All Entries Tagged With: "Saab Turbo X"
ADL’s “B” List for 2008
Not as hot as the 900 was in the 80s. But a fly ride, nonetheless.
“B” for “‘Bout Right”
Saab Turbo X
I was much more enthusiastic about the Turbo X in May than I was in October. There’s something about getting into an old Opel platform that’s cramped and noisy after just driving a fresh Holden design (Pontiac G8 GT) that has you second guessing.
So, following time at G8’s helm, I can say that the Turbo X isn’t near powerful enough, which means it isn’t fast enough. It isn’t near fuel efficient enough. And even with “XWD” (Haldex’s sophisticated all-wheel drive setup) providing a rear wheel drive feel, the Turbo X still understeers when you go hard into a sharp corner.
I imagine that if Trollhattan’s people could, they’d put all their eggs in the 9-1 basket and let it roll instead of trying to design a performance sedan on a zero dollar budget. A lean, high-tech hatch is what’s needed. That’s Saab’s true strength. That’s their distinct platform in a sour, crowded marketplace. But Saab can’t because they’re at the end of the receiving line and I digress…
On its own merits, the Turbo X is an accomplishment. It drives better than any Saab in history. By a long stretch. So much better, in fact, that it threatens the justification for buying front wheel driven Saabs; which along with the turbocharger is Saab’s schtick, last time I checked.
The Turbo X with LED sparkle and jet black finish is a handsome Swede. With a manual transmission, it is happy in its work. These two charming characteristics alone – in true Saab form – save the day.
So, If you’re a loyal Saabist and don’t mind trading in tradition for driving pleasure, it’s worth swapping out the old 9-5 Aero or even 9000 for a used Turbo X. For Viggen owners on the other hand… it’s your call.
[Linked: Saab]
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Bentley Continental GTC
Like the Cadillac CTS, it’s difficult to put down a car that looks so very, very right. The Continental GTC, for all of its Volkswagen Phaeton underpinnings, is one gorgeous droptop. Visually, the Bentley marks the perfect aesthetic balance; modern luxury classically defined.
And yet there remains too much VW behind the Flying B here. It’s a sticking point, I fear. Whereas the Continental GTC is likely best appreciated (and bought) by people who don’t know the difference, old school Rolls-Royce and Bentley people can tell. My friend who was kind enough to let me have a go behind the helm of his new GTC, traded in his old Arnage for this refined décapotable.
Despite the praise he’s received from friends, neighbors, and bystanders for his new set of wheels, I couldn’t help but detect a slight bit of remorse over the fall of the ancien regime.
Trouble is, the car doesn’t feel like a Bentley even if it so sweetly carries off the look. Much of the interior’s functional bits and details are to blame for being entirely Audi/VW sourced; right down to the purple and red backlighting. The leather, while soft, doesn’t feel Connolly grade. There’s no seductive aroma. No true tactile delight. Just a good standard of luxury.
Where the GTC does carry on ye olde Crewe tradition is that the car maintains a tall profile. The driver sits high over the road – the position lies somewhere between a Toyota Highlander and a Subaru Forester. Plus, the 2+2 proceeds serenely, even when you burry the go pedal. And because its rag-top is so well insulated, it manages to rival the boxy Arnage in cabin quietness.
The W12 dials high numbers on the speedo swiftly and with zero drama. Paradoxically, this rapid rate of progress feels like it’s happening in slow motion. And perhaps that’s the point for this kind of car. A gentle, but capable cruiser. But then again, if that truly is the point then it’s a little too boring. Perhaps, some of us are just more accustomed to the Wagnerian drama of an American or German big bloc V8.
Ultimately, the GTC stands as a prime addition to anyone’s collection. But if you have the choice, opt for tradition and take the (Arnage based) Azure T, instead. In the Azure you get tradition with all the modern comforts and none of the VW pretense.
[Linked: Bentley]
Cadillac SRX Crossover | CTS Wagon | Resurgence
By Gunnar Heinrich
A funny thing happened on the way to the forum earlier this morning.
Frequent ADL commentator Jim sent me an email with a link to the new Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon (again the auto industry doesn’t use “station wagon” anymore – passato) with comments that read like an audible sigh.
Jim’s a Benz guy, so that’s pretty good and speaks to Cadillac’s efforts to bring the marque back in play on the global stage. Cadillac’s on its way, damen und herren.
Last night, GM rep. Adam Denison gave ADL a shout-out about the CTS Sport Wagon’s intro at Pebble Beach today – along with the SRX Crossover – which I’m sure Swade over @ Trollhattan Saab is as about as pleased to see as having one of his island’s eponymous Devils bite him on the ass (the SRX shares the Saab 9-4X crossover’s platform and may just steal its thunder).
Ah well. The SRX is looking sharp, too, Swade.
[IMG: BoingBoing | Linked: GM PR]
The Turbo X Spectacular! Part III: Thrashing Saab’s Best
By Gunnar Heinrich with Photos by Kevin Kusina
I’VE been having a difficult time wrapping my head around the word “SportCombi” lately. Apparently, there’s just no room for the “station wagon” anymore in the world’s vehicular lexicon. Wind back the clock as many as fifteen years and you’d even find Volvo busy selling 850 “Sport wagons”.
Station wagon has too much the utilitarian ring to it, though, in marketability terms it still trumps earlier names like “depot hacks” and “woodies.”
When I arrived at Saab’s makeshift proving grounds in North Andover, there were two Turbo X models lined up alongside a winding track of little orange cones. One was a sedan fitted with an automatic (same as what I drove to the event), the other was the Turbo X SportCombi (wagon) also fitted with an auto shifter.
Wanting nothing to do with something that only the Brits really want and eco-minded former 9-7X drivers feel they need, I opted for a turn at the sedan’s helm each time, every time on the track. Little did I know that my best Turbo X experience would come later with a manually fitted wagon.
Happiness Is Behind The Wheel of A Mint Saab 900
By Gunnar Heinrich with Photos by Kevin Kusina
CLARKSON once wrote that car guys who are all about the classics are more interested in reliving the past than actually having interest in cars. Of course his philosophical observation was put in typical slapstick J.C. terms, but the bone of what he meant has real marrow.
You didn’t grow up in the 80s and 90s in New England without spending sometime, any time in a Saab.
Whether it was your teacher’s, your friend’s, your dad’s, your mom’s, or your postman’s ex-girlfriend’s second cousin’s, somebody drove a Saab which you at one point got a ride in or drove, yourself.
And in all likelihood, the Saab that you were most likely to experience was none other than the iconic 900 Turbo of the 80s and early 90s.
When I saw the old GM Heritage vehicle parked beneath shade of tent, I made a beeline straight for the driver’s seat. Of all the late model Saabs that we could drive (each with rallying stories to tell) this standard 900 Turbo was the only classic to capture my interest. And naturally, it was the only one we couldn’t drive.
Which is actually alright. Some idols are better left to live on in memory’s warm glow.
Not nearly as safe as a Volvo 240, nor nearly as swift as a BMW 325i, the 900 Turbo still bested both in terms of comfort and character.
The leather, as exhibited in this black on tan Concours piece, was flawless and Lexus soft.
The paint felt and looked factory fresh. This 900 seemed right off the showroom floor. It all made me of think of times past; great friends and childhood memories that featured various N.E. roadtrips in several 900s.
I’d buy that very car tomorrow just for the feelings it stirred. What a wonderful example, superbly maintained.
[Linked: Saab History]
The Turbo X Spectacular! Part II: Lost (Briefly) In Beantown
By Gunnar Heinrich with Photos By Kevin Kusina
DRIVING off the lot from Herb Chambers in the new Turbo X with ADL shooter Kevin riding shotgun and Saab media rep. extraordinaire Jan-Willem Vester giving directions from the back seat, we embarked upon a preordained route that wound us northward to North Andover where in a more secure, open setting we would be able to beat the Turbo X like the redheaded stepchild it isn’t.
The trouble was getting there.
Not a problem you’d think, Jan-Willem had the directions. The route was charted. Tuesday morning traffic was light. We’d be as right as Swedish pork-filled potato dumplings with cabbage rolls.
Boston, bless it’s eighteenth century heart, had other ideas.
The Turbo X Spectacular! Part I: The Talk In Herb’s Garden
By Gunnar Heinrich with Photos by Kevin Kusina
OVERSHADOWED by Herb’s own multi-story BMW dealer on the right and squeezed by a parking lot brimming with new Bimmers on the left, the largest Saab dealer in these United States proved a so-so location to talk Turbo X.
Symbolizing just what GM is pitting Saab’s halo car against, Automobile plenipotentiary Ezra Dyer made a showy arrival in BMW’s latest M3 sedan. Indeed, as the morning wore on and the automotive press talked and was talked-at, alternatively, the name “BMW” would surface time and again.
Starting off at 8:30 AM, GM staff held an all-business presentation on Saab’s showroom floor that set the tone for performance expectations.
GM’s G.M. for Saab, Steve Shannon (formerly Buick’s Roadmaster manager) made fleeting reference to his background and Saab’s.
“We’re much more NPR than Fox News,” said he, who also spoke of the quality rather than the quantity of Saab customers.
Mr. Shannon, armed with PowerPoint, directed the group’s focus on the new “cross wheel drive” system that Saab bought from Swedish engineering firm Haldex.
For some inexplicable reason, as I watched the presentation of power-to-wheel transfer diagrams, Subaru’s tagline kept playing in my head: “From the wheel that slips to the wheel that grips!”
Competing notions of “brand” identity aside, the Haldex system proved to be nothing less than a revolution for Saab performance (I’ll expound in Part III) and Saab is set to make the system a lineup-wide option.
Following the talk we shuffled from showroom to garage where Saab’s staff had a Turbo X hoisted on a lift. Swedish engineer Tommy Sundin ducked low and explained the engineering wizardry behind Haldex’s technological tour de force and the challenges that, “putting a new system into an old car,” presented.
Mr. Sundin reminds us that the Turbo X is based on the agèd Epsilon platform that the jet black halo car shares with an ‘02 Opel Vectra and an ‘04 Chevy Malibu, among others.
Following the engineer’s remarks, we made a break outside to drive off in Saab’s latest and greatest.
[Linked: Trollhattan Saab]
