Fast Cars, Slow Seduction

How Italy turned vehicles into emotion while Germany perfected everyday luxury

- HIMANI KOTHARI

The exercise is revealing if you try it honestly. Close your eyes and imagine a supercar. The colour arrives first. Red, or something aggressively bright. Then comes the shape. A gas-guzzling machine designed less for Indian roads and more for racetracks, with ground clearance so low that it gives Indian speed breakers a whole new sense of self-importance. The engine lets out thunderous roars, the kind of sound that makes fellow drivers peer out of their windows. A name drifts in soon after. Ferrari, perhaps, or Lamborghini, or Maserati—all Italian brands.

What almost never appears is a Mercedes, a BMW or an Audi— German brands that are admired, respected, even coveted, but rarely fantasised about in the same way.

How did Italy come to dominate the idea of supercars, while Germany perfected luxury at scale?

For one, Italy is synonymous with craftsmanship. Its brands deliver drama, excess and a faint disregard for practicality. That makes them ideal for collectors and enthusiasts.