ALDO:
I do not agree with you! If I look around my customers and suppliers I see a lot of good cars: Mercedes, BMW, Audi, .... - all models - maybe not Ferraris or Astons
If I look in my street I see a lot of Porsche cars.
If I look at the parking place of our golf course, I see a lot of very expensive cars.
If I look at the sold Mercedes S-class, BMW 7-class, ... in Germany .....
All this cars are driven and not hidden. I don´t have a unique business and I didn't have until today any problems with my cars. The only car with some problems with my surrounding was the Cayenne turbo. Not because this car is expensive but because this car was consuming too much gasoline.
I doubt I will have any problems with a possible Panamera turbo.
Maybe also I am lucky with my wife and childrens who all like to have two individual seats at the rear - Yes I am a lucky man!
YOUR business is completely different from mine, I usually have to deal with younger people, families or very old people. Most of these people don't have a BMW, Audi or Mercedes, they usually have a small car under 20000 EUR or ride a bicycle. Most of my customers are longtime customers and I know them very well, including their views of almost everything. If people talk to you the whole day only about corrupt politicians, managers, etc., you can imagine what kind of customers I have. Of course I have more "classy" customers too but these are actually the worst. They accept the Cayenne (somehow) and my wife's BMW M3 Cab but a 997 Turbo would put me in trouble, I know it from the discussions I have with them. Another problem is: the car(s) are parked right outside my business, so they see them all the time.
Most of my business collegues are driving in a VW Golf or old Audi to their business, their Porsches and other fancy cars are at home in a garage. Doctors aren't much different over here: we met with one of them for TWO years and only after he invited us to his house, we found out he owned a 996 Cabriolet. Can you believe that? They saw our Porsches all the time and didn't say a word or met with us driving their Porsche.
My hometown is a worker's town, it isn't like the town/region you live in. We have a very high percentage of russian immigrants, it is not Munich or Stuttgart, different rules there.
That said, I think that not the people are to blame for this situation but the german media. Our politicians and reporters do a very good job to make wealthy people look like gangsters. The sad part is that most people over here don't understand the difference between a bank manager, CEO and somebody who runs a small family business. For people, they're all the same "thieves" and the media over here does a great job NOT to tell them the difference.
--
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor 997 Turbo, Cayenne Turbo S, BMW M3 Cab DKG, Mini Cooper S JCW