Just took the new Saab 9-5 Aero out for a spin. I love the styling of the new car. The blacked out A-pillars look really cool and so does the sloped roofline, although they do remind me of the Nissan GT-R and Kia Soul. The blue tinted headlights also add a unique look to the car and so do the brake lights that extend across the trunk. The green instrument cluster lighting added a unique touch. Thankfully Saab retained the cool night panel feature although they ditched the centrally mounted ignition. The car probably has the best stance of any Saab since the 9-5 Aero that came with BBS wheels.
The driving experience was actually pretty interesting. The Holden developed twin-turbo V-6 produces 300-hp and the delivery is almost lag free. The 9-5 isn't available with a manual trans but it does have paddle shifters, which I didn't care much for. I found the "shift denied" sign quite amusing when it displayed on the central LCD display as I tried to downshift too many gears. The DriveSense control allows for three setting, comfort, intelligent, and sport. I the left car mostly in sport, there is an appreciable difference in damping and steering assistance in the Sport mode compared to Comfort. The XWD system was pretty nice on the s-turns and it seemed to be a bit sport oriented rather than just being primarily a safety feature. The steering itself was light but didn't have much in the way of feedback.
Overall, the new 9-5 is a decent car, much better than any other Saab i've driven in the past...which isn't saying much! To be fair though, Saab has come a long way, at least in terms of quality and design. They just need to try a bit harder in terms of driving dynamics, they've got a great engine and seemed to be headed in the right direction. Now I can't wait to drive the new Volvo S60.
Oh.....after my little Saab drive I visited a place called RM Motorsports (not affiliated with RM Auctions) in Wixom, Michigan. I've heard about this place in the past but never had the chance to visit. Unfortunately they didn't allow any pics but here's a list of what I saw. Oh, and these guy's are contracted by GM to build some of the LSA and LS9 engines for the CTS-V and ZR1!!
1200-hp twin-turbo LS7 powered Pontiac Solstice
Tyrrell 6-wheeled F1 car
Alfa Romeo Turbocharged F1 Car
Ferrari F1 Car
Original Shelby Cobra Race Car
LS9 powered Chevelle
2 Porsche 962's
Lola T70
Daimler being restored for the King of Thailand
Pescarolo LMP1 race car
Various CanAm race cars
I'll try to get some pics the next time I visit this place.
