It’s been about six months since Spyker took over Saab from General Motors in a multi-million dollar deal.  This Dutch auto company is bound and determined to make Saab profitable again by the year 2012.  They’ve got a lot of great plans including a possible small car lineup as well as some updates to tried and true Saab models.  Let’s first take a look at what’s up for the 2011 car year.

The 2011 Chicago Saab 9-5 is due out anytime to your local dealership.  It’s been refreshed for this car year and has quite a bit of class to help someone begin or continue their “Saab Story”.  After a somewhat stale body that’s been around for awhile now, the exterior styling is all new is this sedan.  You can still tell it’s a Saab, with it’s logo meeting in the middle of the wheel spokes and on the front hood.  The body is more aerodynamic and modern looking.

The engine choices that will be installed in US bound Saab 9-5′s will be either a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder with 180 horsepower or a 2.8-liter V6 with 300 horsepower.  Both options will be turbocharged.  If I had a choice I’d opt for the V6 for even more power behind the wheel, but whatever you prefer will be a good thing!

A few other features that will come standard on your Chicago Saab 9-5 are the start/stop button (between the two front seats), Electric parking brake, adjustable and heated seats, and radio and cruise controls that are placed on the steering wheel.  Some of these can currently be found on the Chicago 2010 Saab 9-3 and 9-3 XWD.  A new feature, the real time damping control, will be offered on the 2011 9-5.  It will offer three suspension settings:  Intelligent, Sport, and Comfort.  Depending which one you choose, the dampers, throttle, and the steering control’s stiffness will be adjusted based on driving conditions.

The 2011 9-5 is a beautiful sedan that is predicted to do well on the lots, based on it’s updated styling and two engine offerings, to name a few.  Check it out with it arrives at your Chicago 2010 Saab dealership!

I often think of a Saab like a diamond in the rough.  It’s a really great car, but it’s often forgot about amongst other foreign cars in its class.  In February, after being under the reign of GM for 20 years, the Saab brand was sold to Spyker Cars, a Dutch company.  Many were excited about this move. Now Saab is under the reign of a company that really cares about a great car: they understand what the Saab name is all about. 

One particular Chicago Saab model continues to be one of the most enjoyable, sleekest cars in a class.  The 9-5 competes with the 5 series, Jaguar XF, and Mercedes-Benz E250, cars that really say a lot, by brand name alone.  But, there is a lot of uniqueness on what a Saab brings to the table.

Go inside a Chicago Saab 9-5 and you’ll see a design that mimics some aviation concepts.  Saab was built with some similar ideas that can be found inside a plane’s cockpit.  For example, in your 9-5, there is a button that you can press to suppress lights at night, except the speedometer.  Like on a plane, a pilot is able to suppress unnecessary light in the cockpit, as it affects night vision.  By having a similar button in a 9-5, you can eliminate light while driving at night that may take your focus off a safe drive.  Other cars in this class do not have that aviation-like feature.

Another perk with driving a Chicago Saab 9-5 is the comfort you’ll find within.  The seats are made with comfortable materials and sport contours.  You know the feeling when you want to lean your head back while driving and find that the head rest is not what you need, well, we’ve got a surprise for you inside a 9-5.  Lean back and find a super-comfortable head rest.  It might sound trivial, but rival cars do not offer the driving and riding comfort that the 9-5 does.

The Chicago Saab 9-5 offers simple luxuriousness that is hard to beat.  If you never thought about driving a Saab before, think again. This might be the right car for you!

When Jason Castriota was a young child, he was already beginning his career in the auto industry.  From his own mouth he claims that “I literally started sketching Ferraris when I was about five years old,” he said. “For whatever reason, some kids might kick around a soccer ball, I picked up a pencil and started sketching cars.”  Thus, the start of an awesome career Castriota has had designing some amazing cars.

Recently, Castriota was hired by Saab to create a more luxurious 9-3 model that is scheduled for release in 2012.  According to Spyker’s CEO, Victor Muller, Castriota and his team have already put together a 9-3 design and it is amazing!  As you know, Spyker purchased Saab from GM in February 2010 and is committed to make the brand profitable again by 2012.  They are determined to make future Chicago 9-5 Griffin models more in tune with Swedish design.  After being under GM’s hat, some of the spunk was taken out of the brand by being part of a larger picture.  They want Saab cars to be their own men, so to speak. 

Castriota certainly sounds like the man for the job.  He was responsible for designing the Ferrari P4/5 and the Maserati GranTurismo, two fabulous sports cars.  His experience drove him to start his own company, Jason Castriota Designs.  He has five designers that work for him, with offices New York City and Turin, Italy.  Not only was he responsible for revamping the 9-3, but he’ll also have a vital part in designs on future models.

Another model that Saab/Spyker is looking to possibly bring back is the 92 model that was made from 1949 until 1956.  They are currently working with BMW to possibly use the MINI platform for this new design.  They feel that having a smaller scale car as a buyer’s option is important for making them profitable again.  They currently have Chicago 2010 Saab models on lots helping them on their journey back to being a top car brand!

Saabs truly are great cars.  I hope that Jason Castriota and his team are able to create some fresh, exciting models for us to drive.  Stay tuned and in the meantime, check out your local Saab dealer for the Chicago 9-5 Griffin and so much more!

Saab vehicles are what I like to think of as “diamonds in the rough”.  You don’t see a ton of them on the roadways, but obviously they’re something special.  As General Motors cleaned house of other popular brands like Saturn and Pontiac, Saab was fabulous enough for one company to go out on a limb for.  Spyker Cars finalized a deal with GM back in February of this year to purchase the auto lineup for a pretty penny, to keep it intriguing for you.  They are currently hard at work producing new models that will make it to your Chicago 9-5 Griffin dealer.  One Saab model turning heads amongst auto industry experts is the new 2010 9-5!

The 2010 9-5 has a fresh look to it.  You can still see the Saab in it, but it really has a sportier look versus some other Saab models that are found on lots right now.  You still get the tell tale Saab logo that meets in the middle of the silver spokes on the wheels.  But, the exterior design now features A-pillars that give it a nice look and new lighting that has a modern bluish tint.  Size wise, this Chicago 2010 Saab is 197.2 inches long to be exact and can be found in the same class as the Audi A6 and the BMW 5 Series.  Clearly, this is one competitive class that features many luxurious automobiles!

The 9-5 also features some engines that give it awesome driving ability.  Both engine options have twin-scroll turbochargers and are artificially aspirated.  First, you can opt for the 2.8 Liter V6 that is found in the 9-5 Aero.  It gives off 300 HP and 295 lb-feet of torque which is certainly not for the faint hearted driver!   There is also a four-cylinder 2.0T V6 that is a front wheel drive.  The other 2.8 liter V6 Aero is an all wheel drive.  It is nice that there are several trims available for the Chicago 2010 Saab, giving Saab lovers the engine and driving style that fits him or her best!

Perhaps you’ve waited long enough for Saab to emerge victorious after much deliberation and deal-making between Spyker and GM.  Soon enough you’ll be able to head to your Chicago 9-5 Griffin store and test drive the new 9-5!

I recently came across an article about a man who was awarded a brand new Saab when he donated his old Saab to a museum.  The donated car, a 1989 900SPG, belonged to a Wisconsin man who used it for work.  Over the course of ownership, he put a million miles on the car working as a traveling insurance salesman!  No joke, and it even had the original engine and turbocharger.  This gives you a clear example of how well built and durable your Chicago Saab autos really are!

This was in 2006 and the Wisconsin man who accomplished this feat was Peter Gilbert.  In exchange for his well used car,  in early 2007 Saab awarded Mr. Gilbert with a brand new Saab 9-5 Aero, for free!  He was obviously thrilled, and said he might even attempt to put another million miles on this one!

It’s now 2010 and I tried to find some information on what Peter Gilbert is up to these days.  My Google search found a lot of information along the lines of what is here, but not much about “what he’s doing today”.  It did note that he made a trip to Detroit, along with other Saab lovers, to show support for the name.  They gathered outside of GM Headquarters, chanting and posting signs reading “Save Saab”.  This was in Jan of this year, right before Spyker bought Saab from GM and started to move forward with the newest Chicago 2010 Saab models!

I also found some information about how he took care of his 1989 ’89 900SPG.  For example, he made sure to keep up with changing the oil (every 7500 miles), fluids, and regular maintenance in accordance with what the manual said, if not more often.  He also used Mobil 1 0W40 oil since it reduced sludge and was a good choice for how often he drove his Chicago Saab, which was obviously all the time!

This truly is a great story.  Mr. Gilbert is a man I would like to meet.  If he has liked Saabs all these years, hopefully he’s checked out the latest Chicago 2010 Saab to see how it compares with ones he’s driven in the past, especially his million mile Saab!