Simpler Times
Last week CRS service advisor Seth Wonkka flew to Portland, Oregon and bought a 1977 Saab 99GL which he then drove back to Boston over the course of four days. This past weekend, he came up to my place, where he got to look around the new house, and I got to take his new car for a ride.

In 1977, I was in high school, and I can’t say that I had much knowledge about Saab, other than what I read in car magazines, and certainly no passion for them. I lived in southern Connecticut at the time, and while there were some Saabs around, my automotive aspirations lay elsewhere. Porsches, BMWs, Mini Coopers, Fiats, and even some muscle cars from the late 60s to early 70s were my cup of tea. Despite the differences in all these cars, the one thing they share, and share with the 1977 99 is that they were quality automobiles, yet they were simple.

Sure, there were cars available in those days with lots of extraneous stuff, but you could also buy a bare bones high quality car, like a Mercedes-Benz with roll up windows (remember them?), a four speed manual transmission and no radio. I know—a friend had one. It was so nice to get into the 99, which is not that different from my 1992 900T daily driver, and marvel in its simplicity. The 99 has those clever roll up windows, multi-adjustable manual seats, no air conditioning, no sunroof, steel wheels, and not even power steering. Can you even buy a car now without power steering? Having owned a number of cars with manual steering, it can attest that it is delightful to have so much unadulterated steering feel.

I recall that when I started working with Saab that the 900 “base model” retailed for $11,400, or just a little more than a fully equipped Honda Accord or Chevy Celebrity. That was in 1984. The car did have power steering, but no power windows, power locks, alarm, radio, air conditioning, antenna, or floor mats. These were analog cars at the dawn of the digital age. Would anyone buy a stripped down version of a Saab today, if it was available, in order to save a few thousand dollars? I’m just not sure. While the simplicity and mechanical nature of the 900 and 99 were endearing in their nakedness, more modern cars would fail to impress in that condition. Even the 9000, a car I love dearly, was just a dullard in its “base” form (which was still rather richly appointed). I can’t even begin to imagine a 9-3 or 9-5 in “light” form. Perhaps we are destined to drive ever more sophisticated and clever cars. While certainly better than the cars of yore, they do lack that mechanical transparency that made the old cars, like the 99 and 900, so endearing.

Swedish Car Day is only Three Weeks Away!

This sounds so strange to say given that we just flipped the calendar over to August. For the uninitiated, Swedish Car Day is a lawn event at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, which was created by Charles River Saab and Boston Volvo in 2000. At that time, it was the best attended new lawn event ever, with sixty some cars in attendance. SCD has grown over the years and has pulled in over 200 cars at times.

2009 was a bit of a disaster. The weather was horrendous. It was bound to happen. October can have the best weather of the year, and it can also produce perfectly miserable conditions. In the ten years of SCD, last year’s weather was the worst. It was so bad that many wanted to cancel the event. I refused, given that so many people come from far away from this event. Besides, I stated, SCD is like Christmas—you can declare it cancelled, but it comes just the same. So there we were, in ankle deep mud on the Larz Anderson lawn. It was pouring and about 38 degrees. Some areas around Boston were getting snow. The wind was at full gale. Still, sixty hearty souls showed up. The caterer donated all his sandwiches left. We did the only reasonable thing we could do: we moved the entire show into the museum.

If you’ve never seen the Larz Anderson, both the park and museum are worth the effort. In the dry, warm comfort of the museum, our few remaining vendors set up their wares, our guest speakers had an intimate audience, and the Saab and Volvo crazies rejoiced in the close proximity of their Swedish car loving compatriots on the museum floor as awards were given. While the smallest SCD since 2000, this may have been the most fun!

Alas, the powers at be tried to remedy the bad weather situation and the Larz Anderson came up with a late August date. August 29, 2010 will see SCD XI kicking off at 10am. What remains to be seen is how well Volvo and Saab owners adjust to this shift in the automotive calendar.

For more information, see the SCD facebook page, and to register for the Lawn Event, Click here for Swedish Car Day Registration

The Rumors of my Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

This famous quote by Mark Twain might well apply to Saab today. As I passed through life in the past year, people I knew would always inquire about the state of Saab, and somehow the only news that would stick in peoples ears was the bad. It stuns me that months after the Spyker deal that I am still getting questions about what we are going to do now that Saab is out of business. Huh?

We hear this multiple times a day from customers at the service desk. How did people miss all the good news about the sale to Spyker? The general population with no connection to Saab might get some understanding from me, but I always take notice of the status of companies I like doing business with, and presumably if you drive a Saab, you’ve got a reason to pay attention to at least some of the news surrounding the company. Another example: I was at the dentist last week. The hygienist said how sad she was that Saab was going out of business, because the 1986 900T that she previously owned was one of her favorite cars of all time. These are always odd conversations, when one person talks, and the other has a mouth full of suction tubes and dental devices and is left grunting. I held my thoughts, because I had to make sure that when I could speak again that she knew that Saab was not dead, and in fact had a promising if not brilliant future. She was surprised!

Some of this fault lies with the dealer body. We could have done more to tell our constituents about the new Saab ownership situation. In fairness, we had planned to do a large campaign to inform our clients, but decided to tie it to the launch of the 9-5. That was a mistake. Now the 9-5 is still not here and we have lost several months of opportunity to declare the great news, which now hardly seems like news, but clearly would be to some.

Most of the blame has to fall with Saab Cars North America. I understand that they had to preserve the miniscule capital they had to launch the new car, but there should have been something out there that simply stated that they were still in business, and that the future of Saab would be something for all to behold. This especially frustrates me, because an outstanding video/ad has been circulating since last year and it would have gotten the message out and touched a lot of present and former Saab enthusiasts.

New England Forest Rally Newbie

In an earlier post I had carried on about rally racing, then had to come back to that post because my son, Pascal, had “gotten the call” to step in at the last moment as a replacement co-driver/navigator for rally driver Kevin Hans of Team O’Neil Rally School for the vaunted New England Forest Rally in the Western Mountains of Maine. Such a coincidence that was!

Pascal got together a fire-suit, head restraint system, helmet, etcetera and headed north last Wednesday to start preparing the car with Kevin. They showed me a picture of the work shop at Team O’Neil. Kevin and Pascal were working on the Audi Quattro in one bay. In the next bay was the Ford Fiesta of Ken Block being serviced. You may not know Ken Block, but I bet your kids do. Block is an absolute rock-star. Understand, this whole scenario would be like having a ticket to a Red Sox game, then getting a call from the Red Sox asking if you could play right field that day (since you were already going to be there anyway) and then going into the locker room and seeing your locker next to David Ortiz’. With the car prepared, Kevin drove it across New Hampshire to Bethel, Maine; no trailer-queen, that Quattro. On Thursday, the teams were permitted to drive all the stages. These stages are spread throughout that corner of Maine and New Hampshire, and bring to mind all the books of Louise Rich, with her vivid descriptions of C-Pond this and Middle Dam that. While driving the stages, an all day affair, Pascal had to familiarize himself with all the course “notes” which are written in hieroglyphs for his narration to driver Kevin. The book was an inch and a half thick!

Friday was the first day of racing. My wife, youngest son Marcel (aspiring rally racer) and I headed to Bethel. We found Kevin and Pascal with their car in the parking lot of Sunday River Ski Resort, which in rally-speak had been designated the “Parc Exposé.” All the teams had converged, cars were inspected by the race organizers and tensions mounted. World renowned Travis Pastrana was there, along with Ken Block, and they mingled freely with all the other drivers and the hoard of rally fans. Right next to team Hans-Belperron was one of the two Saabs entered in the event, a 1975 Saab 99 with a 900 turbo engine. I noted that the car, which hailed from Pennsylvania, garnered lots of fan attention. A great majority of the cars were Subarus and Mitsubishi Evo’s. But there were plenty of curiosities, too: a Volvo 240, a Datsun 280Z, a BMW 3-series and a vegetable oil burning VW Golf diesel. The “sweep” vehicle, which checked each stage prior to the racers, was also a Saab—a 9-7X.

The first few stages were short sprints, and were designed with spectators in mind. One of the beauties of the event was that there was no expense, and spectators could freely mingle with participants. Though some might deem the exuberance of some of the spectators as unruly, it was truly an egalitarian crowd just out for fun, with fun defined in many ways. What you didn’t see was spectators becoming a danger to themselves or drivers. Rally America, the sanctioning body, did an excellent job in designating spectator areas which were close enough to be exhilarating while still maintaining order and safety. That said, my wife did get pelted with stones on one corner, including a good sized rock to the throat. Not to worry, she’s sturdy and shrugged it off.

By the end of the first day, the red Audi of Hans-Belperron was in 21st position out of 65 cars, and given that it was one of the least powerful cars there, this was quite a feat. Things didn’t go well on day two, however. During the fourth stage of the day, near Richardson Pond, the red Audi started losing its punch. It seemed the fuel pump was delivering less and less pressure, and Kevin eventually pulled the car off and dropped out of the race. An ignominious end to be sure. But not as impressive as the ending to Ken Block’s, as his suspension failed at full speed and his car cart-wheeled into the woods, coming to rest on its side.

The Block connections abounded this weekend. Ken Block’s wife also ran a car in this rally, a Mazda Speed-3, which she rented from Team O’Neil; she also finished, unlike her famous husband. The Mazda she piloted was originally going to be the ride for team Hans-Belperron. Very much a different animal, being front-wheel drive and very powerful, it would have been interesting to see how they might have faired in that car. Most likely they would have finished. As it was, they were with plenty of company, as a total of twenty-four cars did not.

In the end, it was a very satisfying experience. Even if I divorce myself from being the father of a participant, I can attest that this was about as much fun as you can have for almost no money. The festival atmosphere, the goodwill of the spectators, and the bringing together of friends and strangers to cheer EVERYBODY was wonderful. Who won? Who cares!

Excellent Automotive Television

I spend enough time with cars in my life, between working at Charles River Saab and In Control and following my son’s racing pursuits, that I don’t need to seek out car related pastimes for recreational purposes. But my sons, especially Marcel, are huge fans of the BBC’s Top Gear television program. While I never sit down expressly to watch the program, there have been enough times that my sons have commandeered to clicker and switched to BBC America to tune in that I have come to appreciate Top Gear, and perhaps it is the best piece of entertainment on television—especially if you love British humor as I do.

Essentially, Top Gear is a variety show. It is part travelogue, part guest interview, and many parts silly fun, with motorized vehicles either directly or tangentially factored into their schtick. The three hosts—Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May—are delightful in their interaction with one another at times, and merciless in completely hysterical ways at others. Each show features at least one car (whose performance is gauged on the Top Gear track by the Top Gear mystery driver—The Stig), one celebrity guest who gets to take a timed lap in the Top Gear Affordable Car, and some sort of automotive challenge for the hosts, often in exotic cars or in exotic places. I cannot even guess at the sort of budget this show must have. There is not a continent which has not been the backdrop for one of their escapades. Indeed, some of these sorties are rich eye-candy, such as a tour they did of Viet Nam on motor bikes. Others are just ridiculous and make you laugh until it hurts, as was the case of their foray in the American South in $500 jalopies. It is truly brilliant television.

Top Gear has had the occasional Saab grace its stage. One episode a few years back poked fun at the “Born from Jets” campaign, in which The Stig piloted a 9-5 Aero on the track and raced an RAF Harrier Jet. The jet won. But it was still great fun, and while not completely enamored with the 9-5, there was certainly some affection for it.

In Praise of Rally

In a recent interview on Swedish television, Saab-Spyker CEO Victor Muller indicated a desire to reclaim more of Saab’s past by getting Saab involved with rally racing, expressing a desire to see Saab in the World Rally Championship as early as 2014. Those familiar with Saab’s history of course know of the legend of Erik “on the roof” Carlsson, who piloted Saab 96’s to three victories in the RAC Rally and two wins at Monte Carlo, among others. Those cars were severely underpowered compared to their peers. Yet, with his breathless driving style, Carlsson was able to best the competition. Later Saab rally champions included Stig Blomqvist and Per Eklund.

I’m not much a fan of motor sport. I ought to be. I’ve worked in the car business my entire adult life, and have been teaching crash prevention training for several years with a cohort that is comprised almost completely of active automobile racers. I’ve done track days (written about elsewhere in this blog) which I find thoroughly enjoyable, and have had silly fun participating in autocross and rally cross events. Wheel to wheel racing, though, just hasn’t appealed much to me as a participant. Even my sons are more in tuned with racing. Son Pascal started racing rally cross when he was sixteen and placed second in the front wheel drive class in New England. He’s moved on to hill-climb racing, which he finds more thrilling, and gives me more gray hairs. All three sons have invested in building a heavily modified 1985 SPG that will see some sort of racing, at least once a proper roll cage is installed. Marcel, only fourteen, is slated to be co-driver for Pascal as they take on some TSD rallies later this year, including the Winter Challenge Rally in Vermont.

Yet here I am, somewhat uninterested in all of it as both participant and spectator. With one exception: WRC. World Rally Championship came to my attention when summary broadcasts were aired weekly on one of the new HD television stations. I watched once. I was hooked. No monstrous cars endlessly turning left. No shrieking, darting formula cars that look like alien insects. No, these were cars, driven by fearless pilots in breathtaking and fearsome places, all around the globe, at the most ridiculous speeds. It didn’t hurt that the perennial champion was a compatriot, Sebastien Loeb.

It was sad to see that so few manufacturers are involved in WRC. Only Citroen and Ford remain. Long gone are Mitsubishi, Subaru, Hyundai, Peugeot, Audi and a host of others. Hopefully, Saab returns to this world stage soon.

I would urge anyone to take a look at WRC. It’s entertaining, the drivers are full of character, and the scenery is beautiful. There’s a wonderful clip of Sebastien Loeb racing in Finland in 2008. His co-driver, Spaniard Daniel Elena, has the most adorable lilting counter-tenor (sounding more French than most Frenchmen) as he guides the champion through the forest. Can you imagine keeping your eyes on a clipboard while traveling along like this. Yikes! Enjoy!



If you enjoyed this, consider heading north later this month to be one of the crazy rally spectators at the New England Forest Rally. Big name drivers like Ken Block and Travis Pastrana will be participating. See newenglandforestrally.com for details.

Update: After writing this post yesterday, by the purest of coincidences, son Pascal got a call from Kevin Hans of Team O'Neil Rally School inviting Pascal to replace his co-driver at the aforementioned NE Forest Rally! Pascal is racing at Okemo mountain this weekend, but heads up to Maine on Thursday with his helmet and fire-suit ready to dictate the rally notes to Kevin. Alas, they'll be piloting an Audi...

Thoughts on a Favorite Car

There has been much discussion about a new small Saab which will pay homage to the 92. I owned a very small car once myself, and that car has been re-conceived by Honda. I just read a review of forthcoming Honda CR-Z, a sports-hybrid two-seater which takes its styling cues from the iconic CRX of the 1980’s. The CR-Z takes that styling and general concept, and wraps it around a more powerful engine and regenerative hybrid electric powerplant, with a unique (for a hybrid) six-speed manual transmission.

In the 1980’s, I was not a huge fan of Japanese cars. I liked them; I even owned them, including my first car. I just preferred European cars. My wife and I were both working in the car business in the mid 1985, and she was selling Hondas. She loved small cars, much like her mom, who was driving an MGB-GT when I first met her, and who would later be tooling around in a BMW Z3. Susan wanted to buy a CRX, which was no mean feat in those days, when one had to wait months in line for any Honda, and pay well over sticker price. Even Susan had to pay the “overage,” on a CRX, though it was reduced from $1500 to $1000. I wasn’t convinced. Still, Susan ordered it, and we waited.

During the wait, the New England Auto Show took place, and we both had to work the show. In those days it was at the old Hynes Convention Center on Boylston Street in Boston. At the end of the show, all the cars on display were taken away to local dealerships. Susan and I were each charged with bringing home a Honda. I don’t remember what she drove out of the Hynes, but I remember that I was annoyed that my ride was a 1985 Honda CRX automatic. Could there be a stupider car? My expectation was that I was going to be miserable driving home the 15 miles to Nahant that night. I crawled into the car, adjusted the seat and was resigned to the fact I could not be comfortable, and after a ride in a freight elevator, drove off.

Yes, the lack of a third pedal made the car stupid. Yet, I found myself completely intoxicated by the car. It was just plain silly FUN. No power anything. Awful seats and awful driving position. But it was FUN. The engine had no torque and only 75 horsepower. But it was FUN. There was a sense of glee I simply hadn’t experienced before. Certainly, the simplicity of the car was a factor. It only weighed 1800 lbs, was tiny, you sat on the floor, the steering was not assisted, and the car just begged to be tossed around.

Finally, ours arrived. It was blue with gray cladding, and had a proper transmission. It was Susan’s car, but became my daily driver when first son came along. I drove the car to 100,000 miles. Every one was uncomfortable, but utterly entertaining. The single most trouble free car I’ve owned, I sold it to my sister, who drove it a bunch more, and liked it so much she bought a newer one.

I’m not sure, at 2800 pounds, that the CR-Z can really capture the real essence of the CRX. But I applaud Honda for trying. Likewise, I hope that the Saab 92 project really does connect the past with present technology. Here’s to fun cars!

End of an Era

I have worked with Saab for almost all of my adult life. That’s a rare thing these days, to stay with one company. So is living in one place for a long time, which I also did, until last week when we sold our home on High Street in Ipswich, Massachusetts. We moved to Ipswich just after our first son was born in 1988, and for my wife it was a coming home, for she had grown up there. In 2007 we abandoned the remote and quiet Labor in Vain Road and settled into a town-house built out of a Victorian home in the heart of the “historic district.” Built in 1900, ours was the new house on the street, with most of the other homes dating from the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.

Long before we moved there I had always noted a number of Saabs in the driveways up and down High Street. The density was quite astonishing. Then we moved in, and it went off the charts. Not only were there my 900’s and my wife’s 9000 aero (later her 9-5), but each of the older sons had a car. Then all three sons went in on a 1985 SPG racecar project, but that had to move off-site to Ipswich Outboard, where son Pascal works during the summer. Still, with the townhouse affording only two parking places, lots of Saabs ended up parked on the street in front of our house.

Lots became lots more. As friends and co-workers of ours, and our boys (especially) came to appreciate Saabs from knowing us, they started to own them. André started dating Muriel, who drives a Sport Sedan, her dad drives a 2005 convertible and brother a 2002 9-3. Have to work on her Volvo-driving mom! Then there was Kevin, Zach, Alex, Kevin’s dad, Ed, Henry, other Ed, Paul, Yvonne, Dan and probably others I’m forgetting who would come by our place and park their Saabs. High Street is a well travelled thoroughfare, and on one day where there were a few friends over, our driveway and the street were packed with Saabs. We were in the backyard doing something not at all Saab related. A gentleman came down the driveway on his bicycle and stopped, asking if there was a Saab club meeting going on!

It used to be easy telling people where we lived. “Oh, the house with all the Saabs.” Then there were the Saab spectacles. One year the boys wanted to decorate the front door of the house but the scrooges in the condo association said no. Not to be denied, Pascal and Andre mounted a 1970s Thule roof load carrier on his 1992 900S rally-x car, which was already festooned with rally stuff, and proceeded to decorate the roof rack. All manner of bauble and bangle was secured to the rack, it was finished off with a bedding of fake snow, and then adorned with blinking battery powered Christmas lights. It was so wonderfully tacky! He then parked the car right in front of the front door. Who knew that a Saab could be that palette for an act of civil disobedience?

The Saab density on High Street in Ipswich, while still strong, took a hit last week. We’ll see how things go when we get into our new digs next month. What will the folks think of their new neighbors with all the Saabs?!

Shuttle Shuffle Part Two

Back from its gift-wrapping, our 2010 9-3X courtesy shuttle awaits only a registration transfer to be pressed into service. Going from our 9-7X to this car is emblematic of where Saab has moved in the past few years. The 9-7X was all GM and looked back…the 9-3X looks ahead and is the current embodiment of the new Saab. Adieu 9-7X….

With a dearth of Saab advertising, we are really hoping, in the least subtle way possible, to get some exposure for this car. It has been suggested that with a few sponsorship decals and some more aggressive wheels and tires it might be a candidate for participation in a rally. I should be careful….I’m giving myself ideas here. Until then, the 9-3X will be our trusty steed, ferrying our clients in comfort and safety.

Italian Connection

Last week Saab announced the appointment of Jason Castriota as Design Director at Saab, and apparently his first duty will be the design of the 2012 9-3. I'm not sure about this. Part of me is so eager to see new thinking coming out of Trollhattan that a young designer who learned his craft in Turin penning Ferrari/Maserati supercars would seem to be a fantastic choice. I guess, though, that I really wanted to see that new thinking literally coming out of Trollhattan. Can a guy who grew up in Greenwich, went to Emerson College in Boston, moved to Turin and studied there, be a great designer? Sure! But can that background give us a modern Saab? Not so sure....

However, I very much liked the work of Michael Mauer, and he was no more a Scandinavian than I am. Perhaps this will work, perhaps not. Time will tell. I would have almost preferred a Scandinavian from outside the automotive realm. All that said, I don't get to chose and we must wish Jason well and hope for the very best to come out of his studio, because the 2012 9-3 really will be the bell-weather for the future of the new Saab.

Diesel, Anyone?
I was reading some comments made by a reader of SaabsUnited this morning and he disparaged "stinking euro-diesels" and said we didn't need them here, and I assume that "here" means the US since Saab diesels seem to be available everywhere but the US. I had to respond.

I've been a diesel fan for a long time. It must be a Yankee thing. I love the idea of getting something for nothing. Who wouldn't want a 44% increase in fuel economy? More significantly, you could drive a real, safe, substantial car like the Saab 9-5 and get better mileage than a Mini Cooper, and on the highway you could likely best most hybrids. I've met a number of people who have rented Saab diesels in Europe and to a person they were all enamored with them. If you haven't tried a modern diesel, the next time you are in Europe, request one for your rental car. Not only will you be treated to a much cheaper trip at the filling station, but you will find the diesel experience seamless and virtually invisible, save the first minute of running after a cold start when there is a touch of diesel clatter.

If efficiency and frugality aren't reasons enough, consider what is happening with diesels and motor sport. Who vies to win the 24 Heures Du Mans? Audi and Peugeot! Diesel race cars! I give credit to Audi, too, for introducing diesel engines into their performance street cars because they can deliver what Saab turbo drivers have always craved. Torque. Lots and lots of torque.

I had hoped that Saab could leap-frog the competition, rather than trying to catch it, by developing a turbo-diesel regenerative hybrid. Too late, Honda apparently has this on the drawing board. I don't know if we will ever see a Saab diesel in the US given that the cost to certify the engine is so high, and to amortize that cost over a relatively few cars may be prohibitive. Then again, if gasoline heads north of $4 per gallon, it might just be the ticket.

News Flash
Charles River Saab is thrilled to announce our very special guest for Swedish Car Day 2010. While we've been graced with terrific guests from Saab in the past, including past Saab presidents Jay Spenchian and Steve Shannon, technical gurus John Moss and Peter Maitland. This year, we have the extreme privilege of welcoming, all the way from Tasmania, Steven Wade of SaabsUnited.com . If you've never visited SaabsUnited, take the time to check it out. Steven was way out in front last year as we tracked the repeated deaths and resurrections of Saab. His "deep-throats" were so reliable, that even employees of Saab kept track on his site. for more information on Swedish car Day XI see our facebook page.

New 9-5, take one

On June 8, 2010 I attended the first training session on the forthcoming 2010 9-5. I had seen the car in person at the NE Autoshow last fall, but this was the first time I was able to crawl around the car and play with it. Alas, these were European models and not available for test drives. Still, we gleaned a fair amount about the car.

As has been thoroughly reported elsewhere, the 2010 9-5 will be available in one iteration: Aero, 2.8l V-6, 6-speed AT, XWD....The price tag, for a Saab guy, seems steep at $50,000-$57,000. However, the front wheel drive, 2.0l variant will arrive with a base price below $40,000, so the overall price structure of the car seems appropriate vis-a-vis the competition. The car does have a lot of presence, though in a subdued, understated manner. The optional 19" wheels, which look very much like those from the AeroX concept, are stunning. The nose of the car is a bit bland, but with the advent of European pedestrian crash safety requirements, many cars will have similar bulbous noses in the future. The rear fascia is striking. The lighting is cool without being gratuitous. The flank of the car is rather dull; the shape, overall, is too--dare I say it--Camry. The hockey-stick trim on the rear windows are a poor attempt, in my opinion, to recreate a theme. If you want to emulate the shape of the c-pillar in the 99/900, then do it. Otherwise, and including the "Nesbit Notch" (a name as yet to be explained to me) in the front lower fender, the side view leaves me wanting.

The interior is lovely. The Aero seats seem quite good. The dash has some personality and retains functionality. The overall interior effect is handsome. Some of the elements seem of decidedly better substance and quality than we found before in the 9-5. The shifter and console area come to mind. No more whiz-bang but too-delicate cup holder in the dash. A more sensible arrangement is tucked into the center console. Three-zone climate control is now available, as is a rear seat entertainment package with screens in the front seat-backs......you see, you start with cupholders, and one day you wake up and there are DVD players in a Saab. The rear seat itself is thankfully large again, close in size to what we had in the 9000 and much more generous than in the current 9-5. The trunk is large, still has a wood floor, and has an optional U-track organization gizmo. An expandable aluminum fence is affixed to sliding mounts in the track, and the fence can be moved around to achieve the desired segmenting of the trunk, presumably to keeps parcels or grocery bags from rolling around. There is no spare tire or jack, just a can of flat-fix and a phone number for road-side assistance. We were told that a spare tire package would be offered as an accessory.

The available electronics were overwhelming. Nothing is new to the industry, I think. First, keys are now gone for good, with a remote fob which can stay in your pocket, and an on-off switch on the console to ignite the engine. Even the parking brake has become an electric switch on the console. There is adaptable and programmable DriveSense feature, which will tune the engine, steering and suspension to either comfort, sport or adaptive modes, or, it will allow you to personalize the mix of settings and save this to the remote fob you keep in your pocket or gain entry into the car. This way, every driver of the car can have their own settings stored. Do customers really want to make these sorts of adjustments? I'm not sure. The Head-Up display seemed a bit gimmicky to me, but I'd need to try it on real roads to say for certain. The multi-mode headlamps seem like fabulous. A mix of xenon and halogen lamps, they cast different light patterns based on speed and weather: short throw with coverage across both lanes and shoulders at low speed, at mid-range the beam goes further out further (only in your own lane) and the lighting to the side drops, at high speeds the lamp focus is far and narrow, and when the wipers are on, there is a rain mode, which I can't recall at the moment. All that, and they turn, too as do the current xenon lamps.

We didn't sample the audio system, but were pleased to see that it includes 10 gigs of hard drive space for downloading music, with the rest of the hard-drive reserved for the navigation system: no more DVD required. There is an input for usb for downloads, plus a plug for an iPod.

While the V6 will essentially be a carry-over from the one in the 9-3, albeit with more power, the 2.0l four cylinder will feature direct injection and have 220 hp and 258 lb/ft torque. This engine should provide excellent mileage and enough oomph to be very satisfying to drive, and I've read that the manual transmission switch-gear is the best ever in a Saab. Unfortunately, we will not enjoy the availability of the twin-turbo diesel, which recent reports out of Europe rate at 42 mpg!

I'll post again when we have the car. In the mean time, do a search for road tests on this car as the press-corp is in Sweden this week for the first bonafide road tests of the car. Opinion can also be found at www.saabsunited.com .

Personally, I always liked the "State of Independence" campaign, which ran for about 40 seconds a few years ago, before some advertising guru decided that we needed the eminently forgettable and lame "Born from Jets" interlude. I thought it did a nice job of exhibiting the spirit and the uniqueness of Saab, compared against the ubiquity of automotive design these days. Take a look:

I made some T-shirts for the store this spring with the new Saab logo/slogan. I've heard there is some question as to whether Saab can continue to use the "Griffin" symbol on the logo we've come to know. Personally, I'd like to see that old logo go away and a new one enter to mark the new beginning at Saab. The Griffin, with Saab/Scania in its periphery, goes back to 1985, and in the early 2000's the Scania name and rings were deleted from the logo, finally reflecting that the two companies had nothing to do with one another, and hadn't for some time.

While the new logo with the "move your mind" slogan is new in the US, it has been used in Europe for a while. When we had "Born from Jets," Europeans had "move your mind." I was never a fan of "Born from Jets." I'm not sure it's even true. While Saab went on to make jets, when WWII ended and the Saab automobile was being birthed, I'm pretty sure the Saab planes had propellers. "Born from Props," though, isn't too sexy. "We Don't Make Compromises. We Make Saabs" was pretty good back in the 1980's, but it doesn't exactly roll off your tongue. To me the best slogan is "Ultimate Driving Machine." It is timeless. It's reasonably accurate. It's decidedly arrogant, which makes it perfect for BMW. Everyone knows it, too.

So are we to live with "move your mind" ? Unless someone comes up with something newer and better, I would suggest we go back just a bit and resurrect "Find Your Own Road." It's catchy, has a nice double-entendre, and goes to the aspiration of uniqueness that Saab and its owners have always strived for. If you don't remember this marketing, it ran for several years in the mid 1990's. The accompanying advertising was done in artsy-cartoon form, which was not universally admired. I liked it, but the only thing I'd like to take away is the slogan itself. For me, it just plain works. Here's a TV spot featuring Find Your Own Road.

Anticipation
We are within weeks of the official arrival of the new 9-5. This car has been so anticipated yet so delayed by the events of the past year that at times it seems as if it is only a myth or legend. Still, we have seen the car at the NE Autoshow when I made a point of attending out of the real concern that that it might be the only time I'd ever get to see the 9-5 that we had been hearing so much about. All of those concerns are behind us, and in a slow trickle we've been getting information on the 9-5 to whet our appetites. That will ramp up next week when I get to attend our first training sessions on the new car. We will have two service advisors and three technicians also take part in this first round of training. My biggest hope is that there is an opportunity to drive the 9-5.

Generally, I am underwhelmed by specifications. You can pass me all the documentation you want about a car, but until I know what it is like to drive, I cannot render an opinion about a it. that said, there has been much written about the car, a vast majority of which is positive. I just read a review in the British publication AutoExpress, and they were impressed and thought it was the best Saab they had ever driven. They tested the twin-turbo diesel version, and reported 53 imperial miles per gallon in mixed driving. My math tells me that's 42 US mpg. Can you imagine the hay we could make offering a large car that got that kind of mileage?
This ad for the 2010 9-5 appeared on YouTube. Like many of the European Saab ads in recent months, I think it captures the essence and aesthetic of Saab very nicely.

Saab = Safety
There has been a lot of conversation about the new Saab and what attributes Saab enthusiasts want to see (back) in the Saab product line. Hatchbacks, turbos, ignition switches between the seats, etcetera have been championed in various forums. As much as I have enjoyed all those attributes (my daily driver is a hatchback, turbo, with the ignition between the seats…), to me, the one non-negotiable trait that I would demand from the new Saab is safety. Saab never branded safety as, say, Volvo, or even Mercedes-Benz. Yet, when one looks at the rich history of innovation from Saab, plus their willingness to forgo patent protection of many of their safety innovations so that the entire automotive community could share their advances, there is no doubt about Saab being a serious pioneer in this field.

My first Saab, a 1984 900T, was purchased to keep my kids safe. Until I had kids, automotive safety was barely a consideration when purchasing a car. Now, it remains one of my utmost priorities. Thus I was very happy to find this video of the offset crash test of the new 9-5. Having suffered an offset crash myself (at the hands of a dope in a Toyota 4-Runner on bald tires who hit black ice and crossed into my path), I can certainly appreciate that it is vital to see the load paths in the front of the car disintegrate as the impact is absorbed, as well as the passenger compartment cell staying intact Bravo!

See the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmiWTCidbL8&feature=player_embedded

Shuttle Shuffle
Charles River Saab has long run a shuttle service for its customers. Back in the days before the notion of loaner cars existed, we had many customers taking the shuttle each day to Harvard Square where they either worked or picked up the “T” to get to other points in Cambridge or Boston. Because so many were in the shuttle at once, mini-vans were the vehicle of choice. As loaner cars started to proliferate, we needed fewer seats in our shuttle.

Last time we put a new shuttle into service was 2005 when we inducted the then-new 97X to the position. It was reasonably roomy and comfortable, and though the cognoscenti aren’t fooled by the placement of the ignition switch any style of the dash vents, it wasn’t a bad vehicle for our needs. I did have the opportunity to spend some time in a 9-7X. Those that know me understand that I would never own any SUV, Saab or otherwise. I found myself surprised in many ways, though, by the 9-7X. The tuning of the steering and suspension worked reasonably well, and in fact better than in some SUVs that weren’t built on truck chassis. Still, you’d find that the well mannered 9-7X would lose its composure unexpectedly with just the right combination of steering input, speed and certain irregular road surfaces. I’m sure the engineers at Saab who did the tuning were aware of the limitations, and if this had been a clean-slate build, they would have made more fundamental alterations to the chassis when faced with these abrupt changes in attitude. That said, the vehicle does have its fans and we have seen clients come back and buy a second one.Now, it’s time has come. The 9-7X is history, and so is our shuttle.

The new recruit, more befitting of our time and the Saab brand, is a 9-3X. Customers will be a bit more cramped, but they will be comfortable and safe as we bring them to and fro. We’ve enjoyed images of other Combis from around the world with bold graphics telling all passers-by what they are. While our 9-7X, in lingonberry red, was subdued and innocuous, we will be having graphics added to our carbon black 9-3X. We want everyone in Harvard Square to know what this great car is. And of course, where they can get theirs! Pictures to follow when the project is complete.

I'm Back!
I will admit that blogging is something of an anathema to me. I am very consistent and reliable at lots of things, but this isn't one of them. It has been two years since my last post. Some of this was driven by the depression and malaise which accompanied it when Saab seemed at death's door. By the time there was good news to be had, we were all riveted elsewhere, especially to the fabulous saabsunited.com . Then we stayed glued to that site as it chronicled the repeated near death situations Saab found itself in, until at last a deal was inked earlier this year between GM and Spyker's Victor Muller. Had I continued to blog/vent through all of that, my comments would have been irrelevant. So much was already being said that I preferred to devour and digest the news and rumors that were running around the web.
Now, I am back. Charles River Saab is still here. Saab is still here. Saab Cars North America has been launched. Shiny new cars are coming off the line in Trollhattan. The long awaited new 9-5 will arrive in July. The 9-4X and 9-5 Combi will arrive next year. The 2012 9-3, while still based on an Epsilon chassis, is purported to be a big departure from the current offering. The Saab world is poised to get really exciting.
The world economy, though, seems to be teetering again after a nice long positive run. Goldman Sachs et al must be breathing a sigh of relief now that the engines of economic collapse are not on Wall Street, but rather in Pyongyang, Athens and the Gulf of Mexico. The implications for the automobile business in general and Saab in particular cannot be overstated. Markets go up, customers spend. Markets tank, customers vanish. We can't afford to have too many more customers vanish, especially as we, along with Saab Cars North America, try to get the word out that Saab isn't gone and it has all this great product ready to go!

TurboX Preview

This post is long overdue, but then again, so is the TurboX. We've been hearing about this car for some time. For the uniniated, this iteration of the 9-3 features our first Swedish built AWD (dubbed XWD--Cross Wheel Drive) system, an increase in engine power, and is a limited edition vehicle designed to pay homage to the Black Turbos of the 1980's.

I did get a bit of an insiders peek at the car before it was released, and had a chance to put the TurboX through its paces prior to its introduction. An aquaintance in GM marketing called me earlier this spring to inquire about a venue to run a ride/drive presentation for New England media, and knowing my involvement with Skid School thought I might be able to help. In fact, Skid School leased their site in North Andover to GM for that purpose, and I was an invited guest.

The site was festooned with Saab tents, a small collection of GM Heritage Collection Saabs, and a technical presentation tent. After an introduction to the car by US and Swedish Saab officials, the journalists were given the opportunity to drive the heritage cars on a small closed course, and flog the TurboX on an autocross, complete with a hairpin turn doused with sand. Being just a guest, mostly I observed. My first thoughts in watching the journalists at the wheel was that I hoped that their writing was better than their driving. Recently retired Royal Ford was in attendance, and to his credit he can drive, though he did punch a cone (which is OK--if you don't tip a cone, you're not finding the edge, and you're just not trying hard enough).

Finally it was my turn. I saddled up with fellow Skid School instructor Sean along for the ride. We were in a Combi TurboX 6-speed. The course started with a full throttle 3 cone slalom, followed by hard throttle sweeping left hand turn, down a straight, hard on the brakes, into at 135 degree left (covered with sand), quick jog to the right, full throttle straight, hard brake into the final left turn and then into the "pit". My consternation came in two places. First, in the sandy turn I wanted to induce some oversteer with the throttle, but could not. TurboX understeered severely, as though it were a front driver. Then in the straights, it did leave me slightly wanting for more torque. I otherwise thoroughly enjoyed the car. Any Saab driver will be right at home and will be able to drive this car very hard with little surprise; that is, unless, like me, they expected a significantly different attitude than that of front drive Saabs. My comrade also shared the observation of the understeer in the sand, and he also felt the car could have been sprung a bit firmer. I'd agree. TurboX is not for everyone, and it ought to be very edgy, including a really stiff suspension, like the early 9000 Aero. We did manage a ride with a Swedish engineer at the helm, wanting to see if he drove any differently with any better result in the sandy corner. He, in fact, could induce some really nice oversteer which was perfect in that corner, but he did it with trail braking (in other words, keep driving this car just like a front wheel drive car), not just a poke of the throttle. Note to self.The best part of TurboX that day? The sound! This is the best sounding Saab at full throttle, period. The idle isn't as sexy as the Classic 900, but this isn't a car you idle.

I was happy to also help out the crew with the Heritage cars. First, I was offered a chance to drive several to fill them with gas. I was fortunate to be there, since upon arrival two of the cars couldn't release their gas fill doors, and I was able to put my experience to work. Later in the day, the 1978 99 turbo failed to start, and I was summonsed and located a corroded terminal on the ignition lock relay and all was well again. The most entertaining part of the Heritage car fun was driving the 1997 Pike's Peak racer (roll cage, racing seat, fire extinguisher system, and lots of power) on the road. In every gear, without even trying, I induced wheel spin and gobs of torque steer. Love it!

This week, I had a chance to attend the ride and drive presentation for dealer personnel. After the technical presentation, we were afforded the chance to drive the TurboX and Aero XWD (only significant differences are the electronic limited slip differential and larger wheels/tires in the TurboX) on two closed courses against some competition: the FWD 9-3 Aero, the BMW 335xi and the Audi A4 3.2 Quattro. One course was set up with rubber mats covered in soapy water to demonstrate the differences in the AWD systems. I was impressed at how different each car felt. The XWD performance was substantially better with almost no wheel slip at all. The Audi was good, the BMW rather lacking with lots of wheel spin, clutching and grabbing, and the FWD Aero put its ESC to good use and was surprisingly easy to maneuver despite its handicap. On the dry course (this was very tight and small, not wide open like the North Andover experience), the tight suspension and heavy steering of the BMW felt great, the Audi felt vague and uninspired, the TurboX and Aero XWD were sure-footed though heavy feeling, and the FWD Aero felt easiest of all the cars to push hard. This is undoubtedly because of all my years driving FWD cars, and though riddled with some torque steer and understeer, this is the car I had the most fun with and dollar for dollar was the winner in my book.