Monday December 21, 2009
Potential deals to sell Saab to Swedish automaker Koenigsegg and Dutch automaker Spyker have fallen through, and General Motors has announced that Saab will go the way of Pontiac and Saturn -- the division will close. Parts will continue to be available and service will be provided through other General Motors dealerships.
This is really a shame -- after years of neglect, Saab looked like it might be starting to come into its own again. The latest version of the 9-3 -- I last tested one in 2007 -- was a wonderful car, and the new 9-5 looked promising. General Motors has sold some of the tooling and technology from the 9-3 and 9-5 to Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. Ltd. (which, among other things, was an unsuccessful bidder for both Opel and Volvo) -- so who knows, we may not have seen the last of those cars.
Meanwhile, if you'd like to buy a Saab, there's still time -- according to an article in Automotive News (registration/subscription required), Saab opened December with an inventory of about 2,100 unsold cars -- a 4-month supply.
The closing of the Saab division strikes an especially sad note for many of us in the auto-writing biz. Earlier this month, Jan-Willem Vester, Saab's long-time North American PR chief, passed away at the young age of 51. Jan left Saab last April and shortly thereafter was diagnosed with a brain tumor. We deal with a lot of great PR people, but Jan was among the best of a really good bunch -- and he was a true Saab enthusiast dating back to his boyhood in the Netherlands. Jan always seemed to have time to talk, no matter how busy things were, and on more than one occasion I called to get a quick answer to an obscure question and wound up in a lengthy and enjoyable conversation about the Saab brand and where it was going. Jan is survived by his wife, three children, and hundreds of journalists who were lucky enough to work with him. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is truly saddened by his loss. -- Aaron Gold
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Thursday December 17, 2009
Infiniti, and their parent company Nissan, were conspicuously absent from last week's Los Angeles Auto Show. Rather than hold a press conference, Infiniti gathered a bunch of journalists at a hotel in Beverly Hills and gave us a chance to check out the upcoming 2011 M-series in person.
The M is Infiniti's flagship, and while the current version of the M is a wonderful car to drive, it's a bit of a wallflower from a styling perspective -- especially compared to the gorgeous G37 sedan. Well, all that's going to change when the 2011 model arrives. The M has been restyled with the same curvy, muscular theme that adorns the G, and it also gets two new engines: A 330 hp 3.7 liter V6 for the M37 and a 420 (!!) horsepower 5.6 liter V8 for the M56. (A hybrid version will follow in a year or so.) The new M's interior appointments and space are every bit as nice as the current M, though the trunk is cast in the same vein as the G's -- lumpy and oddly shaped.
Analysis: This is totally the right move for this car. As great as the current M is, it's just too dull looking. The new M fixes that problem nicely, and the new engines -- especially that 420 hp V8 -- are just icing on an already-delicious cake. Frankly, I don't see how Infiniti can go wrong with this car. That said, I didn't see how they could go wrong with the G37 convertible, and they did (although the drop-top G does show that even when Infiniti gets it wrong, they still get it right).
The new Infiniti M37 and M56 will go on sale in spring 2010. Take a closer look in my 2011 Infiniti M37/M56 photo gallery. -- Aaron Gold
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Photo © Aaron Gold
Thursday December 17, 2009
Well, American Airlines did not strand me someplace without Internet access, but they did manage to keep me up well past my bedtime, and the wittiest thing I can think of to say about my 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Sportback test drive is that I think it may hold the record for the number of links to other reviews. Sorry, that's the best my tired, addled brain can do.
The good news is that I was wide awake when I wrote this review -- a challenging one, as the Lancer Sportback actually comes in two very different versions that appeal to two very different audiences, and I wanted to talk about both, even though I only drove one. And they say this job is easy! Anyway, check out my 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart test drive, and be sure to weigh in with your thoughts on how Mitsubishi handled the Lancer Sportback's ratio of fun to utility -- click the "comments" link below. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Aaron Gold
Wednesday December 16, 2009
I'm planning to post my review of the 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart tomorrow, provided my friends at American Airlines don't strand me someplace without Internet connectivity. Since the review isn't quite ready to go, I thought you'd like to have a closer look at the car -- and as always, you'll find details (and even a bit of editorial opinion) in the captions. Check out my 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart photo gallery. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Aaron Gold
