They look really nice - Germany does have a lot of small not well known brands that really seem good - nox rose etc.
To add to joels points also consider resale value - no matter how good a bike it is if its not known on these shores it will be difficult to shift when you need to sell it. Nicolai is probably the most famous German brand over here and 70% of riders i meet don't know anything about them.
Having a local dealer really does count for a lot when things go tits up too.
Even if I didnt own its big brother, id be pickling up one of these
http://www.birkenheadcycles.co.uk/smsim ... r_30-3.jpg for £1400. You can can take that frame in any direction (SS or DH) With the right parts you can ride World Cup races on them as the scott team did last year - very versatile as you find your feet in the long travel game. Plus there is a scott dealer in Buckhust Hill - no German required.