What's Your Engine Temp?

[Lil bastard]

Actually, the reason European cars have better suspensions than American ones is because they have to. It's a matter of terrain.

The automobile came along very late in europe's history, when towns, villages and roads were already well-established. Because of a lack of heavy machinery a thousand years ago, when roads encountered an obstacle - river, hill, mountain, etc., the road builders went around them, creating roads with lots and lots of curves.

In America, the majority of the roads today were not laid when the car came along, and so (along with an availabilty of heavy machinery) the roads were built specifically to accomodate the automobile and so are generally more straight with milder curves. American cars simply didn't need to handle the way european cars did.

[Jaxonalden]

Originally Posted by Lil bastard

Actually, the reason European cars have better suspensions than American ones is because they have to. It's a matter of terrain.

The automobile came along very late in europe's history, when towns, villages and roads were already well-established. Because of a lack of heavy machinery a thousand years ago, when roads encountered an obstacle - river, hill, mountain, etc., the road builders went around them, creating roads with lots and lots of curves.

In America, the majority of the roads today were not laid when the car came along, and so (along with an availabilty of heavy machinery) the roads were built specifically to accomodate the automobile and so are generally more straight with milder curves. American cars simply didn't need to handle the way european cars did.

Love the history lesson, thank you. But this is 2008 and Germans aren't hauling' ass in horse and buggy around rutted out mountain passes. The roads in Germany are fantastic and they have no more twisty's that we do in this country. The Autobahn is a work of art and if you think that Porsche's aren't built for the riggers of the Autobahn, Autopista, Autovia and every other high speed road then just go on and keep thinking that. American cars are not built for that.

If you don't believe me just take a trip to Germany and see for yourself, I have (thanks to the military) and will again here real soon. If you do go may I suggest you try something else they're good at, cooking and making beer.

[Lil bastard]

I was raised overseas - primarily in europe and have been to germany many many times. Germany is one of my least favorite european countries. I hate the food and the beer - Belgians make the best european beers followed by the Dutch, then Germany, and probably a 2-way tie for 4th between the French and the British, though I have to admit this is totally subjective.

It is true that in the past 40 years europe has developed their own expressway system similar to our Interstate system, but that accounts for less than 5% of all the roads. The majority, as I've said, are narrow twisty roads, some of which date back to Roman times.

It wasn't so much a history lesson, but in a discussion between american and european cars - History matters !