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You might find it a bit tedious, I don’t know, but this review thing has been a great exercise for me. I’m realising just how much has been written here each month (amazing, if I say so myself) and just how much we’ve found out about new cars through the year.

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We started May with a couple of bits of good news, namely that production at the Trollhattan plant was safe until 2016. ‘Safe’ in that context now means “safe until we have to slow down production due to a worldwide downturn. Oh, and we might sell your brand”. but I guess that’s better than nothing.

The other bit of good news was our Unofficial Saab Ambassador in the UK, Robin M, winning his test drive competition with the TTiD and scoring a trip to Sweden. Later in the month, we had a wise reader here in Australia win a lighting trip to Spain to drive the Turbo X on a closed track. More on that later.

We got a documented look at Saab Australia’s amazing model range – only two cars but over 80 model variation to choose from.

May 2nd was a red-letter day for Trollhattan Saab: the first time the former Saab designer and all round legend, Bjorn Envall, left a comment here. We’re not worthy, we’re not worthy!!

Ivan unveiled some custom Saab badges that were snapped up by many. I’ve seen a few in person now and they look sensational.

I wrapped up mu Subaru WRX custody case after a few months with some writing here, and here, and a little movie here. It was a nice exercise, but I wasn’t convinced. So unconvinced, in fact, that I never really finished writing about it.

I did really like this photo, though.

Saab put on a rather amazing weekend in Trollhattan in May, where they had ALL their concept cars to date on display at the one time, with some of their vintage metal parked out front. It would have been a brilliant day to attend and fortunately for us, a few people did and shot photos, too.

Automotive Theory, part 1 – Do one thing badly.

Automotive Theory, part 2 – Spacial awareness, penned by TS regular, ctm.

Following the big concept car weekend, Saab took the 9-4x and 9-X BioHybrid out in the open for a drive and photoshoot. It’s funny how concept cars look quite amazing in motion.

We got our first confirmed reports that the 9-3 would be downsized in it’s future iteration, which was good news in many ways but bad news becuase it meant that the current 9-3 would have to be around for a long time. We discussed the downsizing quite a bit, too.

Saab Sport and Rally catalog from the 1970s. Cool.

I asked how many of you use the Smart Slot in your Saab 9-3. The answer was ‘many’.

Looking at Saab brand tags was an interesting exercise.

One of the feature events of May 2008 was the US media event for the Saab Turbo X. Our very own Eggs n Grits got to go along and provided plenty of material here at TS as a way of bringing you along for the ride. There’s the prelude, the drive day in detail and some tech-style schoolin’ about the twin-scroll V6. And of course, the photos.

I complained about the loss of activity and identity with Saab.

Gripen did some good detective work and spotted some BioPower test vehicles in the US.

Djup Strupe was busy, too. We heard several bits of big Saaby news for the first time: that the 2010 Saab 9-5 would be shown in Geneva, the engine specs for the coming Saab 9-4x and Saab 9-5.

Regular visitor and Monte Carlo owner, Markac, sent in a piece that’s proving to be quite the premonition as things have panned out in 2008:

I think the new 9-5 will be a bargaining chip for GM to sell off Saab.

And finally….

Djup Strupe gave us all an insight into the full range of Saab cars that was planned with the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan back in the early ‘noughties’. We missed out on a lot this decade thanks to GM’s cancellation of Saab models; a decision that’s now biting them on the bum.