Monthly Archives: June 2008

Saabs race the midnight sun

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The Rally to the Midnight Sun was held last weekend in Sweden, and old Saabs were there in great numbers.

Our mate SaabRobz was on the scene and filled a Flickr folder full of Saabs, Volvos and other marques as they made their way around the final stages near Karlstad.

Click here to view the whole lot. There’s some great metal in there, including our mates from Retrospective Motorsport, who gave their Saab 93 a warm up prior to the vintage Le Mans race next month (it’s not their car, below, but I believe they were there).

Saab V4

Saab 93

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My time in the Hummer H3

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I bet you didn’t think a quick review of the Hummer H3 would be the first full-on story from my weekend’s driving at GM’s proving grounds at Lang Lang, here in Australia.

But it is, primarily because I’ve come back with the flu and this one will be a quick one to write.

Let’s start with 1,000 words, shall we?

Hummer H3

We started the day with this, which I actually resisted photographing for five full minutes before finally giving in. This is Saab Australia’s grand poobah, Parveen Batish arriving at this Saab test drive in a Hummer H3. OK, the official name of the department he presides over is actually GM Premium Brands and it includes Saab, Hummer and Cadillac, by why let a few facts get in the way of a good story? It should also be mentioned that his private vehicle is a 9-5 Aero and was being used during the day for one of the tests at the event.

Not only did he arrive in a Hummer (amusing enough, some might say), he was also detained in the Hummer at the front gate. The facility is so secure that a brand director can’t get through if the number plate of the car he’s in isn’t on the permit list with the security guy.

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So, to my (brief) time in (passenger seat of) the Hummer H3…..

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Do not adjust your set – trying out TS 2.0

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FINAL UPDATE – I’ve returned to the regular theme.

I had to road-test the new theme and learned a few valuable lessons from loading it up. Unfortunately, it’s not quite ready for regular use due to the way it organises material on the front page (by category rather than by date).

I’ve just written to a WP theming professional and should hopefully have that one problem fixed in the near future.

I hope you all enjoyed the quick test drive. I think it looks great and will function really well in the very near future.

Here’s a screenshot for those who missed it.

TS

There’s a precis of the features and issues after the jump.

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Sunday Night Snippets

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A little while ago, I wrote about two stories that were published on a blog called Famosity. The blog is written by a woman who I’d guess is in her 50′s now and these two stories cover the early years of her courtship and married life, with a particular focus on the car that she and her husband owned – a 1969 Saab Sonett.

I raved about these stories at the time and I hope you checked them out. If you haven’t, then I urge you to do so as they make for some great reading.

If you have read them, then I’m pleased to report that part III of the story has been written and the tale completed. You won’t believe the ending!

A Saab Story, part III: Recapturing Our Lost Youth

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Here’s an interesting one….

This story has been written about a company in the UK that makes catalytic converters, etc. It’s not of much interest to me, really, but the part in bold type certainly tweaked my antennae:

IAN is revving up a shiny blue Jialing motorbike — the brand of choice for weaving between the traffic on Shanghai’s clogged thoroughfares.

Thousands of miles from home, it won’t be travelling much further. Bolted on to a bracket, the bike’s engine turns over smoothly as it sits in a warehouse in Hertfordshire opposite a silver Zafira, two black VW Golfs and, in pride of place, a Bentley Continental convertible.

Round the corner, a cream four-wheel-drive Saab is being put through its paces by a robot driver in a fridge cooled to precisely -20C.

Somehow I don’t think they’re doing cold-weather simulation tests on a 9-7x, do you???

Interesting stuff, indeed.

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I’ve featured Kaylan’s car on here several times and I’m sure a number of you are familiar with her work.

She’s now gone big-time with a video of her Turbo-X experience being shown on the GM Next site.

I think the correct phrase is You go, girl!!

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There’s a short story to accompany/intro the video as well. It’s more than a little ironic that they highlight the Turbo X Driving Academy sessions (where the video was shot) given that the Aero Academy has only got one more full day left as part of the SaabUSA program.

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EnG Weekend Snippets

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Well, it’s 3 AM and I’m awake because my 8-year-old daughter “couldn’t sleep”. Of course, she lasted all of three minutes after I put her back to bed, but now I’m up. Ah, well, time for some writing.

Before I get to the Saab stuff, let’s talk barbeque for a moment, shall we? I was in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex this week, and I was introduced to Hard Eight Bar-b-que in Coppell, Texas, just outside of Dallas. Great Texas barbeque. Really worth a little side trip if you’re ever in the area. You order standing at a HUGE grill stocked with an incredible variety of meats — Texas beef brisket, steaks, sausages, chicken, ribs, turkey, pork chops, etc. The grillmaster cuts up what you order and puts it onto the scales for pricing. You get as little or as much as you want. Get the jalapeno sausage — not very hot, just very flavorful. I also enjoyed the brisket — tender and juicy. Wash it down with some iced tea. Next time I’m getting the slow-cooked sirloin. Yummy.

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And, from just up the road in Norman, Oklahoma, comes this story about a teenaged owner of a restored 1973 Saab 96. Quite an oddity in the greater Oklahoma City area, I’m sure. He says that the 1700 cc V-4 in the car has parts very similar to the long-reviled Ford Pinto since the next generation of the Ford V-4 that was used in the Saab 96 was an engine of choice in the Pinto. (Shudders to think of parts from a Pinto installed in a Saab.)

The owner will be enrolling in college this fall at the University of Oklahoma (where else?). So, if you’re around, keep an eye out for the 96.

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At least one writer thinks that GM may be in trouble with the Chevrolet Volt. According to Michael Rainey, General Motors is so desperate for the plug-in hybrid to debut in 2010 that they have compressed the development schedule much too far. Far enough to jeopardize the car’s design if the battery development, which is being done in parallel with the vehicle design, doesn’t work out according to plan. He cites a very detailed article in the Atlantic on the subject. The Atlantic piece is mostly background information that regular TS readers will recognize, but it has some valid points.

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Regular reader Robin has made me aware of these additional photos of my inspiration for 9-5 cosmetic mods. Love it, except perhaps the under-the-hood stuff.

White 9-5

More after the break.
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The Saab Aero Academy is bust

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I’ve just got back home from the Lang Lang test drive to find this in my inbox from Djup Strupe.

First the Euro Delivery program goes, now this……

Subject: Important Update regarding Saab Aero Academy Program

Effective July 1, 2008 Saab will discontinue offering purchasers of 2008 and subsequent model year Saabs participation in the Saab Aero Academy in Braselton, GA. Customers who purchased prior to July 1, 2008 will receive information regarding the Aero Academy in the mail and will have the option to participate by paying the $495 enrollment fee. These customers will have 1 year to enroll and participate in the Academy providing that space is available. Customers that purchase after June 30, 2008 will not receive any of the Aero Academy materials and all reference to the Aero Academy will be removed from Saabusa.com after close of business on Monday, June 30th.

Actions needed by every Saab dealer:
* Please make sure every person involved with the sales process of new Saab’s (Sales Consultants, Managers, F&I, etc) are aware of this announcement.
* Immediately remove all Aero Academy literature and point of sale materials from dealership (brochures, DVD, etc).

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

The apology was a nice touch. I hope they understand if I decline erasing all memories of the Aero Academy’s existence from this site.

The beancounters do their thing once again, eh?