Each spring, for the last eight years, the European mobile electronics community has gathered in Sinsheim, Germany for the annual Car + Sound Show. This year almost 30,000 enthusiasts made the trek to Sinsheim, located about 20 minutes from Heidelberg, some from as far away as Russia, to see the latest components and some of the wildest installations imaginable. They did not leave Sinsheim disappointed.
Traditionally, the best European installations seemed to lag behind the techniques and creativity exhibited by the U.S. counterparts. However, this year that was not the case. The best European installs can now compete with the best anywhere in the world. More importantly, European installers ply their craft in vehicles that are on average, far smaller than the norm here in the U.S. and with few exceptions, trucks and SUVs, with all the flexibility they offer, are not a factor. On the other hand, traditional 5-door station wagons, especially such as those offered by Audi and Volkswagen, are popular platforms for high-end installations.
If there is a fundamental difference between European and U.S. styles, it is in the still common practice of European installers to use multiple 5- and 6-inch midwoofers in the doors, a practice going back to the late '80's but no longer popular here in the States. Several accessory manufacturers offer pre-formed, molded replacement door panels for most popular models to facilitate this process. Upgraded kick panel mounting of component separates are the exception rather than the rule.
Unlike U.S. shows, for instance, the recent SEMA International Auto Salon, where Asian cars dominate, in Sinsheim VW Lupos, Polos, Golfs and Bora, what we call the Jetta, covered the floor of the five buildings that make up the Sinsheim Messe (Hall) complex. But all the VW's were joined by a newcomer; there were New MINIs everywhere. The front-wheel-drive New MINI, developed by BMW, has been on sale in Europe since last fall and had a high-profile presence in Sinsheim. Nowhere was this more evident than in the Pioneer booth where three different New MINIs were on display, illustrating three different system design approaches. Clearly, the New MINI was the star of the show; and as availability expands here in the U.S., expect to see it supplant the New Beetle and PT Cruiser as the car de jour on the mobile electronics scene.
If the Europeans remain behind their U.S. counterparts in any one area, it is in mobile video; but there, the gap is closing rapidly. Many of the LCD monitors are high-quality models sourced locally rather than from Asia. Because of the generally smaller cars and the lack of trucks and SUVs, installers on the Continent need to be especially creative installing monitors, and don't think twice about remolding new dash tops in order to facilitate the installation of these products (the most noteworthy was the Boston Acoustics New Beetle). On high-end cars, like bigger Audis, BMW's and Mercedes, the job is easier since many already offer the provision for an in-dash navigation screen.
If the Europeans lead the U.S. in any one area, it's mobile navigation. Because of the complex nature of European roads, some dating back hundreds of years, and the way traditional European cities are laid out, having mobile navigation is far more essential in Europe than it is here; thus the factory penetration and aftermarket installation rates are substantially higher than here in the U.S. and the systems are far more developed, offering a variety of interactive traffic information management services to help drivers navigate around bottlenecks. Also noteworthy was the number of OEM integration accessories already available to facilitate the installation of aftermarket video components with factory-installed screens.