Joetz said:
In the 10 years that I have been reading european car magazines, I have always noticed that they will, somewhere in the issue, bash the USA.
It doesn't bother me, though I can see how it bothers some.
I look at it this way... put yourself in their position. It's fun to mock and poke at the large giant. We do it with Walmart, Microsoft, etc.
Add in the history between US and UK.
Add in that a perception becomes reality and people see what they want to see... like one Detroit article on the Elise proves that the fat Americans just don't get it. Add in perceptions shaped by media, specially American TV.
No reason to get upset at what is really ignorance. It's a combination of perceptions and that American bashing is a bit of a sport there. It's mostly all in good fun. I am not playing, but I can see that they are... and there is a little disconnect between our styles of humor.
Lastly, it is no different then... to paint all Brits with the same brush while proclaiming that we are offended by all of their generalities. Many people in the UK are well informed and understand the situation. Or at least they keep telling me that.
A bit of American bashing is no big deal.
All my 2 cents, like I said, I know others take it more seriously.