Add four more Saab sightings to the vacation-in-Canada list.
Yesterday brought an OG9-3 convertible and a C900 parked in a driveway. Today bought a 9-5 sedan and a Saab 9000 CSE belonging to SaabKen himself!!
Ken and I caught up today just after lunch for a good chat. On Saturday we’ll be hooking up with a bunch of people for the great TS Pacific Northwest meetup.
——
The Pontiac Aztek was recently voted the ugliest car of all time by readers of the Daily Telegraph in the UK. When looking at the front of the vehicle, one can certainly see why. It’s not a pretty thing……BUT….
I saw three of them in succession on Highway 1 here in Canada a few days ago and in motion, in profile, it didn’t look so bad. In fact, given Ted Y’s own testimonials about this car and its practical qualities, I’m inclined to give it a pass - as long as I don’t have to look at the front too often.
I’ve known people who think the Saab 900 is ugly, yet its lines appeal to many and it’s practical capabilities made it a cult car with those who got to know it.
Taste certainly isn’t universal. So whilst I can empathise with those who want to hurl their Cheerios when an Aztek passes by, remember that as with the 900, beauty is more than skin deep, and a car has more than one angle.
Note: There was one Saab in the Top 100 Ugliest Cars list. The Saab 95 wagon from the 1960s and 70s came in at #60.
——
I’m not sure that there’s anything in it that effects Saab (yet) but apparently Automotive News carried a story today announcing some rationalisation in GM’s global design studios.
As far as I could tell from a brief story via TTAC, it was mainly going to effect other GM brands. But the future could be a different thing….
——
Here’s what building a legend can do:
Over 1,100 Subaru Impreza WRX’s turned up to a tribute to the life of rally legend, Colin McRae. They used just under 1,100 of them to write his name on a track. They raised $80,000 for charity. The broke a world record. They had a 30-mile convoy of WRX’s.
……and they got Subaru a whole bunch of free kudos as well. All because Suuby built one heck of a driver’s car.
And it happened in England, so I don’t think there’d be any 9-2x’s amongst the party. It was my first thought, too.
——
GM have released their Saab Owners Convention videos. The GM Next team were there a few weeks ago and recorded the following:
–
–
——
Some quick links:
- The Saab 9-3 (I assume it’s the TiD and TTiD) is likely to get a tax break from the Australian Government due to its miserly fuel consumption. This is a big, BIG win, though it’s not written in stone just yet.
- The Examiner has a great article on the resurgence of Turbocharging, with quite a focus on Saab.
- Motor Trend blog on testing the Turbo X. Good stuff!
-
19 responses so far ↓
1 Mats
// Sep 3, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Motor Trend needs to put their specs on, the Turbo X is a single turbo engine….
2 Robin M
// Sep 3, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Steve, I can not view the videos, please can you give a link, thank you.
3 Mag-X
// Sep 3, 2008 at 7:24 pm
OMFG AL;KASJ UIOPAUIOPJKL;ASDJKL; IIS IT SATURDAY YEEEET!?
4 Robin M
// Sep 3, 2008 at 8:29 pm
It’s ok Swade, they are there now!!!!
5 Adam
// Sep 3, 2008 at 10:06 pm
We had a rental Pontiac Aztek for a week. They stink, big time. The basic idea is okay. But it was short on power, but didn’t very good fuel economy. It was built on the minivan platform and was poor to drive. The interior plastics were really cheap. The control layout is terrible. The seat was the worst I’ve had to live with for any period of time. Long story short, the ugliness is more than skin deep.
6 dan
// Sep 4, 2008 at 12:04 am
Sorry, the Aztec is a PIECE OF GARBAGE
Adam summed up all the highlights of the Aztec. At least its looks match its performance so you know what youre getting into.
7 Gunnar
// Sep 4, 2008 at 12:33 am
Ugliest car ever? I think that award must go to the AMC Gremlin. It’s very name is hideous.
8 tom
// Sep 4, 2008 at 1:19 am
ALL the people responsible for the azteck should be rounded up
DESIGN CREDENTIALS REVOKED
wisked away and forced to work FOR chery in china
as test dummies for safety improvements.
9 Jeff
// Sep 4, 2008 at 3:28 am
The Aztek was junk. The reason you saw three of them in Canada is because they sell for dirt cheap…you know, because they’re such junk.
tom - That’s the thing, it isn’t their fault. The designers designed a car that did the whole form follows function thing to the letter. The original Aztek concept was versatile, practical, and an all around great vehicle (it was still a tad ugly, but not as ugly as the production version). Then, GM decided to produce it. Of course, the money people gave it a going over. They built a car that was somehow even uglier than the concept on the wrong platform as cheaply as possible. So, don’t blame the designers. Blame the accountants.
As ugly as it is, the Aztek is definitely not the ugliest car of all time. That distinction either goes to the Fiat Multipla or the Citroen 2CV. That list that the Telegraph put together is junk, anyway. I mean, really, the LeBaron? The 95? Datsun 120Y? None of these belong on a list of ugliest cars.
The worst, though, is the inclusion of the Jaguar XJS, the second most beautiful car of all time after the Mazda CosmoSport 110S.
10 PGAero
// Sep 4, 2008 at 4:26 am
Mats,
I’m with you about MotorTrend needing to take a second look at their press package, or at least look under the hood.
I don’t usually register to comment at places like MotorTrend, but I just couldn’t not correct their mistake. It’s not like they wrote it once as a typo or something, the guy wrote it three times, and in one case used it against the Saab for needing two turbos to do what the 3.5L Turbo Infiniti engine does.
I also set some people straight about the differences between a Mazda, A Subaru, and a Saab.
~P
11 tom
// Sep 4, 2008 at 7:32 am
i do understand the accountants in the mix
but the hood on the hood design feature (front view)
has to be the worst automotive design in history,
even more ugly than your 2 examples.
So,
let me correct my 1st statement,
send the accountants too,
crash test dummies,
yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
12 joemama
// Sep 4, 2008 at 7:47 am
Ahhh, the legendary “Ass-Tek.” Well, I have to disagree that there are some good angles. The thing is just flat out ugly. And I’m not talking just “ugly.” I mean ugly as in the Chinese girl from the Olympics that was deemed too “ugly” to sing in public so they sent her out back while a different girl lip sinked!
From what I recall, even the designers told GM not to release it. They wanted to re-work their initial designs yet GM went ahead anyways.
13 PGAero
// Sep 4, 2008 at 8:02 am
joemama,
I think you’re giving the Aztec way too much credit.
14 Saabseller
// Sep 4, 2008 at 9:37 am
SsangYong Stavic is currently and will always be the ugliest thing ever made. The Koreans really do have a knack of making the most unattractive cars. Check it out.
http://www.ssangyongaustralia.com.au/stavic.html
It is all I can do not to point and laugh wildly before I run them into a ditch on the freeway.
15 Saabseller
// Sep 4, 2008 at 9:42 am
A further note, there is good ugly and bad ugly, just like good naked and bad naked. 2CV is ugly, but cool, Hummer is ugly but ugly in a good way. The Aztec is a hideous car no doubt, I did laugh when I first saw one on the road. However, no matter how ugly a car is, someone will buy it, just like the ugly girl has kids…
16 Jeff
// Sep 5, 2008 at 1:49 am
Saabseller - The Roedius is WAY uglier than the Stavic, it’s like a Stavic with a hunchback.
Also, and this is entirely my opinion, the 2CV is just ugly, and not the good ugly. It looks like some drunk decided to try and build a car in his back yard.
17 Saabseller
// Sep 5, 2008 at 8:31 am
Back to the Stavic, I’m sure the designer saw the Simpsons episode where Homer met his long lost brother who let Homer design his next car, the Homer, then went on to actually build it….
18 eggsngrits
// Sep 7, 2008 at 7:30 am
For some time, the Pontiac Aztek was one of the most reliable vehicles available from GM. And, as Ted Y. will agree, the boxy build makes the thing a capable hauler. That is, as an appliance it works. You simply can’t expect it to be pretty (it’s not) and comfortable (ditto).
19 Jen
// Sep 11, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Well as one of the lone owners of an Aztek I’d like to say it’s not as big of a piece as some people are letting on. Sure the design takes some getting use to but it’s very reliable and lets face it, there are worse cars out there for way way more money. On the other hand I have an exotic persian so maybe I just like ugly things.