Those Detroit car company executives will now be able to front those congressional hearings this week with a genuine backdrop of disaster looming subconsciously in the room.

Numbers will be posted in all their gory glory as they come to hand.

——

Saabrobz has rediscovered some old Saab photos from summer 2007 and posted them on Flickr.

Cool.

——

I’ve already posted on some Christmas gift ideas from sponsors Elkparts and State of Nine, but if your interests extend to other automotive brands, Examiner.com has an article covering the various bits of merchandising being done by other manufacturers.

Who wouldn’t want to pay US$85.07 for a Scuderia Ferrari baby’s romper suit?

——

The Ebay auction for that rare 1:43 scale model of a Saab 98 prototype that I mentioned here last week has just finished.

Closing price: GBP 188.81 – that’s around A$440 at current rates.

Ay Carumba!!

——

The Saab Funk-Is ice scaper may actually be two years old, but the recent press release has done them some good with the exotic ice remover being featured at Luxist.com

——

Saab are roaring back into sports sponsorship and the Fiji Flyers are the latest beneficiaries of Saab’s largesse*.

The Saab Middle East press release:

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Current Rugby World Cup Sevens Champions Fiji took to the field at this weekend’s Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, cheered on by their official Host, Saab Dealer Gargash Motors & General Trading.

In return the Fiji stars, who narrowly missed out on a place in Saturday’s big final, made a special visit to the Saab display to experience for themselves some of their innovative and technologically advanced models offered by the Swedish automaker, including the Saab 9-3 Aero.

“We were delighted to link up with the Fiji Rugby Sevens team and to welcome them on to our stand” commented Jonathan Greenslade, General Manager of Gargash Motors & General Trading. “Along with in excess of 100,000 others who attended the Dubai Rugby Sevens over the weekend, they got an opportunity to get up close with some of the stylish Saab models that are behind the company’s recent aggressive product development.”

* < /removes tongue from cheek>

–

The worry for GM: there were fourteen categories and Holden only won one of them – Best Ute.

The worry for Saab: the 9-3 Convertible didn’t even make the top three in the best convertible award, which was eventually won by the Audi A3 vert. Methinks price played into this a little.

——

The Saab Salomon connection continues with Salomon’s new Aero-X skis:

Like a car axle, the Aero X skis feature ‘hybrid’ technology so the front and back of the skis have very different functions. The front half of the ski is designed to enable the skier to maximize the turn and gain power through it, allowing the skier to choose and control the radius of their arc.

New for 2009 the Aero X skis is constructed with a full wood core for added stability. The core combines with the double monocoque construction to deliver power with impressive torque. The Salomon Aero X ski range offers maximum performance thrills with full assistance, so that every turn becomes intuitive and skiers can unleash the power while remaining totally in control.

Sorry, but I get sort of ‘whatever’ about skis. If you’re a snow bunny then Santa could drop these under your tree in exchange for around 800 Euros.

I’d prefer a real Aero-X, but that’d cost a little more.

——

Saab have also released the most luxurious, well-designed and coolest ice scraper in the world. Those are their words, not mine, but having a closer look it is pretty darn cool.

It’s called the Funk-Is and it’s certainly quite Funk-y

It’s made of thick, frosted Plexiglas with sharp diamond cut edges, a plough-shaped blade and even a special groove for clearing snow and ice from the wiper blades. Its ergonomic, comfortable and warm grip is made out of leather and pure lamb’s wool. It’s quite simply the ultimate in funky design.

Makes me wish Australia was freezing cold sometimes instead of the warm utopia that it is.

The full GM Europe release is here.

——

I’m not sure who McClarenX is on Flickr, but I like the cars he’s got access to.

–

Please note that deliveries will be affected by the Christmas rush, so State of Nine have put together an ordering schedule. If you want your goodies to hit your front door prior to Christmas, then this link gives you the low-down on when you need to order.

On to the specials…..

Save $7 off SoN’s new custom Euro plate. In states where you don’t need a front plate (is that all of them in the US??) you can attach this custom Euro plate and personalise your own message on it, too. They’re available with a selection of country letter codes in the blue section, or with no country code at all.

–

NEW mesh grille for the Saab 9-7x. There’s also an optional grill for the front spoiler, too.

–

$20 off rear seat protectors so your pet can ride along without damaging your leather. These are made to fit your specific model Saab and there’s 10 different models catered for in the range.

–

Get 10% off SoN’s full custom neoprene seat covers OR SoN’s 2-tone neoprene seat covers. There’s an unbelievable array of color combinations available with seven different seat colors and thirteen different piping colors for the edges. Protect your leather and look good at the same time.

–

FREE storage bag with a SoN custom block-it car cover. These covers are custom made to fit your model Saab and offer rain, snow and UV protection.

–

Save 14% PLUS a free storage bag with the Noah Car Cover with a non-woven 4-layer protection system. Comes with a 4-year warranty.

–

Save 13% and a FREE storage bag with SoN’s premier car cover – the HP Weathershield cover. It’s super compact, super protective, has customisable colors, is machine washable and has a 5-year warranty.

——

Check out all of State of Nine’s offers at their website and if you really want to stay up to date, then sign up to receive their newsletter and you’ll get these offers delivered right to your inbox.

–

They now have the aluminium finish side mirror covers for Saab 9-3 in stock. Apparently they’re an option for 2009 but will retrofit nicely on to any of the Saab 9-3 SS generation cars.

——

A professor in Sweden is urging the government to consider nationalising the car industry there if things go south with GM and Ford in the US. Well, actually, he talks more about Volvo than Saab.

Rolf Wolff, dean of the school of business at Gothenburg University, called on the government to nationalize Volvo Cars to safeguard the pool of knowledge on which the Swedish auto industry is based…..“We all ought to take a moment to think about what would happen in Sweden if both Volvo Cars and Saab Automobile ceased to exist,” writes Wolff in Monday’s issue of business daily Dagens Industri.

“If Volvo Cars disappears as a base for industrial knowledge and skills, then Sweden will never again be a part of the auto industry. All the knowledge and skills would be lost, and with it all future associated development potential would be gone. Forever.”

The Swedish government on Monday ruled out any financial support for the country’s crisis-hit automakers Volvo Cars and Saab Automobiles until the intentions of their US parent companies became clear.

——

A similar story is also covered at Reuters:

The comments came amid growing calls for the government to take action in support of the carmakers, seen as pillars of the Nordic country’s engineering industry and vital for the survival of a broad swath of suppliers.

Personally, I’d say “yes” to Saab’s survival but “No thanks” to nationalisation. Such a policy has rarely ever worked and I can’t see it benefitting Saab at all.

——

If it’s possible to be more bleak than when discussing nationalisation, then Automotive News have got it covered:

Opel, GM Europe’s biggest European brand, is considered at risk. Meanwhile, most observers say the Saab brand’s future appears bleak. They say it either will be sold or closed down.

Chevrolet, which is growing fast in eastern Europe, is seen as potentially healthy.

Saab’s global new-car sales are down 21 percent to 83,179 units in the first 10 months. The company relies heavily on GM — its new 9-5 medium-premium car is due to be built outside Sweden at Opel’s factory in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

Saab lost nearly 2.2 billion kronor (about €240 million) in 2007, according to the Swedish business newspaper Dagens Industri.

“It does not look good for Saab. It has been making losses for years,” said Stefan Bratzel, head of the Center of Automotive in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.

Others say GM is looking for a buyer for Saab but cannot find one.

“They are a niche player, but there are more viable niche players out there,” said Peter Cooke, professor at Buckingham University in England.

Saab Managing Director Jan-Ake Jonsson said profitability will come with the launch of the new 9-5, 9-4X and 9-3 models. “When we have new products and the current economic situation has recovered, we will be profitable,” Jonsson told Automotive News Europe last week.

We’ll show ‘em.

——

Top Gear just featured the Bugatti Veyron on it’s test track. The Swedish made Koenigsegg CCX was third on their leaderboard. Will it be topped again?

Video here.

–

Obviously I’m not going to win it, but maybe one of you Saabnuts want it enough to join what could be a bidding war by the time this thing’s over.

What’s for sale is a 1:43 scale model of a very rare Saab. So rare, in fact, that it was never commercially produced – the Saab 98.

The 98, for those who don’t know, was an experiment to extend the Saab 95 range into the new combi coup territory that had just opened up with the Saab 99. It was decided that the project wouldn’t work and the only Saab 98 assembled now rests at the Saab Museum in Trollhattan.

This scale model is apparently one of only 150 made and is the same color as the full size model – Sienna Brown.

I bid GBP15.50 and it went up very shortly afterwards. It’s now at GBP18.00 with almost a week to go. Keep an eye on it and if you’re a keen collector, grab what’s probably a pretty rare chance.

By the way, Robin M has just created a new Flickr group for people into Saab memorabilia and “stuff” as well as another one specifically for scale model Saabs. Check them out and join up if you’re so inclined.

–

Elkparts have a bundle of Buy-One-Get-One-Free (BOGOF) offers that will not only get you some great gear, they’ll double your value as well.

How does this come in handy? A few weekends ago I watched one of our local Saab club guys sell one of his BOGOF Saab umbrellas at a club meet. He lowered his buy price and someone got a great Saab umbrella at a bargain price.

The items currently on the BOGOF page at Elkparts are as follows:

–> Saab Expressions Car Mug

–> Saab Expressions Vacuum Flask 300ml

–> Saab Expressions Vacuum Flask 750ml

–> Saab Expressions LED Headlamp (great for working under the car, reluctantly modelled by Geoff)

–> Saab Expressions Nallis Bear (soft toy – brilliant for kids and car shows)

–> Saab Performance Team 1:43 scale model 9-3 SS

–> Saab Aero Bath Towel (with SportCombi aero motif)

–> Saab Expressions compact umbrella (extra 10% off this 2-for1 for TS readers!!)

–> Saab cufflinks (gearchange pattern, very classy)

–> Saab Expressions 1:43 SportCombis (Chili Red and Fusion Blue)

–> Saab lapel pin

–> Saab test pilot pen

Order any of these and you not only get a TWO great Saab Expressions products at a great price, you also get fast shipping and a reuseable Saab Expressions handwarmer, too.

So, if the family are starting to ask Christmassy questions, point them at Elkparts and tell them to BOGOF(f)!!

–

These are genuine Saab wheels, 17 inches in size and intended for the Saab 9-3 sedan, sportcombi or convertible.

Saab have a long tradition of fantastic wheels and as we’ve discussed before, the wheels maketh the car.

I haven’t heard of these being standard on any vehicles yet, but they look pretty smart. A little more edgy than your regular Saab wheel, in the tradition of the Hirsch 19-inch 3-spoke wheel.

Is this the rolling equivalent of the Saab 95 Cheese Cutter?

Just a thought.

Elkparts: ALU81 wheel. For more info, click here.

–

Featured: A cheap dyno/skid-pad program for iPhone and iPod Touch, some great podcasts for your PC and/or mp3 player and an accessory from one of our sponsors.
.
.
.
The reason for this post — I’ve just purchased my first actual iPod. I was a long-time satisfied user of an iRiver Clix that was either lost or stolen on a trip to New Jersey last summer. Faced with the decision, I decided to buy a factory refurbished 4GB iPod Nano 3rd Generation from the Apple store online. With shipping it was around $85 — a great price if you ask me. I grudgingly admit that this little gadget is a huge upgrade. I still have a fundamental issue with the proprietary Apple compression format, but I must admit that it sounds great and having video in your player is also a huge plus.

.
.
.
This has my wheels turning in that direction, so here are a few Saab-related revelations that accompanied the iPod-ing of my life. (For a non-Saab related revelation, see here.)
.
.
.
I’ll start with the great-looking iPod/mp3 add-on kit for your 9-3 available from Elkparts. This setup avoids the compromised sound associated with FM transmitters and other add-on adapters. Using a direct interface, this harness gets you connected the right way. Works for me, except that I don’t own a 9-3!

(Swade has looked at this option in the past, but I’m assuming that since the Viggen is no more that little project went by the way.)
.
.
.
I love this little software package from Dynolicious for Apple iPhone or Apple iPod Touch. It uses the accelerometer inside the device to measure acceleration in all directions that can be used to translate engine output, 0-60 times, quarter mile time, lateral grip and braking performance. For only US$13, you get a little performance monitor for any car! I’m sure that it’s not very precise, but for $13 I could live with that. It requires no connections to the car and you can download the results to your PC. Very cool.

.
.

.
If you haven’t checked out the Saabcast site on Saabusa.com, have a look. There are a few great video podcasts there. I found a couple of additional videos from Saab USA on iTunes that I could download free of charge, including this video on “How to change a tire.” Nicely done, and the Dame Edna 9-5 and an attractive actress make it easy on the eyes, for sure.

.
.

.
GM Europe has a cache of iPod-ready videos for we Saabisti, too. Some very polished stuff such as this video of the Saab 9-X Air concept with Mark Adams.

.
.

.
Finally, there are a few Canadians out there actually racing Saabs! Swade has featured JL Racing before, but they’ve posted some great information on their website including a few great audio podcasts (click on the podcasts banner on the right column of the front page). They certainly had some late-season success in the Canadian Touring Car series with three wins in late August! I highly recommend all three podcasts for some great Saab techie tidbits.

This is the 2008 Saab 9-3 Convertible in 1:43 scale that EduSaab acquired:

A nice example and it’s in the Convertible’s best color. He picked up an Aero-X in white as well. EduSaab tells me that being a Bburago model it’s not of the highest quality with inaccurate wheels and other missing details, but at least it’s available in 2008 form.

What interested me most was the link to the seller’s other items on Ebay. Specifically this one, an Aero-X in black:

A lot of people wondered how hot this car would look in black. I’m not sure that we ever got around to photoshopping one (can’t find one during a quick search).

This gives you a quick idea and whilst some of the lines and details might be lost, I think it’s fair to say that if they ever made one, it would be referred to simply as The Hotness.

Me want (a real one)

–

In part 1, Dan covered interior items (mats, carpets and glass) as well as cleaning your wheels and tires. In part 2, it’s time to get into washing and drying.

Again, my thanks to Dan at State of Nine.

——

Exterior Washing

OK, this is the part most people love to do, but it is important not to damage your car when washing it. This is where you’ll see the most immediate results. We’ve all used the household dish soap in a bucket and washed the car out back. It’s not the end of the world if you do this, but you are removing any wax you have on the car and you’ll get a much better shine using a quality automotive shampoo like the P21S style we recommend below. Here are the steps:

GET YOUR BUCKEY READY

• Empty your bucket after cleaning the wheels and add clean water – even with the Grit Guard bucket

• Grit Guard Bucket – the concept is simple and it really works. After using the mitt and rinsing it, you leave the dirt that was on the car in the bucket. The screen in this bucket traps the dirt so you don’t pick it up and wash/scratch the car with it

• P21S Car Wash Shampoo – you will fall in love with this product. Just a half a cap full of soap in your bucket does all that you need. Use a strong stream of water to fill the bucket and get lots of suds – these suds help float away the dirt (without scratching the paint)

GET YOUR SAAB READY

• Lift the wiper blades up so you can wash all around the windshield area, but be careful of your eyes when washing – these wipers can be really dangerous. Sunglasses add great extra protection here…

• With a gentle, wide, spray, thoroughly wet your Saab down from the top of the roof (convertible owners: we typically advise not wetting the top at all, just using our Convertible Top Cleaner Kit) down the sides and the front and back of the car

• The key is to keep the car wet at all times during washing – don’t let certain sides dry in the sun (or wash it in the shade – SW)

• You want to begin to loosen the dirt up so you can float it off with your soapy wash mitt

ACTUALLY WASHING YOUR SAAB

• OK, we are ready! We want to wash and hose off the soap in sections

• Rubber gloves – it is not a bad idea to put on a pair of medical gloves at this point. You can usually get a box of a 100 or so from a big box store for about $2.00 more than you can a box of 20. You’ll have enough for a long time and your hands will thank you. Getting under license plate areas and wheel wells can really bang up your hands, so an extra barrier is nice to have

• Always start at the top of the car and work a side of the car, then go around and do the other side. This seems crazy, but it is also helpful in not missing sections of the car

• Start at the top driver’s side, do the sun roof area, driver’s window and driver’s side of the windshield

• Rinse! While everything is nice and soapy, rinse off the section you just completed

• Repeat these steps by completing the roof area, back and driver’s side windows – don’t get into the side of the car now though…these areas tend to be dirtier and you want to get the big surface areas clean first

• Move to the driver’s side of the hood, rinse, then the passenger side roof, going around the (again just the top, do the lower side areas of the car all at once later)

• Once the top surface of the car has been washed and rinsed, start on the driver’s door side and do the windows, mirrors and body panels. Rinse and repeat on the passenger side of the car

• The front and back of the car – typically you have bugs on the front and mud on the back, this is why we save these for last. Our Microfiber Wash Mitt has a second side that acts as a Microfiber Scrubber – this is great for bugs and the stuff you get on headlights and bumpers. Use the scrubber side here and then finish by wiping with the (white) Microfiber side

• Keep the car wet (during this process you may need to break to keep the car wet on the top surface areas – especially if it is hot out – you don’t want the car to dry on its own

• Repeat the above step for the rear of the car and rear wheel panels

• Finally, walk around and wipe down the lower spoiler areas of the car with the Wash Mitt

• Final rinse (from both sides of the car) so that soap that sits in door sills, etc. gets off the car

SUGGESTED TOOLS:

Grit Guard bucket – click here

Microfiber Wash Mitt – click here

P21S Car Wash Shampoo – click here

Saab Convertible Top Cleaner – click here

——

Drying your Saab

Drying seems pretty straightforward; but having a strategic approach here is really beneficial. We want to get the car dry quickly – starting from the top down. Here are the steps:

• Keep your medical gloves on (or get a new pair) – this is where you can easily bang your hands into something you never new existed on your car

• The Absorber Towel is a great investment and if kept rolled up in the case that it comes with, you won’t need another one for 8 years. These are designed to stay soft, not dry and get hard like old leather chamois. The instructions on the case are pretty clear

• Start at the top of the car (driver’s roof area again) and work your way around the car drying in sections – just like we did during the washing phase.

• Again, save the sides for later – they are less exposed to the direct sunlight and less likely to dry on their own

• Usually it takes two passes to dry a section completely. You can twist the Absorber and wring out the water after each pass on a section

• Walk around the car and repeat as needed. Do the sides, then the front and back of the car as we did during the washing

• Have a clean rag or two around. These are great for drying wheel wells and door sills

• Open each of the doors, the hood and the trunk and wipe down these sills with a rag (not the Absorber). Doing this each time you wash the car makes it easy to keep these areas clean and prevent them from getting out of control. Note: Don’t wipe off any grease you may see around the door hinge areas – removing this could cause squeaking later on

• With the rag, wipe the wheels and then the tires down if they are still wet

• Drying complete!

SUGGESTED TOOLS:

The Absorber drying towel – click here

Microfiber polishing towels – click here

–