Mirbeau's fictional car trip then takes him to Germany, whose industry, cleanliness, and order stand in contrast to what Mirbeau regarded as the slovenliness and laxity of his own countrymen.
In Mirbeau's fictional car journey, he travels to Germany, where its manufacturing, cleanliness, and order are in opposition to how Mirbeau perceived the slovenliness and laxity of his own compatriots.