German Car Zone

I think I'm one of them - I actually do see real value in an Evo or an Impreza, image aside.

This is a nice topic HoH...

Firstly I must agree with your stance on being a fan of a certain brand as opposed to a narrow-minded and opinionated fanboy. We interact on these forums because we all like cars and in order to like cars there have to be certain models or brands that strike an emotional chord within us. It's these cars that we identify with as being exceptional in accordance with our own personal tastes, value systems and often, past experiences. Being a fan of a certain brand is intrinsic to being a car lover for various reasons (in no particular order):

1. It’s a form of personal expression; as car fanatics, we realise that part of what makes us individuals is our passion and understanding of automobilia. We take care to evaluate what it is about a certain marque or model that appeals to us and what we want it to project about us as individuals.
2. It allows us to create benchmarks and measures; in order for us to get a better understanding of the industry and its products, being a fan of a certain brand is vital in creating of a frame of reference by which we can judge other brands and determine inferiority / superiority in accordance with the criteria laid down by our personal value systems.
3. It facilitates the tangible identification and manifestation of personal goals; whether one ends up owning an SL65, isn’t necessarily the be all and end all of our endeavours but perhaps over time, the achievement may be just as rewarding in attaining an SLK350 after years of patience and dedication.

In this discussion it’s also important to describe the transition from fanboy to that of a mature and informed fan. For example, I’m a fan of BMWs. Always have been, always will be… but I don’t own one, nor will I necessarily ever own one. I really would like to own a BMW one day but perhaps circumstances are such as they were in the past. Emotionally, I really wanted that E46 BMW 325i Touring, yet rationally, I ended up with a Subaru Forester! (A thousand German car fans the world over groan with disbelief and disapproval…) That doesn’t stop me from being a huge fan of the 325iT – a car that I often use as a benchmark for the balance between family values and sporting dynamics. A BMW 325i will out-handle my roly-poly Forester into next year…

I see the evolution of the fanboy to fan as follows:
- Young and passionate individual that identifies with the superficial appeal of a marque / model.
- Informed, statistic wielding brand ambassador with little interest in other brands
- The enthusiast that begins to identify with the underlying character and virtues of several, diverse brands
- The car fanatic; one who is able to identify not with merely the automotive brands but is able to discern best-of-breed from built-for-purpose within the individual market segment.

That doesn’t, of course, preclude the car fanatic from being a fan of a particular marque.

Ultimately, as we get older, more exposed and more informed, we make the transition from fanboy to fan without sacrificing individuality or freedom of personal expression. We’re able to appreciate excellence in any make or model – irrespective of our personally subjective tastes. This requires an open mind, a willingness to learn and most importantly the willingness to make mistakes and to be humble enough to learn from them. A personal case in point for me? The 911 vs. the R8. The R8 is the better car than its equivalent 911 competitor. Who would’ve thought..?

At the same time there are, of course, cars and brands that we know are complete crap and we know exactly why.

As a sidenote, I'd like to point out that cultural and geographical boundaries pay a big role in our appreciation for what constitutes a car worthy of merit. In my perception, this is an automotive world divided into segments from east to west.
In the 'States brands like Infiniti, Acura, Scion and Saturn are household names - in Europe and Africa we haven't heard of them. So, a certain measure of "go-with-what-you-know" mentality kicks in and we'll often dismiss a brand with which we have little or no experience out of hand. Sure, there's a touch of parochialism in this; Europeans may deem that their automotive market is more modern, mature and globally representative than that of North America.

I have been guilty of fanboy behaviour when provoked. However, I consider myself not to be really devoted to any particular brand; there are many that I like (and equally many that I dislike) a lot. Mind you, I'll have to admit to the sort of partiality Martin mentioned - my preferred brands are mostly European (not just German). Nevertheless, I'm willing to admit that when viewed objectively, the products of many of the brands I don't like (say, Toyota) are as good as and in certain respects better than those which I like. Hence, the question I'll try to answer is "What drives us to stay loyal when other cars are better?"

In my view, to any automotive enthusiast, the question of preferred brand or vehicle is never really one of 'what will fit my real-world needs the best' but rather one of things like style, image, lifestyle etc while we're satisfied at the car doing an adequate job of filling our real-world needs. We're ready to put up with things like higher fuel consumption in exchange for driving satisfaction, higher purchase price in exchange for feelgood factor or whatever our personal preference might be. For us, one car being 'better' than another is about the subjective experience and not about the things that can be measured. Or at least that's how I feel about it.

Precisely MikeJ...

When it comes to being a car fanatic, a lot of the time it's about dreams and aspirations - the promise of a measure of self-fulfilment that owning a dream car can bring. It's quite another thing when our very much real-world constraints kick in and force us to make a rational rather than emotional decision when it comes to buying a car.

Surely one has to dream and get inspired by some machinery that is totally unattainable? Who wouldn't want a Ferrari or a Porsche or a Lambo? Despite the fact that there are thousands of better, more rational, ways of parting with such sums of money, that's not going to stop the car nut from dreaming about - and being loyal to - cars that aren't necessarily the most pragmatic automotive purchase.

There is a great divide between aspirationalism and consumerism. For example, I really like Puma sneakers - especially the motorsport orientated range. I think they look good, wear nicely and are comfortable but they're seriously pricey and I only consider them as fashion items of the moment. When it comes to tennis sneakers on the other hand, there's only one brand I'll buy and that's Nike. I don't even have to own the top of the range, I'll gladly buy a plain mid-range model with a CM-EVA midsole, non-visible Air and a DRC rubber sole. This is because, in my experience, Nike make the best, most comfortable and durable tennis shoes available at the price.

Wow good conversation.....


But, I see a lot of you say you have the fan boy mentality. How many of you plan on changing that

^i plan to drive as many cars as possible so i can learn that they are great..
there is no other way..
other than that. i belive the fanboyness on this forum is on a level we can live with..
so no panic

Well I just could not resist, I have no brand loyalty to any car or manufacturer or country of origin contrary to your statement but perhaps the exception that proves the rule? To me they are just inanimate objects. I have a set of requirements for a price which can be complex but peculiar to me perhaps. When I have finished with it I start looking for the next car with perhaps slightly different requirements depending on circumstances. I have to say that German manufacturers have been known for quality but so have many Japanese cars, the former tend to be very expensive for what they are before even considering any options. I can not understand brand loyalty or worship of a manufacturer or idolization of a mark or any thing like that. My next car purchase will most likely be German but who knows, I just want what I consider the best for my money.

A really meaty thread we have here. Well I've been called a fanboy more than once, but those who really know me know that this isn't true by the detailed definitions that martinbo gave, which I agree with BTW.

For me owning a Mercedes was a childhood dream which came true in 2006, only 20 years after I saw my first W124 300E..lol!!! I just love cars, but I have strong preferences as I like to call it. I have always liked European cars because they were always so different from the usual stuff we have here in the U.S. If I had grown up in Europe my view may differ, well maybe. My dream garage isn't by any means filled with Mercedes-Benzes because I like something from all from the German brands, ditto for all the European brands I can think of on sale here and for some that aren't. Things get iffy when we venture off into Asian and American brands, but nowadays there is plenty for me to like there also.

There are but 2 things that work against the average car enthusiast, time and money. Most of us don't have enough of the latter to own of all of the cars we lust after at the same time and you'll surely run out of time before you can own all of them in succession. Somewhat of a crying shame really.

M