Of Auto Parts and Superior Engineering

Many believe that car components made in Japan and Germany must be good. In fact, the term "German engineering" alone comes up so often that it has somewhat become synonymous for "quality". However, they aren't home to some of the best engineers in the world for no reason, especially in the car industry.

Part of their engineering prowess may have come from being part of World War II. Germany at was respected for their innovative war machines, inventing the world's first assault rifle (StG 44) and the first jet fighter (Me 262). Japan also had something to be proud of, having operated the largest battleship in history (Yamato).

Both countries continued pouring their engineering expertise in their military arsenals, but they also shared it with other areas like the automotive sector. German cars established their reputation in craftsmanship, while Japanese cars became well-known for their reliability. These qualities are immensely reflected by their inner workings.

The car is a complex system; the moment you step on the gas, various parts work together to bring power to the wheels. The relationship between car parts is so linear that the entire car can stop working if one critical component fails. A spark plug that has seen better days, for example, won't be able to deliver as much power as a brand new one.

You can see that in car engineering, every component is designed down to the smallest detail. Whether it's German or Japanese, the image of performance is in the part.