Saabs Back On Canadian Roads in September

Saabs have not been sold in Canada since 2009 and contrary to popular belief, the reason why had little to do with the brand being put on life support before Spyker could fall back on the tired cliche of saving Saab just in the nick of time.

What actually happened was its dealer and government importation agreements expired here and they weren’t renewed since it looked like Saab was done like dinner.

As a result, Spyker pretty much needs to start from scratch bringing Saab back to our country. According Saab Cars of North America president Mike Colleran, “Canadian Saab consumers are fiercely loyal. I get letters on a daily basis from Canadians asking ‘when’s Saab coming back?”

Didn’t know Canadians had such a thing for Saabs. In any event, the first model to be sold on our soil will be the newly redesigned 9-5 flagship sedan meant to be a 5-series, E-Class, A6 and S80 competitor. It will arrive at the end of September.

Next up will be a revised 9-3 in October, then the 9-4X crossover. Can’t wait to try them all out!

[The Globe & Mail]

Riding Shotgun In the BMW 1-Series M

Must. Have. Now.

This easily is going to be my next car purchase. Check it out the new member to the M family from the eyes of the passenger as it has a go around the track.

Test Drive: 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Highline

By Kevin Harrison

There are a lot of things about North Americans that I really don’t get. For instance why do we like Walmart enough that it has to be open 24 hours? Have you ever bolted up at 4 am wanting to buy a new set of silverware?

Likewise, why are we so opposed to diesels? For some reason we’ve asphyxiated them with a bad reputation, and as a result, North Americans have not responded well to them.

This attitude is in complete contrast to Europe where selling a car without a diesel option is like ordering a hamburger at a Chinese restaurant – it just doesn’t make sense.

VW has been trying for decades to make diesels more mainstream in our market but they hit a bit of a snag in 2007 when stricter emission standards forced them to axe their diesel and revamp it. During that period TDI’s were missing in action in our market.

But they’re back and VW promises them to be even more powerful yet more efficient than before.

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Test Drive: 2011 BMW M3 Coupe

By Kevin Harrison

There are few things in the world that exude absolute perfection. Much like beauty, perfection can in the eye of the beholder. For instance, the Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo Di Vinci is undoubtedly the most famous painting in the world. The enigmatic facial expression of the portrait however, very much precludes it from being anything but perfect according to some critics. I, on the other hand, would disagree, but then again, I don’t claim to be an art critic.

Is Beyonce Knowles perfect? In terms of physical appearance I would definitely argue in favour, however again, many people have different priorities when it comes to beauty. There are some people that think Ke$ha is perfection after all.

So what exactly is perfection then? In the car world, is it the Bugatti Veyron? The fastest production car in the world can certainly make a case for itself, however at its top speed the tires only last for 37 miles and it chugs ridiculous amounts of fuel. It’s an impressive technological feat, but is it perfection?

Many consider the BMW M3 to be the absolute benchmark when it comes to style & raw performance for every day driving situations. It’s also quite capable of holding its own if you take it to the track. It’s one of the few cars that is capable of doing both. Its competition has been trying for decades to dethrone it as the ultimate performance machine, but the M3 remains resilient even today.

So has it achieved automotive perfection?

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Saab and BMW Team Up for Upcoming Audi A1 Fighter

Auto Express apparently has it on good word that Saab has officially inked a deal with BMW to build its upcoming sub-compact 9-2.  Rumour also has it that BMW will lend a helping hand with the next generation 9-3.

The 9-2, however, will use the Mini chasis along with other technologies from the lovable little Cooper.

According a Spyker exec: “We could build the 9-2 on our own, but that wouldn’t make sense. Thanks to the crisis in the industry, everyone is willing to share everything. So Spyker couldn’t have bought Saab at a better time.”

Another Reason To Hate it: Escalade Top Pick For Thieves

Isn’t it just the best when people get what they have coming to them?

Well the likeliness of that ringing true has just increased for Cadillac Escalade owners because the Highway Data Loss Institute has just released its list of vehicles with the highest and lowest insurance claims or thefts. You guessed it, the Cadillac Escalade took top honours for most stolen. Another reason to hate it!

But wait, you must be asking yourself “how can the Escalade be such a hot item for thieves? What about GM’s infamous Onstar?” Well, car thieves are quite crafty these days. All they do is take a flat bed truck, and load it on. By the time the douchebag owner realizes that their sweet ride has been stolen, the thieves have already deactivated the Onstar system which means the Escalade is now untrackable.

Which car is least likely to be stolen? Somewhat unsurprisingly, the Volvo S80. While that may be good news for S80 owners, wouldn’t that make them wonder why no one even wants to steal their car? Just sayin’.

Hit the jump to see the rest of the top 10 highest stolen and least stolen vehicles. Is your car on the list?

[Highway Data Loss Institute]

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