Car and Driver: Koenigsegg Agera R
Posted: October 24, 2012 Filed under: Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE | Tags: Agera, Car and Driver, handling, Koenigsegg, Mind, motor, Over, R, runway, Sweden, Test Leave a comment »C&D goes to Sweden to test the daddy of all Koenigseggs, and see how it goes both on a tight road course and on an open runway.
-Nick
Road Review: 2004 Volvo S80 T6 Executive
Posted: July 26, 2012 Filed under: Road Review, TEST DRIVEN | Tags: 2004, 268hp, Car, chassis, comfort, Driven, dvd, entertainment, European Delivery, Executive, Fast, Gothenberg, hp, I6, Luxury, Mind over motor, Nick, program, rear seat, review, Road, S80, Saloon, Sedan, surprising, Sweden, T6, Test, TV, twin turbo, Volvo, Walker 3 Comments »
Volvo S80 T6 Executive
This is my Mom’s Volvo S80, and it seems very boring. It is beige, one of a few selectable shades of beige, and it looks just like every other Volvo on the road. Volvos are known for very solid build quality as well as their huge emphasis on safety; they are great cars but they generally aren’t synonymous with the term “exciting”. Looking at this S80 you can see the design is very conservative, and while it does have clean lines it is still basically the same exact car Volvo has been making for years. It would seem then that this S80 is just a continuation of mundane motoring from Volvo, and hardly worth a second look. However, after 9 years with this car, I can tell you that is definitely worth a second look because this beige Volvo has some extra tricks up its sleeve. Read the rest of this entry »
Drive: A visit to the Koenigsegg factory
Posted: June 5, 2012 Filed under: Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE | Tags: Christian, Drive, factory, JF, Koenigsegg, Mind, motor, Musial, Network, Over, Sweden, Tour, turbo, Twin, V8, Von Leave a comment »JF Musial visits the Koenigsegg factory in Sweden. It is a half hour long, but if you love cars you will make time. It is an incredible video, offering much insight into Koenigsegg.
-Nick
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 »
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 »
