The British “Economist” has something to say about the German mentality:

More than any other nation, Germans are obsessed by the car: it was invented in their country. Little can match the elegance of the early Horch convertibles, forerunners of today’s Audis; the presence of a Maybach—a brand revived by Daimler—or the acceleration of a hot Porsche 911. Combine history with flair and the union is complete. Cars shape German society as much as German engineering has shaped the car. Behind the wheel, mild and sociable family men become tyrannical zealots, intolerant of sloppy driving and nonchalant at motoring along at 200kph (125mph). Those German autobahns, unencumbered by anything so dull as a speed limit, are a God-given proving-ground for ever faster, more powerful vehicles. Could Porsche or BMW have evolved in a land where you are fined if you drive faster than 55mph?