注意，寶貝！

????如果有人不明白德國為什么是歐洲經濟的發動機，只要看看德國汽車業的表現就明白了。梅賽德斯-奔馳（Mercedes-Benz）、寶馬（BMW）、奧迪（Audi）和保時捷（Porsche）等德系品牌的旗幟這幾年的銷量節節攀升，而且預計2013年還會有更好的業績。

????從邏輯上講，德系車本來不應該這樣繁榮的。如今全球大多數消費者的錢袋都比較緊張，更何況德國人還是以高端的價格賣高端車型。而且油價近年來一直高得嚇人，德國車雖然動輒搭載V6和V8發動機，但依然能繼續盈利。另外，盡管一般消費者越來越青睞小型車，但高端德國豪車總是不愁銷路——當然，它們還是一水的黑色，車里的豪華配置甚至比阿聯酋航空公司（Emirates）的頭等艙還要豪華。

????邏輯問題就先談到這里。在今年的頭5個月里，寶馬的全球銷量上升了6.4%，保時捷上升了13%，奧迪的銷量更是上升了14%。

????德國人是如何創造這個奇跡的？你可能會說，他們很聰明，工作努力，而且得到了老天的眷顧。不過除此之外，德國還有10個獨特的優勢。

1. 深厚的歷史積淀

????德國人卡爾?本茨（奔馳公司的創始人之一——譯注）在19世紀70年代發明了世界上第一臺內燃發動機，然后又在1987年給它安了個車身，世界第一臺汽車就這樣誕生了。和奔馳相比，其他德國汽車廠商要年輕得多。比如寶馬公司1928年才開始生產汽車。不過所有德國汽車廠商都投資了數十億歐元推廣他們的汽車文化遺產。在斯圖加特、慕尼黑和因戈爾斯塔特等地都建有大量的汽車博物館。德國廠商敬畏自己的汽車，而消費者也尊重德國汽車。

2．賽車制勝

????沒有一個國家擁有像德國這樣深厚的賽車傳統——甚至就連意大利也比不上。早在上世紀30年代，號稱“銀箭”的汽車聯盟和奔馳公司的賽車就被人津津樂道；胡安?范吉奧、斯特林?莫斯和邁克爾?舒馬赫等汽車史上赫赫有名的賽車手都是德國人。德國還有著名的紐伯林賽道，這條傳奇賽道圍繞著一個中世紀城堡修建而成，被車手戲稱為“綠色地獄”。就連德國人的車禍都是令人難忘的。在1955年的勒芒賽上，一輛梅賽德斯300SLR賽車失控沖進人群，83名觀眾不幸身亡。德國人的賽車遺產沒辦法用價格來衡量，但沒有人會懷疑它的價值。

3. 高速公路無限速

????世界上只有極少數的公路沒有限速，其中就包括總長度將近8,000英里長的德國高速公路。由于城市地區、交通堵塞、道路施工等因素，大多數路段的車流速度在72英里/小時以下。德國汽車廠商基本上都遵守君子協定，把汽車的設計速度限制在155英里/小時（約255公里/小時），不過在某些情況下，設計速度上限達190英里/小時也是有可能的。世界上沒有一個國家的汽車的設計速度超越了德國車。

Achtung baby

????Anyone seeking to understand why Germany remains the economic powerhouse of Europe need only to look at the performance of its auto industry. Its flagship brands -- Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Porsche -- are all enjoying record years and forecasting even better results for 2013.

????Logically, they shouldn't be doing well at all. At a time when most of the world's consumers have a case of the shorts, Germany is selling premium cars at premium prices. With gasoline at wallet-busting levels, it continues to profit from high-performance V-6 and V-8 engines. And with typical buyers squeezing into smaller cars, there is no shortage of upscale German limos -- black only, of course -- festooned with more luxury features than a first-class seat on Emirates.

????So much for logic. In the first five months of this year, BMW's global sales are up 6.4%, Porsche has gained 13%, and Audi is a remarkable 14% better off.

????How do the Germans do it? You could say they're smart, work hard, and have momentum on their side. But they also enjoy 10 unique advantages:

1. Historical roots that go deep

????The automobile was invented when Karl Benz developed one of the first internal combustion engines in the 1870s and fitted a coach to it in 1887. The other German companies are younger -- BMW didn't start making cars until 1928 -- but all of them have invested billions of euros in marketing their heritage. Just look at the lavish museums that have been erected in Stuttgart, Munich, and Ingolstadt. The Germans revere their cars, and customers respect that.

2. Winning by racing

????No country -- not even Italy -- has a racing heritage like Germany's: the "silver arrow" Auto Union and Mercedes' cars of the 1930s; drivers like Juan Fangio, Stirling Moss and Michael Schumacher; and the fabled Nurburgring, which loops around a medieval castle and was nicknamed "The Green Hell." Even its accidents are memorable: Eighty-three spectators died at LeMans in 1955 when a Mercedes 300 SLR plowed into the crowd. You can't put a price on racing heritage, but nobody doubts its value.

3. No speed limits

????The nearly 8,000 miles of German autobahns are some of the few public roads in the world with no speed limits. Urban areas, traffic congestion, and construction keep speeds on most sections below 72 miles per hour, and German manufacturers limit their cars to a top speed of 155 mph under a gentlemen's agreement, but 190 mph on some stretches is still possible. Cars are built to go this fast nowhere else in the world.