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Why is the German aftermarket community/support so strong?

Dog Dad Wagon

Autocross Champion
Location
Go Birds
Car(s)
16 Touareg TDI
I've always been a car enthusiast though, and have owned and modified numerous American and Japanese cars in the past, that I also enjoyed and appreciated the great aftermarket support for.

My blanket statement was about the “average owner” of a Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chevy etc. you responded you disagreed, but then stated you are a car enthusiast. I am not talking about car enthusiasts.

In my experience, even non-enthusiasts who own a VW tend to love their car more than your non-enthusiast owner of a Honda etc. my gf is a good example, doesn’t know shit about cars but always wanted a manual VW, and loves her TDI wagon. My sister’s best friend in high school was some ghetto chick from north Philly who owned a MK4 Jetta VR6 and she was obsessed with it, didn’t have any idea how many cylinders it had or the uniqueness of her specific engine. Her other best friend who once complimented me on the wheels on my GTI, I’ve seen own a convertible beetle and an EOS. My friend who was dead-set on a Mazda CX-5 took my advice to test drive a Tiggy, and she left with the keys.

There’s something to be said about it. I’ve never heard anyone in my family besides my cousin who owns a Jetta day a single thing about how they love their cars. My cousin whose dad happened to get her a Jetta said to me “Cooper... I think I get why you love VWs so much.”

They’re not the nicest, they don’t have the most features for their price point, yet the average person who gets behind the wheel of one can FEEL the difference. And that’s hard to sell as a marketing strategy. “Test drive it... you’ll see why people get them despite our terrible reputation and dealer network!”
 
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TimCv1

Go Kart Newbie
Location
CO
Car(s)
GTI mk 7, Tiguan MQB
Fart cans. Over 10 billion sold.
Ironically this kid across the street from me had a Jetta with fart can. Every fucking time he'd take it anywhere at whatever odd hours, he'd idle it a couple minutes. BZZZZZZZZZZZ all thru the damn house. I rejoiced when he sold it and upgraded to an Audi, nice quiet exhaust. Alas, after lowering and whatever else, he got around to the fart cans. Bleah.
 

EricsVdub

Go Kart Champion
Location
Chicago 'burbs
Car(s)
2019 GTI SE Exp pkg
I think that has more to do with the age of the driver, than the make or model of vehicle. Younger drivers are much more likely to like a noisy exhaust and/or flashy cosmetic mods because they're trying to attract attention. Us older, married drivers don't want to do that anymore...
 

EricsVdub

Go Kart Champion
Location
Chicago 'burbs
Car(s)
2019 GTI SE Exp pkg
Maybe I'm in the minority, but if I had the time, money, and space available, I'd have all different makes and models of cars that I worked on and modified. I have a notebook that I keep plans for parts and modifications of many different makes of cars. Anyone else do that?
 

Dog Dad Wagon

Autocross Champion
Location
Go Birds
Car(s)
16 Touareg TDI
Maybe I'm in the minority, but if I had the time, money, and space available, I'd have all different makes and models of cars that I worked on and modified. I have a notebook that I keep plans for parts and modifications of many different makes of cars. Anyone else do that?

Ive never owned a car that wasn’t a VW. And besides maybe a new Tundra in 5 or so years, not sure I’ll ever step outside the VAG blanket. Unless Mazda really entices me with this new longitudinal I6 platform.
 

shovelhd

Autocross Champion
Location
Western MA
Ironically this kid across the street from me had a Jetta with fart can. Every fucking time he'd take it anywhere at whatever odd hours, he'd idle it a couple minutes. BZZZZZZZZZZZ all thru the damn house. I rejoiced when he sold it and upgraded to an Audi, nice quiet exhaust. Alas, after lowering and whatever else, he got around to the fart cans. Bleah.

I don't think I've ever seen a VAG vehicle with a fart can. Aftermarket exhaust, yes. Resonator delete, yes. However around here there are tons of tarted up JDM cars and Subarus with fart cans.
 

EricsVdub

Go Kart Champion
Location
Chicago 'burbs
Car(s)
2019 GTI SE Exp pkg
Ive never owned a car that wasn’t a VW. And besides maybe a new Tundra in 5 or so years, not sure I’ll ever step outside the VAG blanket. Unless Mazda really entices me with this new longitudinal I6 platform.
I've owned 3 different Mazda's in the past. I'm a fan of their engineering. Their ECU's are locked down though, so tuning is very difficult.
 

mike-y

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Los Angeles
Car(s)
2017 GTI / 2016 R
I don't think I've ever seen a VAG vehicle with a fart can. Aftermarket exhaust, yes. Resonator delete, yes. However around here there are tons of tarted up JDM cars and Subarus with fart cans.

You must have missed the 90s :)

EVERYTHING back then had a fart can. except muscle cars.
 

TimCv1

Go Kart Newbie
Location
CO
Car(s)
GTI mk 7, Tiguan MQB
I don't think I've ever seen a VAG vehicle with a fart can. Aftermarket exhaust, yes. Resonator delete, yes. However around here there are tons of tarted up JDM cars and Subarus with fart cans.
It could be a very sophisticated exhaust, that's not the point. In fact it's a pretty nice Audi so it probably is an Actual Exhaust System. The point is the end result is still Fart Can. Which kind makes how much it likely costs/how good it is all the more dumb. Maybe at full tilt the thing even sounds amazing, who knows. Whenever he idles it then leaves....fart can. It's got to be worse in the car too - that boomy resonance at anything other than high revs at WOT, just dumber than hell.
 

jmblur

Autocross Champion
Location
Massachusetts
Car(s)
2017 Golf R
Yeah but have you seen those modified Honda's? I wouldn't touch those things with a 10ft. pole.
Some of them, sure. But there are some damn nice Miatas, s2000s, and civics both old and new at the track/autocross ripping it up with some serious mods. Some of the new type Rs are ridiculously fast.
 

Raguvian

Autocross Champion
Location
Bay Area, CA
Car(s)
2019 GSW 4MO 6MT
I don't think I've ever seen a VAG vehicle with a fart can. Aftermarket exhaust, yes. Resonator delete, yes. However around here there are tons of tarted up JDM cars and Subarus with fart cans.

Uh... MK4 owners are probably the biggest group of ricers around.

I don't agree that the German aftermarket is any bigger than the Japanese or American aftermarkets. Even for a smaller company like Subaru, the offroad community is huge with no shortage of tuners and aftermarket vendors. Honda and GM probably have the biggest aftermarkets of any automaker considering how their engines seem to end up in most other cars as well (K/LS swaps).
 

EricsVdub

Go Kart Champion
Location
Chicago 'burbs
Car(s)
2019 GTI SE Exp pkg
My blanket statement was about the “average owner” of a Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chevy etc. you responded you disagreed, but then stated you are a car enthusiast. I am not talking about car enthusiasts.

In my experience, even non-enthusiasts who own a VW tend to love their car more than your non-enthusiast owner of a Honda etc. my gf is a good example, doesn’t know shit about cars but always wanted a manual VW, and loves her TDI wagon. My sister’s best friend in high school was some ghetto chick from north Philly who owned a MK4 Jetta VR6 and she was obsessed with it, didn’t have any idea how many cylinders it had or the uniqueness of her specific engine. Her other best friend who once complimented me on the wheels on my GTI, I’ve seen own a convertible beetle and an EOS. My friend who was dead-set on a Mazda CX-5 took my advice to test drive a Tiggy, and she left with the keys.

There’s something to be said about it. I’ve never heard anyone in my family besides my cousin who owns a Jetta day a single thing about how they love their cars. My cousin whose dad happened to get her a Jetta said to me “Cooper... I think I get why you love VWs so much.”

They’re not the nicest, they don’t have the most features for their price point, yet the average person who gets behind the wheel of one can FEEL the difference. And that’s hard to sell as a marketing strategy. “Test drive it... you’ll see why people get them despite our terrible reputation and dealer network!”
Gotcha, I misunderstood. Although I think you could make a similar argument about a few other makes that are lower production volume than Honda, Toyota, etc. also. I'm a car addict, so I'm interested in everything.
 

JerseyDrew77

Autocross Champion
Location
Virginia & NC
Car(s)
2016 TR GTI S 6MT
Some of them, sure. But there are some damn nice Miatas, s2000s, and civics both old and new at the track/autocross ripping it up with some serious mods. Some of the new type Rs are ridiculously fast.
Sorry but no. I do not think there is a single S2000, Civic, or Mazda Miata that looks good and the new Type R's look like a horrible toy that some 3 year old designed.
 
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