UK buff book CAR Magazine is running a poll - a vote to determine the best hot hatch of all time. The field is wide and the competition strong, but there it is on the list... the Saab 99 Turbo. Admittedly, it's a maverick in a field of GTis and the like and that's why we have hope. Consider us the annoying campaign worker with the obnoxious sign and more obnoxious line outside your local polling place telling you who to vote for and click on through to CARmagazine.co.uk and cast your ballot.
We've got an admitted soft spot for Viggens and blue Viggen coupes... well... that might be the softest. We've found this clean 84k mile example owned in the Miami area on Ebay. It looks fantastic on those mesh rims, though it appears the owner still has the stock 5-spokers if that's more your style.
It'd be hard to top last years 10th running of the Gumball 3000 - a road rally / rager that trekked from San Francisco to the Beijing Olympics. This year, the race will go with a true red, white and blue them and travel across the United States, from L.A. to Miami.
We've just learned that a Saab 9-5 SportCombi BioPower will be joining the fun. The trial certainly won't be an easy one for the Saab, competing against the likes of Porsche 911 Turbos, Lamborghini Gallardos and even a Bugatti Veyron. To top that off (pardon the pun), the 9-5 is a BioPower and E85 isn't exactly available at every corner gas station in the States. More to come as we hear it, but for now read all about the Gumball 3000 at its official website after the jump.
Headlines of Swiss-based Saab tuning house Hirsch Performance coming to America over at TrollhattanSaab made our pulse quicken today. The editors there received a hopeful email saying "Please check our website regularly the following months. We might announce details about the availability of our products in the U.S.," and from that are theorizing Saab might sell Hirsch products through dealers.
Several years ago, that was the intent as Saab North America ran a press release suggesting it could happen. Not much came of that program though... so what do we think of the news from TrollhattanSaab?
Well, to be fair ElkParts alread sells a fairly wide range of Hirsch parts. Another option might be establishing a Hirsch Performance North America dealer and wholesale program as other hallmark tuning houses like Heico Sportiv (Volvo) and Abt Sportsline (Volkswagen and Audi) have done. This would give Hirsch a market presence and possibly even dealer sales without jumping through so many federalization and testing hoops. Whatever they do, we vote 'yes please' to any consideration of further tackling the American market.
January 6, 2009
Comprehensive OEM Saab Wheel Gallery Posted at TrollhattanSaab
The guys over at TrollhattanSaab have published a truly comprehensive gallery of OEM Saab wheels. The mix covers just about everything back to 1998, including part numbers. If you're thinking about an upgrade for your Saab, it's definitely worth a check. See it all after the jump.
General Motors has dropped more photos and details of the new 2010 Cadillac SRX - Caddy's new crossover that shares the GM TE chassis set with the Chevrolet Equinox and, more importantly on these pages, the upcoming Saab 9-4x. If we were impressed by the Equinox, we're moreso with the Cadillac as it shows even more upscale potential for TE. All-wheel drive isn't termed XWD as it is at Saab (and Haldex), but the descriptive text sounds the same. Read the press release for the TE-based SRX after the jump, and don't miss the associated gallery of photos.
Here's the latest in rendered speculation of the next-generation Saab 9-5 sedan. Found at ViBilagare.se via TrollhattanSaab.net, the drawing shows one more artist's take on the upcoming Saab flagship. The drawing is just that, and not terribly life like, so we'll see how accurate it is. It's certainly interesting to look at though. We like the aggressive lower air inlets and what looks like LED foglights.
We found this Flickr feed via TrollhattanSaab and like what we see. It's an orange Saab 95 V5, lowered aggressively - tasteful and more aggressive the a standard specimen of the type. More after the jump.
January 5, 2009
Stockholm-Based Oh Laura Single Used in Saab Commercial
We missed the commercial, but just found a feature on the Swedish band Oh Laura and their single 'Release Me' that was used by Saab. If you are like us and use TV commercials as a source for good new music, then you might want to check them out. We did and, yes, it is available on iTunes.
January 5, 2009
Carbon Fiber Accessories for the Cigar Afficianado
If you're a connoisseur of cigars and into cars, take note. Xikar has released a line of their cigar accessories like a windproof lighter, cutter and case with carbon fiber accenting. Squint and it'll match the faux carbon fiber in your Turbo X or pony up for the carbon-bedecked body kit from Hirsch and really impress your friends with a fetish for the dark woven stuff. More after the jump.
We've found a fantastic resource on the Saab Sonett I (a.k.a. 94 and Super Sport) in the latest (Feb 2009) issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic that arrived in our mailbox just yesterday.
This four page article (pp. 60-63) includes a ton of information (technical and otherwise) we hadn't heard before, along with several new-to-us photos as well. Did you know the original development transmission was the 93's 3-speed, but mounted backwards meant they'd have to reverse the engine's rotation (more easily done on a two-stroke)? That setup wouldn't make it to the very small production run, but it's just one more thing we learned from the Hemmings piece.
If you're headed out to the newsstand, check it out. Easy to spot, the Feb issue has a yellow Triumph TR6 roadster on the cover.
We just stumbled across photos shot by our colleagues at Motive Magazine. The Motive staff was kind enough to shoot Saab's stand in detail for us, so we wanted to make sure the photos made it onto the site. More after the jump.
December 30, 2008
Clean Black and Mildly Modified Saab Viggen Coupe on Denver Craigslist
Viggens are already sought-after cars in the realm of Saab enthusiasts, but coupes are an even hotter quantity. we've found this black and subtly modified 2-door on the Denver metro area's Craigslist. The car's got the orange interior, a nice touch, and sports only 69k miles. If we were in Denver, we'd definitely be checking this one out.
GM today announced new reduced rate financing as low as 0% APR for up to 60 months on select new cars and trucks, including Saab models. Details after the jump.
Photos are usually lower res and not terribly detailed, but the listing we found for this old Saab turbo is even worse. We're guessing the photo is old, making current condition a bit ambiguous. Nevertheless, a '78 99 Turbo is a '78 99 Turbo and worth a look. It's got the panasport-style Saab wheel upgrade and claims garage keeping... which is good because rust is definitely a factor in Maine. If you're interested, check out more after the jump.
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