Friday Fun Thread: Hail Germania...

Since we wrapped up the Top Ten lists for the Big Three American automobile manufacturers, it's time to move beyond our shores to distant lands. Today's Top Ten list will comprise cars made in Germany.

1. Porsche 911. Ah, the 911. For twenty five years Ferdinand Porsche's 911 coupe proved that cars could do more than go really fast in a straight line - they could also go really fast around corners, too. Pitted against the American muscle cars, the 911 with its flat-six motor held its own on the straightaways but shone in the corners.

2. Volkswagen Beetle. Of all the cars ever produced, it would be hard to find one that is more recognizable than the VW Beetle. Produced from WWII into the 1970s, the first "People's Car" had the longest production run of a single design in history, not counting the foreign copies that continued to be produced into the previous decade.

3. Mercedes 300SL. Ah, the "gullwing" Benz. Designed as a racing car, the 300SL was the first Mercedes to sell more units outside of Germany than inside. It was also the first car to utilize direct fuel injection into the 3 liter engine. Plus, the gullwing doors would be the inspiration for the DeLorean some thirty years later...

4. Porsche 959. Never cleared for importation into the United States, it was still declared one of Motor Trend's Number One Sports car of the 1980s. Not only that, but in 1986 a pair of 959s took first and second place in their class in the Paris-Dakar rally!

5. BMW 2002. With BMW's first turbocharger, the 2002 developed some 170 horsepower with the suspension to match. The 2002 might not have been the first true "sports sedan" (the Chrysler 300 series some 20 years prior would be better suited for that title), it certainly helped establish BMW outside of Europe as a maker of high-performance luxury sedans.

6. Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. The Type 14 (VW's designation for the Karmann Ghia) was the most imported car into the US in the 1960s. With styling by Ghia in Italy and bodywork by the German Karmann, it was an international effort that translated into near-universal appeal.

7. Porsche 928. It's hard to say whether the front-mounted V8 engine - as opposed to the traditional rear-mounted straight six - powering this Porsche was more or less shocking than the fact that it was available with an automatic transmission. The 928 was the fastest car in the United States in 1983, owing to American manufacturers still trying to get a handle on emissions control and fuel economy standards.

8. BMW 507. One look at the 507 and it's not hard to see the Corvette- and Thunderbird- inspired styling. While it was billed as competition to the Jaguars and Mercedes roadsers in Europe, it was introduced to the world in New York City in 1956. Plus Elvis had one...

9. Volkswagen Microbus - The first true "minivan", for many years it was the only alternative to the monstrous vans available from Detroit if one wanted more people hauling space than a traditional sedan or wagon. Available in passenger van, pick-up, or camper arrangements, the micro-bus could certainly be considered a sport-utility vehicle as well.

10. Mercedes McLaren SLR. A Mercedes with scissor-wing doors and 617 horsepower under the hood. What could possibly be better for roasting Corvettes and Vipers than German engineering wrapped in opulent leather and real wood dashboards?

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So there's the list of my Top Ten German cars. I'm by no means an expert on foreign automobiles in general, so this list may very well be lacking some important designs.

What German automobiles would you have put on the list?

That is all.