Tuesday night snippets
I’m still away, so access is sporadic at best.
I’ve just been scouring the web, though, and here’s the best that I can bring. And there’s some that I can’t without seeming petty and picky, but suffice to say there’s some real nutty stuff going on in the automotive blogosphere right now.
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Greg Abbott called it in comments the other day:
GM is trading now at $5 a share, which is so low that the market believes it is insolvent.
If GM does manage to survive without filing bankruptcy, that stock price will surge (once the market realizes that survival is in the cards).
So those of you who are into gambling, this is a high-risk, high-reward proposition on the table.
GM’s shares rose about 33% the next trading day. A nice day’s work if you can get it.
* You’re a big boy now, so don’t blame me; Invest at your own risk.
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Some strange news about Saab has been doing the rounds. Hard to know what to make of this. Sounds like thoughts only at this stage:
“This could mean that Saab 9-5, Opel Zafira, and a new generation of four cylinder engines could be developed and manufactured in the U.S.. Klaus Franz sees a risk in the fact that American engineers don’t understand what the European buyers prefer. A spokesperson at Opel in Rüsselsheim declined to comment on this. In an interview with Der Spiegel, Carl-Peter Forster says that no decisions have been made [on this or on other more general things?]. Further, some parts for Opel and Saab could still be developed in Rüsselsheim [is this Forster's words?]. Klaus Franz expect a decision within a few months.”
That translation is from CTM and comes from Swedish magazine, Ny Teknik. A few other sites are running it as well but I’m really unsure as to what it might or might not mean in the long run.
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Eggs is teasing me on Flickr with convertible pictures. I’m guessing it he’s playing around with possible entries to the Saab Pride book.
Note the groovy convertible mechanism covers. I wasn’t aware of these until Drew B recently showed me them on his new green convertible.
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Why test a Saab 9-3 against a lincoln MKS?
I don’t know, but here’s the verdict:
The 9-3 is a clear winner in terms of performance driving. It would knock the socks off the MKS on pretty much any track test you would administer. But when it comes to styling, the MKS does the sock knocking, with its elegance and maturity. So, we are forced to call this one a toss-up. If you’re more into the driving experience, get the 9-3. If looks matter more to you, get the MKS.
Each to their own, I guess, but I’ll take the 9-3’s styling over that ugly loafer any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
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And here’s a good road test piece on the Turbo X, from Saab’s home-away-from-home in Colorado:
Whether you choose the Turbo X sedan or SportCombi wagon, you’ll drive a world-class car that can run with some of the best sport sedans and wagons in the world, but with a sense of practicality that can only come from Sweden.
I can’t believe these aren’t sold out yet.
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Saab have lost their podium position at Gaywheels, ranking an almost lowly #6 on the searches there.
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It seems GM and Carlos Ghosn’s Nissan may already be quite advanced in merger talks. Nissan dealers are now treating their customers like some GM dealers do.
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And news for you Aussies out there….
It seems the actions of various motor companies have borne fruit. A number of high profile car companies withdrew from the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney, which started last week, because the couldn’t justify the high cost of two displays per year (one in Sydney and one in Melbourne).
It seems the powers-that-be are relenting, with the announcement of negotiations that may see the Sydney and Melbourne motor shows alternate each year, a-la Paris and Frankfurt.
Makes sense, kinda.
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More from this category
- Saab rumours abound….
- Saab multi-car review in Boston Globe
- Update on Euro Delivery Program for US market
- “Saab is working according to plan”
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Just got home from the Motorshow. Was so very very quiet.
Spoke to someone on the GM stand who says he has seen the new 95. He said to think Maserati Quatroportte but hotter and Saabish.
The story in “Ny Teknik” starts by saying that now that SUVs and other fuel hungry vehicles are harder to sell, GM USA are now more interested in the type of vehicles traditionally developed in Europe.
I keep remembering a 60 Minutes story a few years back when they looked into why GM et al are pushing so many SUVs. The reply back then was “customer demand”. 60 Minutes tried to angle the story to show that not all americans wanted to only choose between larger vehicles, but I guess GM’s management were asleep during that part of the segment.
“Think big”
Those MKS designers must have had Hyundai and Kia catalogues for inspiration. Thats just plain boring and plain looking. Is Lincoln an old mans car? (Oh, and sorry Kia and Hyundai.. Some of your vehicles are somewhat ok)
Lincoln has made some nice rides though. The best one, I think, is the 1962 Continental with rear suicidedoors. Like the one used in The Matrix.
Sounds like Nissan it taking the same stance as Mitsubishi is with its Lancer EVO owners/vehicles. I know a Mitsu rep and he has denied many warranty claims on those vehicles. At least it is only the clutch failing in those for the most part.
To GM’s credit Corvette drivetrain’s don’t just grenade like that, or maybe Corvette owners simply don’t abuse their vehicles - but Corvette’s can take a lot of abuse. GM learned the hard way on the ‘old’ CTS-V that the Solstice differential just could not handle the power of a V8, although they have quietly replaced all of those under warranty.
In the end taking a car that is setup for the track and trying to get low 1/4 miles times out of it again and again is a sure recipe for disaster.
Ok, here’s a story for you. Yesterday, I went down to the local Saab dealer to turn in my 2004 9/3 that was coming off lease, and lease a new 2008 9/3. They were able to get me in the new one for the same payments as the old one. But while we were talking the salesman told me that they were selling lots of SUV’s lately. Seems that a lot of people unloaded their SUVs when gas prices spiked and there are a bunch on the market for cheap. So the dealership is buying them up and reselling them. Makes up for the fact that they aren’t selling many new Saabs. So much so that the salesman had to get help from another fellow at the dealership as he had forgotten the process to use for a new car lease. Interesting.
Sam, for that very reason when my 9-3 goes back in a few weeks time, I shall be stepping into my 12month old Chrysler 300c for approx half, yes half the monthly payment!!! And yes I could have stepped up to an Aero trim 1.9TTid for less money than my current 9-3 a 150bhp diesel .
Should SAAB drop the 9-4 X?
Doesn´t look like there is a market för yet another Mini-SUV.
Instead put all efforts into making the worlds best economical sportwagons!
I’m hoping that in terms of execution the 9-4X will be less like say an X5 or ML and more like the EX35 or X3. It does seem like the wrong product at the wrong time, but when you look at how the pathetic 9-7X sells, imagine how popular a proper Saab crossover could sell! At least I’m being cautiously optimistic on that one.
Saab pride it is! I didn’t enter because, well, I’m an author. I’ve still got to adjust the color, etc. Raw images only on flickr. If anyone has a favorite….
Eggs, are they 6″ 9000 asymmetric rims on the cab?
Drew, you’ve got a great eye. That’s exactly what’s on the 900. I like the 6″ width better than the 5″ or 5.5″ for the later 900.
Saying the 9-4X is the wrong product at the wrong time is not quite “bang on”. You know, cross-overs still sell in large amounts over here. Perhaps not as many as a year ago, but their sales are not affected nearly as much as large trucks’. I still see plenty of brand-new CUVs and SUVs on the roads, and a lot of people are also taking advantage of the lower prices and buying off-lease vehicles. You say all you want, the gas-guzzling 9-7X outsold the ancient, yet fuel-efficient 9-5 in the month of September, dismal for sales otherwise.
The Americans, Canadians and Europeans (yes, Europeans!) who the 9-4X targets would never - repeat, never - consider a wagon. Just like I would never consider a Lexus. Or a Prius. Period. We are talking about different demographics here, and it is essential for Saab’s survival to expand into new territory and be able to attract this buying demographic.
Besides, gas prices are on their way down, and soon we may see gas under $2.50 a gallon. Just let it stay there or below for a year - quite possible with the grim economic outlook for the next couple of years - and soon many of the former gas-guzzlers will joyfully return to their Canyoneros, having forgotten all about fuel economy and gas at $4 a gallon. We’ve seen it happen before, what makes you think this time it will be any different?
All that does not preclude Saab from also producing the 9-1, of course - there is and always will be a market for this vehicle, too. But to expect a small automaker - or any automaker, for that matter - to just turn its design and production plans upside down is extremely unreasonable. If that were possible, GM, BMW and Mercedes would already have 10 fuel-efficient models across their range for customers to choose from. They don’t, so obviously it is easier said that done.
One should always keep an open mind and look at things from different perspectives. Just because you are not in the market for a new CUV right now does not mean there are not a few million customers out there looking for one.