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As you stated this is a public issue that has hurt the german car sectors public image, which has hurt sales and will continue to do so until the public image i

As you stated this is a public issue that has hurt the german car sectors public image, which has hurt sales and will continue to do so until the public image is repaired. One of the biggest selling point for German cars is that they are more efficient than the Americans this event has broken that public perception and until they fix it they will struggle to compete with cheaper American cars. If they don't restore the publics faith that the German car industry will deliver what they promise people like me will simply not buy German cars. > It is politics and power they care about, not justice. I agree with you but in this case the easiest way to solve the political issue and restore power is to deliver justice.

serial_dev 7y ago
In my opinion, you oversimplified it. Yes, the German car sector's public image is hurt and they want to repair the public image, I agree with that. However, I wouldn't be so sure that the best way for them to repair the brand is by delivering justice. Does it really help the German car sector's reputation, if people will hear in the news for weeks how they investigate the case, who's responsible, how they figured these details out? I don't think so, because every time it'll be on the news that they caught someone, the news will also repeat the original sleazy act of (alleged?) cheating, and that sticks, that's what people will remember. However, if they just try to be not too loud about it, most people will forget in a year or two.
- Tomte 7y ago
  For weeks? Have you missed the constant coverage for the last years? For your theory to hold, the whole thing would have had to be buried within weeks indeed. But that has demonstrably not been the case.
hutzlibu 7y ago
The problem is, that the car sector and politics are deeply connected here. So yes, they do all they can, that it seems they delivered justice. But they really cannot do that without a fundamental change of the structures and that is not gonna happen. So they found some scapegoats who probably get compensated behind the scenes and yes, they make sure, that this scandal is not gonna happen again, but that's about it.
tomatotomato37 7y ago
>One of the biggest selling point for German cars is that they are more efficient than the Americans this event has broken that public perception and until they fix it they will struggle to compete with cheaper American cars. That only holds for cheaper economy cars, of which japan currently has the consumer perception edge with. The German car industry's edge is with conspicuous consumption type cars, such as luxury and GT cruisers; and the customer base for those types of cars doesn't car about efficiency as much as prestige and sportiness. I'd go as far to say the customer base for the M3 or equivalent sport cars is the type to actively subvert the emissions equipment with an ECU flash or test pipe swap for the performance boost.

serial_dev 7y ago

In my opinion, you oversimplified it. Yes, the German car sector's public image is hurt and they want to repair the public image, I agree with that. However, I wouldn't be so sure that the best way for them to repair the brand is by delivering justice. Does it really help the German car sector's reputation, if people will hear in the news for weeks how they investigate the case, who's responsible, how they figured these details out? I don't think so, because every time it'll be on the news that they caught someone, the news will also repeat the original sleazy act of (alleged?) cheating, and that sticks, that's what people will remember. However, if they just try to be not too loud about it, most people will forget in a year or two.

Tomte 7y ago
For weeks? Have you missed the constant coverage for the last years? For your theory to hold, the whole thing would have had to be buried within weeks indeed. But that has demonstrably not been the case.

hutzlibu 7y ago

The problem is, that the car sector and politics are deeply connected here. So yes, they do all they can, that it seems they delivered justice. But they really cannot do that without a fundamental change of the structures and that is not gonna happen. So they found some scapegoats who probably get compensated behind the scenes and yes, they make sure, that this scandal is not gonna happen again, but that's about it.

tomatotomato37 7y ago

>One of the biggest selling point for German cars is that they are more efficient than the Americans this event has broken that public perception and until they fix it they will struggle to compete with cheaper American cars. That only holds for cheaper economy cars, of which japan currently has the consumer perception edge with. The German car industry's edge is with conspicuous consumption type cars, such as luxury and GT cruisers; and the customer base for those types of cars doesn't car about efficiency as much as prestige and sportiness. I'd go as far to say the customer base for the M3 or equivalent sport cars is the type to actively subvert the emissions equipment with an ECU flash or test pipe swap for the performance boost.