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!

A new model may be coming to your Chicago Saab 9-7x dealer.  Spyker, who now owns the company, is working on making an updated version of the 1950′s Classic 92 model.  They are currently in talks with other automakers to share the technology platform for this updated auto.  You’ve gotta hand it to Spyker, they’re working diligently  to keep the “Saab Story” going!

The classic 92 has a “teardrop shape” and was manufactured between 1949 and 1956.  A car that would’ve been popular when my parents were young children.  It has a pretty rich history in the auto world.  Many of the classic 92 models were painted in dark green.  Some say it’s because Saab had quite a bit of that color paint left over from the airplanes they made for the war.  Either way, it’s a cool color, one you don’t see as much on Chicago 2010 Saab models on sale now!

Between 1949 and 1956, Saab produced about 2oK of the Classic 92.  For it’s time, the 92 had a pretty advanced aerodynamic design.  It could reach 65 mph and came with a 2 cylinder, traversely mounted engine that gave off 25 hp.  Much less than the current Chicago Saab 9-7x, but still not bad, considering auto advances nearly 6o years ago!

In the years after the first 92 was introduced, subsequent editions of the car were more advanced.  For example, in 1953 the 92B came out.  It featured more luggage storage space and a bigger rear windshield.  In addition to the prevalent green color, a buyer could also have the option of getting a gray, blue-gray, or black 92.  The next year, in ’54, the model received a new ignition coil that upped horsepower and a carburetor to make the car perform better.

It’s really cool to find out about older models in a line up of great Saab autos over the years.  Each model serves as a basis for building up to the next.   The Chicago 2010 Saab models we’ll see more of on the roadways were most likely inspired by the Classic 92 and other historic cars.