BMW and Saab, a match made in Heaven
Posted: February 27, 2012 Filed under: AUTOMOTIVE INSIGHTS, INDUSTRY TALK | Tags: 1, 9-3, 9-5, 900, all, automotive, bankrupt, BMW, brand, Buying, combi, Coupe, Drive, Europe, front, German, Market, Mazda, Mind, Mini, motor, Niche, Nick, Over, purchase, rear, rebuild, resurge, Saab, series, Subaru, Swedish, turbo, Viggen, Walker, wheel, Z2 1 Comment »
BMW and Saab
Recently it was reported that BMW had expressed interest in purchasing Saab Automobiles. After hearing this news I found myself constantly pondering the possibilities of this acquisition and how BMW could make Saab work in the market where GM had failed. BMW will of course be in contention with numerous other bidders, however after much thought I see BMW as the most perfect match possible for the Saab brand and its resurgence.
Test Driven: 1995 SAAB 900 S
Posted: February 21, 2012 Filed under: Road Review, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 2.3, 900, Cold, FWD, Hatchback, High Miles, I4, Mind, Mind over motor, motor, Mountains, New York, Night, old, Over, Red, Saab, Schaffer, Sweden, Test Drive, Winter 2 Comments »
On the left is the owner, Adam Schaffer.
As most of our readers remember, I tested out a new Saab 9-3X wagon and found it to be lacking in any features that made it stand out from its competitors. But, Saab has always marched to the beat of its own drum (which, ironically, led it right to the poorhouse), for better or for worse. My Aunt’s family lives in Albany, NY, and they have owned this red 900 hatchback since it was new, and they won’t get rid of it. It’s rusty, it’s crusty, and it has 174,000 miles on it. But, I approached it with a question: How good is a 17 year old Saab that’s spent most of its life in the Rust Belt? On a cold night in December, my uncle tossed me the keys and I found out. Read the rest of this entry »
Spotted! SAAB 95, Greenwich, CT
Posted: January 12, 2012 Filed under: SPOTTED!, Unique | Tags: 2 door, 95, Break, Brown, Concours, CT, Defunct, Estate, green, Greenwich, June, Mind over motor, Rare, Saab, spot, Spotted!, Sweden, two tone, Unique, USA, Wagon Leave a comment »
Nick and I saw this little Saab station wagon while walking around Greenwich on the first day of the 2011 Concours (June 4th). Strangely, this is a two-door station wagon that until a few years before it was replaced was capable of seating seven people. To be honest, I’d rather not try that today. Still, it’s a nice example and a reminder of what Saab used to be about.
Spotted by: Nick and Al
Test Driven: 2011 SAAB 9-3X SportCombi
Posted: December 27, 2011 Filed under: Sports and Executive, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 9-3, 9-3X, bankrupt, Car, Cladding, Compact, Haldex, Mind over motor, NJ, premium, review, Saab, Sportcombi, Sweden, Test Driven, Trollhattan, Wagon, Warranty, White, XWD Leave a comment »
On December 18th, Saab Automobile filed for bankruptcy, bringing its 64 year offbeat history to an unfortunate end. Saab enthusiasts are some of the most vocal and most possessive of their brand, and undoubtedly, they will mourn the loss of this name. Around Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to add another car to my wagon test–Saab’s own wagon, the 9-3 SportCombi. At the moment, it’s the only wagon Saab sells in the United States, and when I got to the dealer, the car I drove was already discounted by $9,000. This amount is no misprint–and any new car marked down this much is either a demo, or the dealer seriously needs it off the lot (in this case, the latter). But, when I started the engine, I forgot about Saab’s financial woes, and asked myself this question: Despite all the gloom and doom, is this car actually worth buying right now? Read the rest of this entry »
Spotted! SAAB Sonnett, Greenwich, CT
Posted: November 21, 2011 Filed under: Classics, SPOTTED!, Unique | Tags: Classic, Coupe, CT, Greenwich, Mind over motor, Purple, Saab, Sonnett, Sporty, Spotted!, Unique, V4 Leave a comment »
SAAB Sonnett
While we were walking around Greenwich during the Concours this past summer, someone showed up in this Sonnett. There aren’t a lot of these out there, and this one looked quite interesting in purple.
Spotted by: Nick and Al
Acura RL: Is there a point to buying one? No, there is not.
Posted: August 29, 2011 Filed under: INDUSTRY TALK | Tags: 9-5, Acura, Cadillac, Car, CTS, driving, Industry Talk, Mediocre, Mind over motor, Moderate, Overpriced, RL, Saab, Tepid, TL 3 Comments »
It's just sort of bland compared to the rest of the lineup. A flagship should not be like this.
Acura’s done well for itself over the years, even without a real flagship. The TL has become a desirable luxury/sport sedan. the TSX, despite its humble origins as the Euro-spec Honda Accord, has become a very, very interesting choice for a premium compact that won’t break the bank. Meanwhile, the MDX and RDX are popular in their segments because of their intelligent AWD, responsive engines (especially the RDX’s turbocharged plant), and smart packaging. But what do we all make of their “flagship” RL? I’m not so sure it’s really as good a car as the rest of the line. Read the rest of this entry »
Saab’s Sob Story
Posted: June 30, 2011 Filed under: INDUSTRY TALK | Tags: 2011, 2012, 9-5, 92, Cuts, Industry, Losing Money, Mind over motor, Saab, Spyker, Sweden, Trollhattan Leave a comment »
Saab 9-4X
Since 2008, Saab’s fate has changed more times than I can count. From GM nearly killing the company off, to a failed deal with Koenigsegg, to a successful deal with Spyker, it’s been a wild couple of years for the offbeat little Swedish company. However, the trouble never seems to stop. Read the rest of this entry »
