I love the back seats. My 4 & 7 yo can attest that they absolutely work on a daily basis, albeit in a 996 Turbo. Makes for the perfect balance of usability, performance and understatement.

Underrated comment. Thank you.

I have believed in the opposite car principle for quite a while now. Unfortunately for now it’s always been a bit of a compromise since my wife and I would share the two cars. Eventually I’ll get to a true optimum though...

Good for you and maybe you’re an above average driver. Or maybe you just got lucky. In either case, your anecdotal evidence unfortunately doesn’t show anything.

I think this whole “necessary vs. unnecessary” debate comes down to two factors for me (and it’s a lot more grey zone than black and white like most things in life):

Yea, driver ed in Germany is much more comprehensive but not the kind that encourages handling on the limit (not that it’s not covered). More the kind that is “What’s the legal front overhang of an item transported on your roof before you need to hang a orange flag on it” (it’s 50cm - but only of it’s higher than 2.5m…

I think the pricing is just about right to be a competitor - Porsche would never price close to a „lesser“ Brand when they compete. That would completely destroy their brand perception. The 50K premium is exactly what Porsche buyers need to pay to feel like they are getting something special.

(I honestly mean this as an observation not a criticism)

Yea. Charge people $2,000 for a license and expect failure rates of 40%+ on exams and see how that plays out. Having the Autobahn quite literally has a high price in Germany...

Yea, brother or sister in arms. Got a minivan and a M3 - gets me all I need.

Oh, man. The memories. I grew up with those movies and where they took place. When I came of driving age, Mantas were all but a distant memory but the tradition lives on (mostly in cheap 316is).

Came here for this. As a German I take offense at the blatant ignorance y’all are displaying by ignoring the obvious error in the article equating Europe to Germany. Even the original source didn’t make that mistake.

That sounds like something got lost in the inheritance. Playmobil toys are very realistic. Police has handguns and Pirates have swords and cannons. Actually quite interesting given current German culture is quite pacifist.

Pro Tip: Order this straight from Amazon.de (Germany) - EUR 33 which comes out to $40 + ~$5 shipping. Amazon.com & other sellers are already sold-out on regular pricing (average asking price seems to be ~$70+)

All the German manufacturers are set up for custom ordering of the vast majority of their vehicles. That’s how the sell in their home market. Take a look at the German market BMW or Mercedes configurations. They are insane. Every option that is grouped into packages here in the US is available stand-alone.

Most of the German market is build to order (at least when I lived there). Usually with a hefty cash discount. Car prices in Germany are a lot higher than the US but that may not be causal.

I disagree. VW may pretend it’s good faith but it’s really only fear of litigation and getting screwed by the US government. Just look at how they are treating their European customers. If it was up to VW they’d make you pay for the fix.

I for one have been frustrated. I need to change/upgrade cars for personal reasons (family expansion) but I’m stuck with the car and VW is dragging it along (been 30+ days since I submitted my documents). It’s a mayor inconvenience driving the car now.