low spec, run of the mill Audi, BMW or Mercedes or any of their SUVs for that matter but I do respect and yearn for one of their more expensive performance models but the avereage car buyer cannot distinguish the difference. Their car might be £300 a month on PCP but because there's a 3-series that costs £60,000, that means that their own car is as elite as a top of the range M3.
TWPC said:
Cars that I think are cool that happen to be German:
And then this. Is it cool? It is pretty well known but was a pioneering design with what was to become influential technology and symbolises Germany's rebirth after WW2 (along with the 1954 World Cup win).
And they also happen to be old. Take these two for example. And then this. Is it cool? It is pretty well known but was a pioneering design with what was to become influential technology and symbolises Germany's rebirth after WW2 (along with the 1954 World Cup win).
I would say cool, the DS just look at it and as for the Mini a winner in every way, never out of place anywhere.
Think of any new car that is coming out of a factory today. Is it cool? I would say no. But in 2068 when someone pulls up and parks their 2018 BMW 3 Series Convertable next to all the battery powered transport devices, that would then look really cool.
German Brands are just now the mainstream due to the fact of the smaller more affordable models and having such a diverse range , saloons, SUVs, MPVs coupes etc every market sector is covered .
They are still seen as Cool as everyone with long memorys associates them with the yuppies back in the late 80s , now they have just taken the place of the old Escort, Astra, Sierra etc . I still think Porsches are cool .
Veering off topic Range Rovers have gone same way as German brands , just mainstream as Cortinas were.
They are still seen as Cool as everyone with long memorys associates them with the yuppies back in the late 80s , now they have just taken the place of the old Escort, Astra, Sierra etc . I still think Porsches are cool .
Veering off topic Range Rovers have gone same way as German brands , just mainstream as Cortinas were.
Yes, I can think of plenty new German metal that in my mind is cool, AMG GTR, R8 V10, 911 GT3/2 RS
I get what other posters are saying though, the regular German stuff isn't cool, is a Golf cooler than a Megane? People a few years younger than myself (29)appear to see it as a status symbol/cool having a German car. The office car park is filled with a majority German metal, Audi's more than any other brand (typical in Aberdeen).
I get what other posters are saying though, the regular German stuff isn't cool, is a Golf cooler than a Megane? People a few years younger than myself (29)appear to see it as a status symbol/cool having a German car. The office car park is filled with a majority German metal, Audi's more than any other brand (typical in Aberdeen).
wormus said:
Goodness! 
I might be mistaken but.... at 2m32s the phrase is something along the lines of "gotta show respec' man pullin' up in a TT". At which point an Audi R8 drives past.
This is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" type question.
Is a Audi A3 TDi cool? Hell no. Is an R8 cool? Oh yes. A blinged-out BMW 3 series is terrible and chavvy, but a genuine M3 has a certain level of coolness to it.
You can do that with cars from every nationality. An Alfa MiTo is not cool, but a Giulia is. A Citroen C4 is not cool, but a Peugeot 308 GTi is.
Some people will always see some cars as "cool" and "aspirational", while others will laugh in their face. I personally don't see anything about German cars that makes them cooler than cars engineered in other countries. Based on some of the folk that drive them, it's actually the opposite.
Is a Audi A3 TDi cool? Hell no. Is an R8 cool? Oh yes. A blinged-out BMW 3 series is terrible and chavvy, but a genuine M3 has a certain level of coolness to it.
You can do that with cars from every nationality. An Alfa MiTo is not cool, but a Giulia is. A Citroen C4 is not cool, but a Peugeot 308 GTi is.
Some people will always see some cars as "cool" and "aspirational", while others will laugh in their face. I personally don't see anything about German cars that makes them cooler than cars engineered in other countries. Based on some of the folk that drive them, it's actually the opposite.
I don't think any make has ever been "cool" as a whole - with the possible exception of supercar manufacturers.
There have always been dull models in all mainstream manufacturers ranges.
It also depends on the race / age / sex of the person making the decision.
A Sierra Cosworth may be cool but a Sierra never has been similarly a E30 M3 is but a 316 isn't.
I'll agree that in general German cars were seen as "better" by the majority of people until perhaps 2000 but these days they are simply mainstream cars IMO.
There have always been dull models in all mainstream manufacturers ranges.
It also depends on the race / age / sex of the person making the decision.
A Sierra Cosworth may be cool but a Sierra never has been similarly a E30 M3 is but a 316 isn't.
I'll agree that in general German cars were seen as "better" by the majority of people until perhaps 2000 but these days they are simply mainstream cars IMO.
TheJimi said:
Judging by the amount of vacuous morons in my gym who are falling over themselves to buy s-line / AMG-line stuff...
among a certain demographic, they are definitely seen as status symbols.
Similar to what I was going to say. I think the brand's have changed from being cool/aspirational for the older folks to eventually 'buy' to the younger people now that just want to lease them to 'appear' cool. I'm sure the manufacturers don't really care as they're getting more sales but it is a bit of a shame.among a certain demographic, they are definitely seen as status symbols.
I used to see an M3 and think cor that guy's done alright for himself! I can't wait to be there one day... to, that idiot's probably just financed up to eyeballs. I've mentioned before someone I work with who has a M4 @ 600 p/m because, and I quote "It looks good on the drive" < coming from someone with very little interest in cars.
See man driving a german whip,
Status Symbol? Definitely!
Cool? Very subjective.
I still think a 17 year old if given a choice between a brand new Renault Clio or Mercedes A class despite being more or less the same I know which 99.99% would choose.
Slightly biased as I drive a B5 S4 and have always loved an audi though I agree new cars are becoming more and more same old st with a different badge.
Also depends which German! Porsche obvs, Audi BMW Merc Yeah, VW meh. (I own a corrado aswell so don't hate me)
Status Symbol? Definitely!
Cool? Very subjective.
I still think a 17 year old if given a choice between a brand new Renault Clio or Mercedes A class despite being more or less the same I know which 99.99% would choose.
Slightly biased as I drive a B5 S4 and have always loved an audi though I agree new cars are becoming more and more same old s
t with a different badge.Also depends which German! Porsche obvs, Audi BMW Merc Yeah, VW meh. (I own a corrado aswell so don't hate me)
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