Age Old Debate: Italians vs. Germans

Ever since Enzo Ferrari and Ferruccio Lamborghini had their fall out, the exotic car game wasn’t the same. Ferrari building their incredible Le Mans racers and Lamborghini stunning the world with its futuristic contemporary designs, the world began to see the start of something great, the birth of the Supercar Movement-as I like to call it.

What usually springs to mind when you hear someone say ‘exotic cars’? Ferrari, Lamborghini, perhaps? What about Audi or Porsche? Over the span of the last 6 decades or so, we have seen the rise and fall of many high end sports car brands. Some auto makers tend to do better and better and others seem to have flat lined. But there have always been two main superpowers behind the genius innovation and out of this world craftsmanship, the likes of German automakers and that of the Italians down south.  It always comes down to who is better, not just in terms of flashiness and loud high- revving engines, but what about in terms of reliability and comfort? Sure you one might say, “That’s what a daily driver is for”, well why would I pay $275k for a car I can only drive 3-4 times a month?! GTFO!  What about a car I can drive through the city to work and to the shoppes with friends? Well that’s where the crazy Italians come up short, and the Germans conquer once again- no pun intended.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love the Italian stallions and raging bulls just as much as the next guy; but when it comes down to a solid well rounded exotic you have to go German.

Take for example the Audi R8, it looks utterly astonishing and doesn’t come up short in terms of dependability, they are a bargain in price and have a bigger engine than an MP4, and 458 yet it costs nearly $50-$70k less expensive. Not just a well built and powerful car, the R8 can take a beating on a hot Miami track day, then pick up my lady to go to dinner afterwards without breaking a sweat. I want to see you try putting a 458 through its paces all day on the track then go for drive through the city; I guarantee it’ll be a warm and slightly uncomfortable experience.

The Italians have that ‘WOW factor’-they are marvels at design and they strive for the form-follows-function rule. Ferraris are fantastic on the track, just as long as you’re not doing an endurance race. The masterful coachwork that Pininfarina puts into the Ferrari vehicles is second to none. However, over time they inevitably will come apart despite the amount of care you put into it. This is not an ‘anti Ferrari’ post; across the board the Italian marquees are infamous for making incredible cars, however they are just terribly unreliable.

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