Greatest Automotive Nation?

[isurujosh]

Greatness is such a subjective thing, isn't it. So your choice is as good as mine. So please take some time out to vote for the greatest automotive nation in your book and state why.

I have included...

UK: This is my choice. More I read about great cars more I am inclined to believe that Brits are the best in building cars. Be it the Mclaren F1, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lotus, Caterham, Aston Martin they all are very British and have some mystique greatness. Most other car makers in the world borrow expertise from british, sometimes eventhough the nameplate might read non-british the technology and philosophy really come from Britain. I recently even read that although Audi is renowned for 4WD quattro, the first 4WD cars were from Britain. But like all British car makers thay had not made profits and been forced to shut down. I don't think greateness has to be associated with "profits" so I vote Brit

Germany: Need I say more... Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, VW ... (Or eventhough Bugatti is really a French nameplate, I consider Veyron German more than any other)

Italy: Characterrised by the ever so raging and fierce battle between Farrari and Lambo.

Japan: They certainly make things perfect.

USA: I remain silent and let you decide.

France: Oh! they made the Bugatti Royale and they own the nameplate.

Sri Lanka: At the end of the day, we make the most out of the least . And how can I not give any choice for the Patriotic membership of our forum.

I hope I have not missed any other serious contender for this title. (PLZZZZ not India Ok!)

[JadeyBlitzen]

i dont expect anybody to take top gear seriously. they are better than fifth gear cos they dont bore us to death with facts and figures. just to give you an idea what i'm on about try watching an episode from season one and an episode from season 12 back to back. they've dropped their serious approach and made a program that you can watch with your girlfriend. can you do that with fifth gear? i hate to admit it but being a petrolhead is a bit of a social no no. i know this for a fact cos i've had my share of misfortune being a car nut. what top gear did was make a program that you can watch but still claim you are not a car nut. and i dont think they are very wrong either. ok they do seem to have a soft spot for england. and they hate americans, germans, ok pretty much the whole world. but what they say does make a lot of sense if you live in uk. its just in sl we are too happy with a pink suzuki swifts to care about it.

personally i like this approach. there are other ways to talk to about cars than doing boring road tests on them. that is in simple english that all the non-petrolheads can understand. so my advice is for all those kn*bs who's been watching top gear and complaining they dont know anything about cars, please switch to fifth gear. and for those who think clarskon hammond and may are not very smart, its just their onstage personality. thats like hating heath ledger for his role in bat man. clarkson is where he is now is because he didnt start talking about variable geometry turbos and common rail direct injection. because he just spoke plain english that could be understood by any person of any age.

[MasterDon]

i dont expect anybody to take top gear seriously. they are better than fifth gear cos they dont bore us to death with facts and figures. just to give you an idea what i'm on about try watching an episode from season one and an episode from season 12 back to back. they've dropped their serious approach and made a program that you can watch with your girlfriend. can you do that with fifth gear? i hate to admit it but being a petrolhead is a bit of a social no no. i know this for a fact cos i've had my share of misfortune being a car nut. what top gear did was make a program that you can watch but still claim you are not a car nut. and i dont think they are very wrong either. ok they do seem to have a soft spot for england. and they hate americans, germans, ok pretty much the whole world. but what they say does make a lot of sense if you live in uk. its just in sl we are too happy with a pink suzuki swifts to care about it.

personally i like this approach. there are other ways to talk to about cars than doing boring road tests on them. that is in simple english that all the non-petrolheads can understand. so my advice is for all those kn*bs who's been watching top gear and complaining they dont know anything about cars, please switch to fifth gear. and for those who think clarskon hammond and may are not very smart, its just their onstage personality. thats like hating heath ledger for his role in bat man. clarkson is where he is now is because he didnt start talking about variable geometry turbos and common rail direct injection. because he just spoke plain english that could be understood by any person of any age.

dude i don't think you need to tell anyone here that top gear is somehwhat "manufactured",the AL guys are a very informed lot,i for one watch the whole lot,top gear,fifth gear,autovision(for some shameless self-promoting)...and for tecnical knowledge i ocassionally watch translated japanese or german videos with subtitles...

i definately agree with you on the petrolhead being a social outcast.for example everyone thinks i talk nothing but cars(very untrue...i talk about bikes as well )...and i totally get turned off when my dates(which are very few) dont like to ride in a "parana car" or bike or in a convertible...so far i've never met any lady(young or old) who likes all three(except me mum)....so it's no surprise that i'm a loner.

[JadeyBlitzen]

i think the idea here is to have a very subtle car cos even clarkson once mentioned the flashiness of your car is inversely proportional to the size of your male organ. and i dont think we have any reason to disagree. (unless of course of course you just painted your civic bright orange)

i'd also like to add that surely its not the looks he mentioned but also the noise it makes. i think its better to have a car with an exhaust note thats drowned with the boring 2 stroke tuk tuk noises we here everyday rather than owning one that sounds like a fat bloke farting. don't think i've gone completely mad with this whole subtle thing. i think the car should stay quiet until its caned. only then should it show the world what its made of. kinda like that international businessman in a porno.

and speaking of how physically gifted you are, i think its the people who are absolute hooligans on the road that are least gifted. i mean you are not driving more flamboyantly making a lot of noise to get somehwere fast but just to attract attention. so its not that different from owning a flashy car. except you'll also be thought a ret*rd.

however with old cars you are quite safe from any of the dangers mentioned above. i mean if you were offered a choice between a db9 and a db5 it'll have to be a db5. one of my mates owns a 1973 volvo p1800 and thats a real bird puller. i havent gone through a single day without going through the internet waiting for a cheap one to turn up. anyways mr. helrazor no offence but i think your lady friends are yet to find the appeal of classic motoring. i think the point here is when us car nuts drive a car thats found very interesting by the rest of the car nut community you are branded a car nut and loathed by normal people. even normal people should love classics. but i suggest you use a very non-car-nut-like car like a nissan n16 for your first few dates just to play it safe

i dont want to comment on bikes btw. probably best not to mention it till later in your relationship.

p.s. anybody who's looking for a brick to throw at me for my theory on proportionality can i just say i'm driving around in a wrx blue hatchback. and i always say, "its not the size its how you use it"

[Devinda_Z]

...so far i've never met any lady(young or old) who likes all three(except me mum)....so it's no surprise that i'm a loner.

a one armed bandit can count how many of the fairer sex i have met over the years to have even the foggiest interest in anything automotive!

[Devinda_Z]

i think the car should stay quiet until its caned. only then should it show the world what its made of.

i can agree with your concept

unfortunately ,afaik apart from one of those fancy new trick exhuasts that have valves opening above certain revs , i don't see how some performance cars can be that quiet

[Devinda_Z]

can i just say i'm driving around in a wrx blue hatchback. and i always say, "its not the size its how you use it"

ROTFL

i've been really inqusitive to know what you drive and had already begun to compose the question in another window whilst reading this post , so many thanks prempting and saving me the trouble

& as for exhaust notes, your spoilt with that lovely flat four burble , so you can't afford to comment

[MasterDon]

"its not the size its how you use it"

so devinda what are your opinions about the above statement.....don't you drive a defender and a 300z? :P ......j/k

[Pericles]

a one armed bandit can count how many of the fairer sex i have met over the years to have even the foggiest interest in anything automotive!

Come work at MIT. At least most of the women who drive prefer manuals to autos. Tho none qualify are car nuts. Or even "foggiest interest in anything automotive". Still, better than nothing.

[JadeyBlitzen]

well for those who wondered what i drive its a 2001 vitz RS 1.5 and yes its wrx blue cos thats nearly the only colour it ever came in, apart from the silver one and the black one i spotted among handful of RS badged versions that roam the roads in sl. i was completely blown away when i got it when i was 17 cos i was quite a unaware of the social issues of driving a car thats the colour of a wrx but can only keep up with vtec civics. and to make it worse i even added neons 3 years back. luckily i have the option of switching them off

anyways i believe i have "some" authority to make that noise comment cos even though i'm stuck with a 4 pot it makes an intruiging deep bass burble in the mid range. and couple that with the high pitched vvti whine at high rpms people have often mistaken my car for a superbike. and that includes my mom. rumour has it that TRD had an upper hand designing an RS version of the vitz. and my guess is they've sure done their part right. and the absolute best thing is its all quiet below 2500rpm where i usually live. anybody who says otherwise i'll give you guys a ride next time i'm in sl.

i think what we should be doing is dropping the elc*rdo and chinese fart cannons and looking for real japanese exhausts that are quiet at low revs and not very shouty as to ruin someones breakfast at the top end. or stick with your original cos no car comes out with a really loud exhaust nowadays, well at least at low revs.

as for the size comment to my knowledge defenders are usually known for their "very gifted" drivers. but its not so in the case of 300zx. so you guys can make your choice

speaking of girls who got turned off by our craze i got my fair share. i used to properly put off any girl that ever came close when i first started driving. and the worse bit was driving a hatchback isnt considered very manly in sl. and it didnt help by the fact that i was giving them the impression that i'm a street racer. anyways what i've learned is that they are ready to show that they are interested in cars upto a certain extent for your pleasure. but they are only ready to hear so much about it. still, i always enjoyed watching them knocking themselves out trying to watch top gear just to please us while trying to figure out what oversteer and understeer is.

[MasterDon]

well for those who wondered what i drive its a 2001 vitz RS 1.5

LOL.. i believe devinda thought you drive a subaru WRX hatch.....to be honest,so did I

[Devinda_Z]

well for those who wondered what i drive its a 2001 vitz RS 1.5 and yes its wrx blue cos thats nearly the only colour it ever came in, apart from the silver one and the black one i spotted among handful of RS badged versions that roam the roads in sl

not quite machan -

they came in White , Grey (which is possibly what you made mention as silver) , Red , Blue & Black afaik

Yellow was also an option on the early cars i think

[Devinda_Z]

rumour has it that TRD had an upper hand designing an RS version of the vitz

possibly - they did offer upgrades in the form of suspension bits , clutch & short shifter afaik for the RS

[Devinda_Z]

well for those who wondered what i drive its a 2001 vitz RS 1.5 and yes its wrx blue cos thats nearly the only colour it ever came in, apart from the silver one and the black one i spotted among handful of RS badged versions that roam the roads in sl. i was completely blown away when i got it when i was 17 cos i was quite a unaware of the social issues of driving a car thats the colour of a wrx but can only keep up with vtec civics

right , there is a mighty difference between a WRX "blue" hatch and a WRX ! [hence my flat four comment!]

i believe the colour at one time was known as 'Cobalt Blue'

oddly enough i met a bloke driving a blue WRX hatch this morning and nearly asked if his handle was JadeyBlitzen! (so relieved i didn't - saved myself much embaressment )

[Devinda_Z]

so devinda what are your opinions about the above statement.....don't you drive a defender and a 300z? :P ......j/k

i'm just going to let that one pass on by bro

[Devinda_Z]

Come work at MIT. At least most of the women who drive prefer manuals to autos. Tho none qualify are car nuts. Or even "foggiest interest in anything automotive". Still, better than nothing.

true its better than nothing , but still

i can help but wonder if there are ANY proper ordinary (as in not hailing from a family who delve into motorsport) females who are worthy of the petrol head tag?

[Devinda_Z]

as for the size comment to my knowledge defenders are usually known for their "very gifted" drivers. but its not so in the case of 300zx. so you guys can make your choice

I don’t know exactly what it is that you're insinuating there machan ( & hope that’s not sarcasm I detect )

But I can assure you however that to be able to get one those 2 tonne behemoths to motor along you need a bucket full of testosterone and a dollop of bravery!

[JadeyBlitzen]

i refered to the colour of my car as a wrx blue cos thats the closest description to that colour. yes it did come in the aformentioned colours. but out of the 10 or so 1.5L RS versions that came to sl only one of them silver if i'm right. and its owned by one of my mates. i'm quite sure of this fact cos at one time i literally combed the entire nation looking for one. and i only came across blue ones. please fill me in on any new cars that probably arrived after i bought mine if you know about them.

yes, there's a host of trd parts available for the car. the first time i found the catalogue i spent my entire day going through it.

as for the defender, now thats a real mans car. its brutal and "subtle???" at the same time. driving one i could have sworn i was turning into horse downstairs.

they should probably advertise it as a penis enlargment therapy of a car

havent driven a 300zx yet. but u gotta admit it. its a rather flashy car. and lets just stop there.

[Bugatti]

There are votes for Sri Lanka too.... wOw..!

[Ripper]

There are votes for Sri Lanka too.... wOw..!

that's funny!!!!

we have insane taxes, most of our agents suck, our fuel is not that great, road network sucks, driver behavior is awful, traffic cops suck...

just about everything related cars here is nothing much to talk about or to be proud about sadly...

i'm all for the "sri lankan" thing but that'd the reality

[Kavvz]

that's funny!!!!

we have insane taxes, most of our agents suck, our fuel is not that great, road network sucks, driver behavior is awful, traffic cops suck...

just about everything related cars here is nothing much to talk about or to be proud about sadly...

i'm all for the "sri lankan" thing but that'd the reality

I disagree. I'm not saying that SL is the greatest automotive nation, but I disagree with your statement. Man, owning a car in SL takes WORK, and that's exactly why you should be proud. Lets face it, owning a car overseas is easy, you browse for your car online, get it certified if its second hand and drive it home with a nice warranty that covers the major components. To pay a ticket or to renew your licensing you go online. No biggie.

But to own and maintain a car in SL you've got to be passionate: Cars cost three times as much and even after you buy it; you're out there squatting in the sun negotiating with the mechanics, you're dodging the bribe seeking traffic cops, you're lining up for hours because there's a fuel strike, you routinely have to dodge suicidal rickshaw guys, maniac bus drivers, dogs, cows, power drunk ministerial security details, I could go on for the list is endless...but that's why you should take pride in being a car owner and an enthusiast in SL because it takes involvement, effort and commitment.

Say it with me Ripper: I'm proud 'cos I'm a Sri Lankan car owner...come on brother lets go: "I'm proud 'cos I'm a....."

Edited December 7, 2009 by Kavvz

[Ripper]

I disagree. I'm not saying that SL is the greatest automotive nation, but I disagree with your statement. Man owning a car in SL takes WORK, and that's exactly why you should be proud. Lets face it, owning a car overseas is easy, you browse for your car online, get it certified if its second hand and drive it home with a nice warranty that covers the major components. To pay a ticket or to renew your licensing you go online. No biggie.

But to own and maintain a car in SL you've got to be passionate: Cars cost three times as much and even after you buy it; you're out there squatting in the sun negotiating with the mechanics, you're dodging the bribe seeking traffic cops, you're lining up for hours because there's a fuel strike, you routinely have to dodge suicidal rickshaw guys, maniac bus drivers, dogs, cows, power drunk ministerial security details, I could go on for the list is endless...but that's why you should take pride in being a car owner and an enthusiast in SL because it takes involvement, effort and commitment.

Say it with me Ripper: I'm proud 'cos I'm a Sri Lankan car owner...come on brother lets go: "I'm proud 'cos I'm a....."

Errrrrr.....nah mate! sorry but the this topic's focus...at least the way i saw it was about "automotive nations" and not about the passion of car owners!

you say it's east to own and maintain a car overseas...how do you think those guys got there in the first place eh?

if they too were saying that ahh we are so passionate and it's so tough to own and maintain a car here...you think they would have progressed????

people in those countries have got what they have not because it was handed to them...

they have earned it...

I'm not proud that i have to dodge tuk tuks every day...

i aint proud of having to dodge buses and flash and those donkeys who come on high beam in lit up areas etc etc etc...

I wish i don't have to go through that crapp everyday...

So sorry mate! me sticking to my guns!

[Kavvz]

I'm not proud that i have to dodge tuk tuks every day...

i aint proud of having to dodge buses and flash and those donkeys who come on high beam in lit up areas etc etc etc...

I wish i don't have to go through that crapp everyday...

So sorry mate! me sticking to my guns!

Ah! But does that mean you should hang your head in shame?

[Ripper]

Ah! But does that mean you should hang your head in shame?

i never said that now did I

I don't believe we have much to be proud about as an "automotive nation? as the header of this topic says...

as individual car owners... i do like cars and do whatever i can to look after it properly...

but can we say project ourselves as a nation who is into "automotive" stuff....sadly that's a big no for me...

making ourselves happy for something we're not is not in me mate...sorry!

and mind you... a guy who owns the crappiest car, in the crappiest country...if he is a car lover would love his car as much as anybody else would even if those others folks live in Utopian conditions... we're not unique in that way IMHO...

[Kavvz]

i never said that now did I

I don't believe we have much to be proud about as an "automotive nation? as the header of this topic says...

as individual car owners... i do like cars and do whatever i can to look after it properly...

but can we say project ourselves as a nation who is into "automotive" stuff....sadly that's a big no for me...

making ourselves happy for something we're not is not in me mate...sorry!

and mind you... a guy who owns the crappiest car, in the crappiest country...if he is a car lover would love his car as much as anybody else would even if those others folks live in Utopian conditions... we're not unique in that way IMHO...

Fair enough

[Magnum]

JDM all the way. Japanese are involved in every part of automobile industry. Motor bikes, trucks, sports cars, luxury cars, family cars, vans, SUVS etc etc

Edited May 1, 2012 by Magnum