Relating Cars to cultures (US - Jap - Europe)

[MexSiR]

The production of cars from different parts of the world is related with their cultures. This thread does not intend to diminish any culture or manufacturer, it is done for plain comparison as how much the cars produced are related to the culture of the regions.

Please add any ideas and thoughts. These will be taken and then an article will be made on this subject.

Japannesse - Small space commonly seen in the hotels and the prices of large properties. Idea of making big things with small objects. For example Hondas and Toyotas small engines producing big horsepower.
People are generally short, fast (ping-pong, karate) translating into small cars, that are nimble and good handlers.

American US cars - Known for its good prices, and consumer mind. Cars offer the biggest bang for the buck in performance (SRT-4, Mustang SVT, Corvette ZO6, Viper). Everything is big in america, spaces are big, people are tall, translating into Big cars with big engines (V8 Muscle Cars).

European - Known for precision and design. Europe has the great attractive structures (eiffel tower, big ben, roman colliseum, pizza tower) etc translating into the best designs in cars (Ferrari, Bmw, Lamborghni etc...) Pioneers for many years in technological advancements seen in wars, translating into precise bulletproof engines and cars.

Once again, this thread does NOT intend to offend anyone. Bring on the ideas opinions, thoughts and observations.

[kman10587]

I've always thought that Japanese cars make lots of power out of small engines because their culture is all about maximum efficiency and productivity.

[mason_RsX]

Very good thought process and analyzation, it definately makes sense.

I would give Europe an engineering perfectionist label for their vehicles. Some of the innovations they have come up with (W cylinder design, 7 speed automatic, A 3.2L Inline 6 giving 333hp and 276 Lb Ft n/a)

I would say the Japanese do try to be effecient and get alot out of a little concerning the engines, but I also believe their interior technology, design and beauty (abstract and otherwise) is a key component. I think this respects Asia's clean and organized fashion

North America I believe is focused on not letting its brand reputation get in the way of the quality of its vehicle...Eg. Chevrolet, Dodge, and Ford aren't considered the performance oriented brand, but they produce some of the fastest cars on the market (Z06, Viper, Neon srt 4, Gt(40)). They dont classify each company as having to do one specific thing, but varying things. I believe this also describes its people in a sort of "you dont know wht we can do" way.

hahahaha or mabe I am just thinking way to deep into this.....

[DinanM3_S2]

I dont like how you put all of Europe under one banner. You use words like precision, which I would only use to describe German cars. Like it the only cars in Europe that actually last are either German or 1980's Volvos. Most of the technological advances are also directly attributed to Germany (or Japan).

As far as design, nobody does it like Paninfarina and the Italians. Ferrari easily makes the nicest looking cars in the world.

Britain is all about big luxury cars. Jaguar makes almost nothing but Luxury sedans (X-Type, S-Type, etc.), and Aston only makes Luxury sports cars (AMV8, V12 Vanquish, DB7, DB9). But at the same time, the best sports cars in the world come from smaller british companies such as Noble, TVR, McLaren, and Lotus.

They dont sell French cars in America so I cant talk much about them. But I know that there design philosophies are somewhere between Japanese and American.

All im sayin here is that you cant put all European cars under one idea. Its varies from country to country.

[CrzyMR2T]

i agree that cars varies from each country. i think that most technological advances, and good engineering are german, or japanese. italy seems to have great cars too. i wouldnt say europe, cause some european companies have cars that are no better than hyundai, and europe is in a lot of ways similar to japan, more so than the US.

[aznxthuggie]

Originally Posted by mason_RsX

I would give Europe an engineering perfectionist label for their vehicles. Some of the innovations they have come up with (W cylinder design, 7 speed automatic, A 3.2L Inline 6 giving 333hp and 276 Lb Ft n/a)

the M3 CSL makes 360hp out of a 3.2 liter I6

[Joseph1082]

I think people tend to forget the technological advances of America... we are overshadowed by our mere muscle and hunks of SUVs. This is all characteristic of America, but we have our technological achievements as well... 405HP out of a production v8... 230HP and 250lb of Torque from a 2.5 Turbo, running 13s in the quarter. I'd just like to remind everyone, though perhaps not directly represented in our automobiles, we are the most technologically advance nation, and an abundance of things used in the automobile we invented here.

[christophv]

well, sometimes europeans are amused about the american engineering because the opinion "same shit for 50 years" is spread wide.

europeans focus on economy perfection combined with outstanding design. outstanding isn't always meant as "neat" but as "different" -

in our eyes, all american cars are the same -
there are these long bulgy sedans and oversized useless trucks -


no way you could show up with this shapeless ship. V8 SOHC? cmon


european design, focus on distinguishability (what a word) 2.2l HDI - contra innovation: lots of unexpected problems possible, not customer friendliest

EU design ownz US design
just look at this 70s citroen cx!
http://www.carolineconnolly.com/fjp/...ame-lane-1.jpg

Japanese/asian designs are always kinda agressive and pretend to be sporty imho
small engines, mostly high revving but sometimes very reliable.
choice over european cars when it comes to pricing.

But Asia also produces the smallest, ugliest cars. I heard their roads are a lot slimmer which excuses such things:


stereotype -
american cars are large, dull assembled, I-dont-care-I-need-4x-more-gas ships

european cars are mid-sized, economic, modern, I-would-fit-in-a-modern-art-museum clockworks with teething troubles

asian cars are small, ordinary reliable/designed, I'm-cheaper-not-better rev-devils



edit:

Originally Posted by Joseph1082

we are the most technologically advance nation

europe still is. FSI, DSG, HDI, ABS, ESP, ASR, cats - sorry, but I don't know any american innovations.

[3000ways]

Originally Posted by christophv

well, sometimes europeans are amused about the american engineering because the opinion "same shit for 50 years" is spread wide.

europeans focus on economy perfection combined with outstanding design. outstanding isn't always meant as "neat" but as "different" -

in our eyes, all american cars are the same -
there are these long bulgy sedans and oversized useless trucks -


no way you could show up with this shapeless ship. V8 SOHC? cmon


european design, focus on distinguishability (what a word) 2.2l HDI - contra innovation: lots of unexpected problems possible, not customer friendliest

EU design ownz US design
just look at this 70s citroen cx!
http://www.carolineconnolly.com/fjp/...ame-lane-1.jpg

Japanese/asian designs are always kinda agressive and pretend to be sporty imho
small engines, mostly high revving but sometimes very reliable.
choice over european cars when it comes to pricing.

But Asia also produces the smallest, ugliest cars. I heard their roads are a lot slimmer which excuses such things:


stereotype -
american cars are large, dull assembled, I-dont-care-I-need-4x-more-gas ships

european cars are mid-sized, economic, modern, I-would-fit-in-a-modern-art-museum clockworks with teething troubles

asian cars are small, ordinary reliable/designed, I'm-cheaper-not-better rev-devils



edit:


europe still is. FSI, DSG, HDI, ABS, ESP, ASR, cats - sorry, but I don't know any american innovations.

Wow good post, same shit for 50 years =).

[CrzyMR2T]

Originally Posted by Joseph1082

I think people tend to forget the technological advances of America... we are overshadowed by our mere muscle and hunks of SUVs. This is all characteristic of America, but we have our technological achievements as well... 405HP out of a production v8... 230HP and 250lb of Torque from a 2.5 Turbo, running 13s in the quarter. I'd just like to remind everyone, though perhaps not directly represented in our automobiles, we are the most technologically advance nation, and an abundance of things used in the automobile we invented here.

yea we do have lots of technological advances, and great engineering, i just feel that we dont put as much in our cars. but military wise, we have all the best stuff.

the cars that we get from other countries are not always what they have, sometimes its a downgraded, or a slightly redesigned version of their cars.

[DinanM3_S2]

The only innovation out of the SRT4's 230 hp 2.5L is the price. Sorry, but both Japan and Germany have cars that smash that Power/Displacement ratio, on naturally aspirated cars.

The other American "innovation" that was listed was the 405 hp corvette Z06 engine. Yet again, only good thing about this is the price. BMW got the same power numbers out of a much smaller V8 then the LS6.

O, and dont forget the SMG and Tiptronic (stupid yes, but better then a regular automatic) are from Europe too.

[mason_RsX]

Originally Posted by aznxthuggie

the M3 CSL makes 360hp out of a 3.2 liter I6

Mabe where you live...In Canada the hp is rated at 333....I do admit that I shouldn't have classified all of europe...I don't know very much about french cars ect...but I know Europe as Vw, audi, porsche, bmw, mercedes, lamborghini, ferrari, and such

[V8slayer]

The cars you listed are from only Germany and Italy. Nothing to do with the rest of Europe.

The problem nowdays in classifying cars into continents much less countries is most companies are multinational.

e.g.

Are these cars American or British?

Vauxhall, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Lotus.

Is Nissan still Japanese or French since it's owned by Renault?

Like someone mentioned before, America and Japan are countries, but Europe is a diverse community.

And I love German cars but I don't believe they're responsible for all the technical advances from Europe. The French (owners of Renault and Perguet group) have nicely engineered cars too.

And if you start dividing Europe up into individual countries, you've got bigger problems.

German or British?

Mini Cooper, Bently Continental GT, Rolls Royce Phantom


German or Itallian?

Lamborghini

[christophv]

the discussion wasn't about their current owners but about their origins in design and technology.
FSI, DSG, ABS, ESP and ASR are german btw.

The almighty turbocharger, a german innovation!

[drunken monkey]

y'know, not many people in the world have high opinions of the cars from the u.s.

put it this way, how many outstanding (or even just good) cars can you name?
i for one keep hearing the same ones being mentioned (ford gt, z06, viper....)
now compare that to the number of different cars that these guys actually produce.
then apart from these supercars, all we hear is big talk of the cheap fast V8 or some such car (this is generalisation i know but not far from the truth).
there is no real innovation.
and then there's the question of car set-up.
the british press don't have that high an opinion of american chassis/suspension set-ups...

admittedly when three parent companies owns all of the 'little' brands, things do have a tendency to turn to shit.
it's kinda happening here with vw/audi/seat.....

you can say that we have better cars in europe cos we have a wider choice (of makes), so the manufacturers know that the ones they do sell here must be good or else it simply won't sell.

so in short, europe has more better cars but fewer cars in general.
whereas you have more cars but fewer good ones.

does that seem like a fair comment?

also, are you aware that here in europe, we tend to class cars by there separate nations as opposed to europe/u.s/japan.
we see differences between german, french, italian, british, swedish, japanese and american.

on a side not regading american technolgy....
what has america invented in the last 50/100 years to make engines/cars better?

v-tec?
turbo?
carburettors?
multiple valves?
disk brakes?
4wd?

as far as i'm aware, none of the above....
and your military goods aren't the best in the world either.
i'm not saying that they're bad,
just that they're not exactly the best.
(quote from one of the generals reviewing american products:
'my god, you couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with that'..... this is true. i'll try to find the quote details)

somehow i still get the impression that the japanese engineers are probably among the best in the world and still lead in terms of technology....
in terms of cars, you only need look at honda's diesel engine to get an idea of how they do things.