Bruce's Car of the Week: Saab 900 Turbo

A rare and alternative Swedish beastie this week, the Saab 900 Turbo, also referred to as the 900 Aero. These cars appear to be disappearing fast from Australia's roads meaning that now might be the best time to buy one before they completely vanish into collectors hands and the prices sky rocket.

What you need to know 

Unless you've been living under a rock you should know that Saab no longer exist. GM ditched Saab during the financial crisis and after a succession of failed takeover bids the company shut up shop in 2013. At the time fingers were pointed and ultimately GM was blamed for the death of the once iconic car company however this isn't strictly all true. For years Saab had lacked the money to develop interesting and truly new cars. Their model range in 2013 was pitifully small and the cars themselves severely dated and outclassed by almost all of their rivals, the writing had been on the wall for some time.

A convertible was also available

Image

There was a time though when Saab had some capital and dared to be different, the 900 Turbo comes from this era, the 1980's. A decade where Swedish stablemates Volvo were playing it safe with conservative boxes, a trend they hadn't given up on until fairly recently to be honest, Saab went down a more radical approach to designing and engineering. Taking ques from its predecessor the 99 the 900 shape with its long bonnet upright "A" pillars and sloping coupe-like rear end is unique and instantly recognisable, even to those who don't have petrol running through their veins. It's safe to say that if you drive a 900 your sure to get some admiring glances. Cars say a lot about their owners too and arrogance and obnoxiousness are not befitting of a Saab owner, they have traditionally been the go to car if one wanted to appear understated and calm. So as well as standing out in a queue of traffic the 900 might be right up your street if you want to come across as a level headed, academic, cross word extraordinaire sort of chap.

 

Engineered differently

So we've established that Saab designed cars differently and that driving one says a lot about the owner. But Saab also went about engineering it's car differently, the 900's engine for example is installed backwards and its argued that this is for many complicated space saving and weight distribution reasons. Although for everyone else all it means is that all those belts and pullys usually easily accessible at the front of engine bay are squashed up by the firewall at the back. 900's also had double wishbone front suspension that made the 900 ride and handle much sweeter than its MacPherson strut equipped counterparts. You can probably guess by now that the addition of a turbo to the 900 just makes the Saab experience more enjoyable, albeit maybe slightly irritating until you get used to the 80's turbo lag. How much power you get varies on what year your 900 is from, but suffice to say any 900's 2 litre turbo motor in either 8 or 16 valve will be more than enough, although with the 16 valve making 130kw and can cracking 100km/h in 8.5 seconds I know which one I'd hold out for.

   

The Saab 900 Turbo, a unique, understated, sophisticated and rare beast. And a car that I think is just going to rise in value despite the demise of its maker. A fact which shouldn't put potential buyers off. Groups like the Saab car club of Australia make it easy to keep these cars on the road and with most spare parts available online from Europe with minimal postage, the 900 has all the makings of a reliable classic.

A gorgeous early 900 turbo

Go get one

This weeks find comes courtesy of Gumtree and for a change it isn't perfect. The seller admits that the car pops out of second gear, however don't let this put you off as a lot of money has been spent elsewhere by an owner who appears to have looked after the old girl. I especially like the colour of this 900 and those 3 spoke alloys are just superb. For $5000 this car is an absolute bargain.

1989 Saab 900 Aero Turbo 16S, $5000
 

Production of Euro sourced Holden's start in Germany

The wait for European sourced Holden's is almost over with the announcement that the first Insignia VXR has rolled of the production line in Germany. For many this will be the first definitive nail in the coffin signalling the end of Holden production in Australia. Despite the potential for reservation among buyers though, Holden are confident the new cars will be exciting enough to win them over and have released details of just how many new cars they plan to bring to market.

All change

Last year I wrote about the impending Insignia, Astra and Cascada. I pointed out that if you couldn't wait for a new one, the short lived Opel foray into the Aussie market meant you could pick up one of these "new" Holden's merely badged as an Opel. This is still very much the case, however Holden have confirmed that these 3 former Opel's which in the case of the Astra and Insignia are a bit long in the tooth will just be the start of a product offensive. Over the next 5 years Holden will launch 24 new vehicles and 36 new powertrain combinations with one third of Holden's portfolio being euro sourced. This indicates that cheaper Asian sourced cars like the current Cruze will still feature in the companies future while more expensive Opel's will take the brand upmarket.

Holden Insignia VXR on the production line

What can Australia expect? 

Speculation as to what some of the 24 new cars will be is rife, one guess is that the Opel/Vauxhall spotted testing in Melbourne earlier this year. Another guess is that the Zafira people carrier will make a return to Holden's range, again this car was briefly available in Aus as an Opel but could make a welcome return, as for a people shifter it's rather good looking.
Corsa will make its way down under to take on the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Hyundai i20 and Honda Jazz. A new and previous generation Corsa VXR were

Time to get excited

Anyway time will tell as to whats coming Australia's way. The Insignia, Astra and Cascada are all expected in the second quarter of this year and I for one am pretty excited about Holden's European sourced future. Check out the reviews below for an idea of what the 3 new cars could be like.

Holden Insignia #1

Astra VXR

Insignia VXR

Cascada 

Photo credit: caradvice.com.au
            

Bruce's Car of the Week: Citroen Xsara VTR

For the past couple of weeks the cars in this feature have been big, luxurious and although exceptional value, were perhaps a little on the expensive side. So in a bid to fix this, today I'll be showing you a characterful, sharp handling French hatch back for under $5000, the Citroen Xsara VTR.

Hot Hatchery

Available in Australia from 2001 the Xsara Coupe VTR was the closest thing to a hot hatch that Citroen offered Australians in the early 00's. This was vastly different to the situation in Europe though, where Citroen offered a proper old school hot hatch based on the smaller Saxo model. The recipe was simple, small hatchback, pokey 1.6 litre engine and a capable chassis. This combined with an offer of free insurance made sure the Saxo VTR was a massive sales success and the larger Xsara didn't really get a look in, which is a bit of a shame as the Xsara despite being a bit bigger than a Saxo follows exactly the same recipe.

Simple but effective

Thankfully though with Saxo out of the equation down under the Xsara is readily available and for even less money than a similarly aged Honda Civic. So the details, well firstly the Xsara is pretty, especially in 3 door coupe body style. It takes styling ques from classic wedge shape Citroen's and curves them up a little. Secondly the Xsara VTR's chassis was fettled by the very same French bods who perfected the smaller Saxo, meaning that should the road get twisty the Frenchie will handle it with aplomb. And lastly there's the engine, a simple 1.6 litre 16 valve naturally aspirated double overhead camshaft unit. It won't set the world alight making do with 83kw and a 0-100km/h time of 10.9 seconds, but it is mated to a short shifting 5 speed gearbox and that chassis. All things considered the Xsara has all the makings of a wonderfully engaging car. I should also say that a more powerful 2 litre VTS Xsara was also offered in Australia, but I couldn't find any for sale at this moment in time.

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Try one on for size

Short and sweet this week, but there you have it, the Xsara VTR. Hopefully I've made you consider a hot hatch ( ok, maybe warm hatch is a better description) that never crossed your mind before. It might be worth giving one a go, as for the price you really don't have much to lose.  

The car I've chosen is this 2003 example, well cared for with full service history, lots of rego and a set of alloy wheels. The latter you will either love or hate but they show that this car definitely belongs to someone who took a lot of pride in it.
2003 Citroen Xsara VTR, $4000

Bruce's Car of The Week: Land Rover Range Rover L322

$155,900, that's the price my car of the week would have set you back 13 years ago when it was brand spanking new. Now though you can get one for under $20,000 and I think that's an absolute bargain. This is the Land Rover Range Rover L322, the ultimate luxury off roader.

Exterior

First things first, the L322 series Range isn't that old a car, it hasn't actually been out of production that long, its successor only went on sale in 2013. Despite this though, prices for the last gen Range have done that thing which mainly afflicks big cars with lots of leather; they've gone south, fast. This is bad for buyers who forked out that whopping great sum I mentioned at the start but great news for people who want some luxury on a budget. So what do you get for the money? Well firstly you get a sort of style and class which can only come from a British built car, the L322 is a masterpiece. It took the boxy appearance of the classic Range Rover and brought it into the 21st century with the use of aluminium accents, lots of glass and an upright stature. It's contemporary and still looks good today, in fact I think this model of Range looks better than the one which replaced it. The newest Range is too much of a footballers car and I'm not talking about, built like a brick shit house American Footballer either. I'm talking about "don't mess with hair" English premier league footballer. The new car has been bejazzled with LED diamonds and although yes, it is a nice piece of design, it is a bit too manicured and not as rugged as a Range Rover should be. The L322 on the other hand, hit the nail on the head with its design and I've not even got to the interior yet.

Interior

The contemporary flair continues inside, leather, wood and aluminium all feature to create a feel of real quality. There are gadgets galore too, duel zone climate control, sat nav, electric heated seats, heated steering wheel, bi-xenon headlights, auto wipers, 12 speaker stereo and a whole lot more came on the top spec Vouge model (the one I've picked).

Off Road Prowess 

Off road though the Range Rover really comes into its own. The car calls upon numerous systems which allow it to pretty much get out of any tough situation all while you sit in the plushest of arm chairs. Naturally the car features permanent 4WD, with a centre differential capable of sending power to whichever end of the car needs it most. There's also a low range gearbox so you can crawl over obstacles and hill decent control to stop the car rolling away too fast downhill. Air suspension takes care of the ride, allowing for axle articulation so all the wheels can be kept on the ground for maximum traction, this system also means the on road ride of the Range is as smooth and relaxed as its opulent cabin would have you believe. Search Range Rover L322 on Youtube and there are plenty of videos showcasing what the Range can do, I just picked this one to give you an idea.

Performance

That air suspension is built for cushioning rather than hunkering down though. Even equipped with the BMW sourced 4.4 litre V8 the almost 2.5 tonne Range Rover is no sports car. Producing 210kw and a massive 440Nm of torque the V8 gets the Range to 100km/h in 9.2 seconds, impressive for its size but not frighteningly quick. Not that this matters though; a Range Rover is for cruising on the road, not ripping it to shreds. While off road it's built to conquer anything it's driver points it at and with that torque figure it'll do that all day long. Fuel consumption for the lazy V8 isn't great of course, if that sort of thing concerns you Range Rover also did a 2.9 litre V6 turbo diesel. For more technical details click here.

Ok, I want one

There we have it, The Range Rover, essentially a palace that can go off road all for under $20k. The running cost might be a little more but maybe you should treat yourself to one instead of that Toyota Land Cruiser you'd always thought of getting. There is after all only one great plush mud pluger and I certainly know which of those two I'd rather show off to my mates.

My pick of the classifieds is this 2002 Vouge, featuring the lovely 4.4 litre V8 and very few km's given its age. Appears well looked after with just a couple of scuffs on the exterior and some marks on the interior. Nothing too major and I suspect this car hasn't seen much off road action. Being a Vouge it comes loaded with kit and as a bonus has NSW rego until September.

2002 Range Rover Vouge, £19,000

New BMW 2 Series convertible coming to Australia

Summertime tends to mean convertible time and BMW are cashing in on the good weather with this, the BMW 2 Series convertible, available from the end of February 2015 in Australia starting at $54,900. Let's have a closer look at the specifications and those all important prices in more detail.

What you need to know

First thing you need to know is that the 2 Series convertible will be available in 3 guises, 220i, 228i and M235i. The latter car being the most interesting if your of a spirited drive disposition, but more on that later. Standard features on the 2 are impressive, 8 speed auto box (no manual will be offered), drive experience control (eco, and sport modes etc), parking sensors, cruise control with auto braking and a rear view camera all come for free on the new 2. And that fabric roof rises or drops in 20 seconds at speeds up to 50km/h too, handy should you get caught in a sudden downpour. As mentioned pricing for the 220i starts at $54,900, while the 228i will set you back $68,900 and the M235i a hefty $85,800. All the cars benefit from BMW's clever TwinPower and Efficient Dynamics technologies meaning they can delivering both performance and economy, even the baby 220i is a seriously capable car, with 135kw it can dispatch 0-100km/h in 7.6 secs. The 228i ups that power figure to 180kw from the 4 cylinder while the M235i develop's an impressive 240kw of shove from the twin turbo charged straight 6 it shares with the M235i coupe and M135i hatch.

 

Dynamics

Now power is all well and good but has lopping the roof off the 2 series hindered it's dynamics? BMW doesn't seem to think so, the convertible was engineered in tandem with it's coupe sibling meaning that extra strengthening was built into the car from the word go. BMW claim that the 2 series convertible has 20% greater torsional rigidity and 10% increased bending strength over its 1 series convertible predecessor. Low weight components, a low centre of gravity and a equal weight distribution are all other elements engineered into the little RWD convertible. This should all translate to better road manners and stability from the 2 series cab when the road gets twisty and as a bonus adds extra strength in the event of a crash, not that we want that to happen.

Appearances 

Removing the roof has obviously dramatically altered the appearance of the 2 Series, and in my opinion for the better. The convertible sits lower, especially on the move and the wheels fill the arches nicely looking less like coasters under a sofa, providing you option the right wheels of course. Another bonus of the 2 is its size. Cars nowadays tend to get bigger with every generation due to ever more stringent safety targets, manufactures essentially have to make cars as cushion like as possible in case you bump into a pedestrian. As a result the 2 now occupies a floor space once filled by its bigger brother the 3 and in doing so the 2 convertible puts me in mind of the original E30 cabriolet of the 1980's. I still won't go as far as saying the 2 series is a beautiful machine but the E30 is an iconic BMW and not a bad ancestor to share a passing resemblance with.

Ready

Set

Rain

M235i

Now having already discussed how increased structural rigidity benefits the 2's road holding lets see how the M235i takes the driving experience a stage further. As standard the M comes with a Sport+ plus mode setting on it's drive experience controller. This setting sharpens throttle response, stiffens the dampers, weights up the steering and quickens the gearshifts. M cars also get sports seats, leather steering wheel, 18 inch alloys, better brakes and a more aggressive skirt/bumper combo. All this should make the M235i an absolute hoot to blat down a lovely road with the sun setting behind.

M235i, just add kangaroos to the horizon and you could be in Oz

Twin exhausts make it easy to distinguish 

Looks like rain

But I cant afford one 

Well don't despair if the 2 Series price tag is a little out of reach, instead why not just go for something with that E30 resemblance I hinted at earlier for a tenth of the price? Why not just buy an actual E30 3 Series? Yes dynamically the world may have moved on leaps and bounds, so the E30 may be a little skittish on a bumpy road compared to a modern convertible and yes it's engine will by now have done a considerable amount of km's but does any of that matter? The E30 convertible was BMW's first big selling cabriolet; it looked angular, 80's and utterly cool and you could too if you buy one! Not to mention the ear pornography you could be treated too every day if you buy a 6 cylinder 323i. Like the one I've found below, only $3900 but it is over in WA.

        

Bruce's Car of the Week: Mercedes Benz S-Class

As it's Australia day and nothing screams Australia quite like a big lazy V8 engined sedan. So this weeks car, you guessed it, has a V8, seating for 5 and has a boot almost as long as it's bonnet, only being my blog, it had to be a great big German. My car of choice this week, in complete and utter contrast to last weeks Morris Minor, is the Mercedes Benz S-Class, a bargain luxury barge.

Choices, choices 

I discovered quite quickly after picking the S-Class that choosing one model in particular to hone in on is no easy task. S's have been around since the late 70's going through 6 generations, older ones are most certainly classics while newer used ones are still cars you wouldn't think twice about using every day with price tags nudging $400,000. Throughout the decades they have been powered by all sorts of engines, from 6 cylinders to V12's resulting in a so many letter and number combinations stuck to the boot you'd be forgiven for thinking I was giving you a algebra lesson if I wrote them all out in sequence, what is S320 x S500AMG for example! None the less I settled on the W220 generation S, in particular the S430 because it's got a ruddy big 4.3 litre V8. Built from 1999 until 2006 W220's fall neatly into the realm of not being too old to be reliable daily transport, but old enough to have taken the major depreciation hit already, leaving behind a car seriously worth considering if you fancy some cut price German excellence.

Pioneering  

Mercedes, with the S-Class range, have always been pioneers when it came to mass producing technology that would over time filter down to our more mundane family hatchbacks. Pre tensioning seat belts, airbags and anti lock brakes for example where all S-Class features long before other manufacturers started using them. The S has always been thee car to turn to if you want a glimpse at what your Kia hatch will have in it in say, 10 years time. This means of course that getting your hands on a late 90's early 00's W220 is not going to leave you short changed in the safety and tech departments, most of the stuff this car featured has only just now trickled down to bottom end of the car market. Reassuring to know if you plan on using it daily with the family on board, the big Merc will keep you just as safe as a new car will. Here is the crash test footage from 1999

Technology 

I could easily go on and on about the build quality, refinement and general ambiance of the S-Class being nothing less than superb, however I suspect there's enough people on the internet already signing it's praises. So I'll just say that personally I have been a passenger in one and it was, quite simply, wonderful. Quiet and smooth yet adequately powerful when you wanted to get some distance between you and the guy behind, and that was just the S320 with a V6, the S430's V8 has substantially more punch, 205kw to be precise. I could also list here the range of features the W220 came with as standard, although I fear the internet might run out of space before I finish. So instead I'll just list the highlights. They include Airmatic suspension which self levels for optimum comfort and control, distronic radar guided cruise control, essentially cruise control which radar locks onto the car in front and keeps pace with them. There's also in car television, LED brake lights, 8 airbags, ventilated seats to keep you cool and self closing doors. Have a look here for a full rundown.

You can make the seats in an S go seriously "gansta"

 Happy Australia day everyone, it's a holiday I don't quite understand yet but one that this country loves. It was probably not the best day to tell you to go and buy something distinctly German, but at least if follows an Aussie recipe and doesn't it make a more interesting choice than a Lexus?

Go get yourself one

The car I've picked this week is a S430L, the "L" meaning it has the lengthened wheelbase for even greater interior space. There are 20 photo's of the car with one importantly showing a very packed service book and many receipts, proof that this car has been cared for. It's also only had 2 owners since 2000, looks immaculate and has a rather nice set of AMG wheels fitted to it. Rego is due to run out unfortunately, however you are getting a lot of car for the money and as the seller points out this car would have cost over $200,000 when new. 

2000 Mercedes-Benz S430L, $12,930    

     

Super Cheap Euro's

I think it might be time for another round of super cheap Euro. I scour the internet for potentially your next European car in Australia, with current rego, for ridiculously low prices. As before I can't vouch for the actual hands on condition of these cars, I just go of some motoring intuition, read into what the adverts say and base my opinions on that. The reason; though I'm sure your aware by now is, just to continue proving my point, that European cars in Australia need not be as expensive as people would have you believe.

I've picked different cars from last time to show some diversity, although I have still included a classic Alfa as I'm drawn to the flaky Italians for some reason. All the ads date from the last couple of days but of course the older they get the less likely the car will be available. In saying that most cars are for sale for at least a month before they reel someone in. More info on the models listed can be found by clicking the link in the cars name.

Italy

Praised in its day for being one of the finest handling hatchbacks around the 33 uses a 1.5 litre boxer engine to hurry it along. Deep down it was a good engine and car, but unfortunately Alfa's electrical systems in the 80's blighted the 33's reputation. The small matter of rust also consigned most Alfa's of this vintage to the wreckers yard prematurely, so it would appear this ones a well cared for survivor.

A mid 80's 4 wheel drive performance Alfa Romeo? What could possibly go wrong? Looking in a little need of TLC cosmetically the seller says this Alfa 33 runs well. The car appears to be fully original and even comes with a full set of 5 Alfa Speedline alloys. Details like this make the car more collectable and given it's relative rarity already this little Alfa could prove to be an investment opportunity for the right enthusiast. It's so cheap it might be worth a punt if your in Victoria.

1985 Alfa Romeo 33 Quadrifoglio Verde, $950

Spain 

Not keen on the Italian? How about another Mediterranean offering, this time from Seat. A company that only existed in Australia for 4 years (95-99) before poor sales forced them out of the market, a few cars survive though and I'm pleased they do. In Europe Seats are commonplace and for good reason, they offer people on a budget a car of VW quality for less. (VW have owned 99.99% of Seat since 1990). Seat nowadays is seen as the fun, youthful arm of the VW group, it's just unfortunate that Australians didn't see that in the late 90's, things could have been a whole lot different.

This is a Seat Toledo and by the looks of it a rather well cared for one, red cars have a tendency to fade in the Australian sun and the fact this one hasn't shows its been loved. Essentially a Mk2 Volkswagen Golf under the pretty Giugiaro styled body the Toledo has solid mechanical's and with proper maintenance posses the ability to just go on and on. This ones done a poultry, by VW standards, 226,000km's, plenty of life left in this rarity yet.

1995 Seat Toledo, $1500

       

Sweden

Ok maybe Mediterranean flair is not your bag, so lets go further north to Scandinavia, the home of Saab, a car company that when they were not bankrupt the Aussies seemed to quite like. The Saab 900 I've picked is a car that GM hoped, by providing Saab with the already tried and tested GM2900 platform could save the company a lot of money in the mid 90's. However the innovation first, worry about the cost later nature of the Saab boffins meant the platform was so heavily re-engineered you cant really call it a GM product in Scandinavian clogs anymore. It is very much it's own car and a good one at that as back in the day the number of awards the 900 won was staggering.

There isn't a great deal to say about the 900 S I've picked, mainly because the advert amounts to 6 words! But let me try anyway, the wheels for starters might not be to everyone's taste but the tyre tread looks reasonable, there could be money in selling them on if you could pick up a set of cheap steels to put on it. The bodywork from the 2 pictures doesn't look too bad either, nothing a weekends polishing couldn't sort out I'm sure. Although the real selling point of this car has to be that 10 months NSW rego and relatively low km's.

1997 Saab 900s, $1500

Germany

I think I've saved the best super cheap Euro for last though and rather unsurprisingly its a German, the legendary Mercedes Benz 190E. Now I say legendary because if you've been to any continental European city in the last 25 years the chances one of these was your airport Taxi was pretty dam high. These cars, of which over 1.8 million were produced, literally do not die, I went to the Mercedes Benz Museum last year where they actually have one on display that a cabbie gave back to Merc after he racked up over 1 million miles without major mechanical failure. The white one I've picked, showing just 282,000 km's is barely run in by comparison!

Now this car in particular is an Australian delivered 180E, a parred back 190 that allowed Mercedes to dip under the pesky Australian luxury car tax and ultimately sell this car at a reduced rate back in the early 90's. The 180 did away with such frivolities as leather seats and electric windows to avoid taxation. At the time this might have annoyed buyers but nowadays I cant help think this means less things to go wrong on what is already a bulletproof car. This one appears to come from a loving family who've owned it over half its life and got it serviced by Mercedes specialist, the body work looks immaculate as does the interior, so you can't ask for better really. 3 months South Australia rego left too.

1992 Mercedes Benz 180E, $1500

I hope I've given car buyers out there in Aus something to think about again when it comes time to look for a second hand motor