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...and I must say, one of the last things I would consider to replace my c900t is a Viggen. And even lower on the list would be a Honda/Acura, Camry et al. If it's straight line grunt and creature comforts you're after - almost any modern car is better than the ol' 900. But I honestly cannot believe you would hang on with the c900 until now if that were the case. Truth is, the general public's lust for electronic gizmo's, doodahs, cupholders and dozens of airbags and the quest for 'refinement' has made today's sedans, wagons and coupes grow fat and flabby. My old Saab feels like a fr*gg*ng go-kart compared to all of them when driven back-to-back. The combination of agility and adjustability with rock-solid stability, the meaty and feelsome steering, the distinctive exhaust burble and the turbo rush is quite unique, even today - especially packaged into a practical, relatively safe and outwardly distinctive car. Drive a 'hotted up' NG900/9-3/Viggen and yes, it's undoubtedly very fast and effortlessly so, but it feels like the steering is connected to the front wheels with a couple of rubber bands! And I wont mention diabolic torque steer (oops, I just did). I won't go into the current crop of 250 hp FWD midsize Japanese sedans, except that they bore me to tears. We get the same cars with 1.8-2.2 litre engines of about 120-160 hp, which combined with a manual trans is about right for the cars. If I want more power, please give me an overall package that makes the best out of it.
Even the 'Ultimate Driving Machine' from Bavaria and 'cooking' Boxsters/911s drive much like a Merc S-Class unless you push them to the limit, which you can't ever do on public roads nowadays. 'Real' sports cars (TVR, Lotus, GT3 et al) are a fair bit out of reach for me, and would realistically form an addition to my current stable rather than a replacement for the Saab.
As an all-weather cross-country blast, the MINI Cooper S Works is about as good as it gets within 2004 offerings. I've driven one for a week and 1,500 miles. It's undoubtedly very good. But the power delivery is subjectively flat and tame compared with the exhilarating surge Saabine offers. It feels like much more than a 50-60 hp difference. In a 'modern' sedan, say a Saab 9-5, you would need much more than the genuine 260ish hp I've got now to creat the same kind of driver excitement. And then, the inherent limit of FWD prevents you from doing so without it turning into a torque-steering, wheelspinning monster. That's why 'performance' sedans are turning back to RWD - they've simply grown too big and heavy to be exhilaratingly fast with the kind of power FWD can cope with, and electronic stability control systems are there to keep the average driver from falling of the road backwards at the first sign of rain (let alone snow).
Regards,
Eric
1985 900T 'Saabine'
2004 MINI One
posted by 82.169.6...
, Thu, 29 Apr 2004 08:30:09, Wed, 28 Apr 2004 10:52:37
, Wed, 28 Apr 2004 08:21:16, Tue, 27 Apr 2004 17:51:35
, Tue, 27 Apr 2004 18:16:03
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