Car Parts 2011

In my years of automotive enthusiasm, there's been a particular brand that I never understood. Saab isn't small or attractive enough to be considered prestige, nor is it large and popular enough to be considered mainstream.

Of course, I'm aware of the Saab 99's historical success in rallying. I'm also aware of the 99's design success that has carried on for decades, though I am not a fan. And finally, I'm aware of the Saab 900's cult following from diehard turbo Saab enthusiasts, although I'm indifferent.

I can only conclude all this to bad timing. Saab's darkest period under the ownership of GM, a decade of neglect from 1989 to 2010, started when I was only in day-care, presumably, and did not end until, well, just last year!

Some of you could well argue that I should theoretically share the same impression of Alfa Romeo then, as they've ended North American sales in 1995-- when I would be in the third grade. Well, apples and oranges and passion... and a quid in the Italian swear jar.

But let's bring the focus back to Saab. According to an article by Sam Knight of Financial Times, Albert Muniz, an Associate Professor of Marketing at Chicago's DePaul University, claimed that Saab owners possess a "Snaabery" cultivated from pre-GM Saab ownership, a Machead equivalent to the automotive world. Saab drivers allegedly flash their lights and tip their hats to other Saab drivers. A Saab driver also stops to help a stranded fellow Saab driver. Muniz further claims that no other group of car enthusiasts despise BMW more (I'd argue that award goes to Prius owners now). And moreover, a psychologist Rudiger Hossiep discovered that Saab drivers have the highest levels of "psychological involvement" with their cars: a claimed 10x that of Volkswagen enthusiasts.

gawker media

Clearly Saabs must be something special and that level of community can only be good for automotive enthusiasm as a whole and I, for one, would want to see that continue. But in light of its current condition, what is Saab now? The cars are a bit expensive for what it offers, they don't have a young buyer's market, they don't possess an "image," they're not especially sporting, nor especially luxurious and aren't known for dependability at all. They were innovators for safety, but safety is no longer an element of competitive edge, it's a modern vehicle requirement. And finally, any of its quirkiness has long gone since GM took over.



GM's plan to amputate Saab from their core operations were actually in motion a year before GM's own bankruptcy and restructuring. Then, after Saab spent a year under new Spyker ownership, who even sold the sports car operation to Coventry in efforts to provide Saab with undivided attention, Q1 efforts resulted to a $107Mil loss. Supplier relationship is also critically endangered, as outstanding debt to suppliers resulted to a plant shutdown that lasted for weeks.

This Monday, multiple publications reported that Saab secured a short term convertible loan of 30Mil Euros. Followed closely the day after, China's Huatai motors puts up 150Mil Euros for a significant 30% share of Saab. This can be a good investment for Huatai as their clean diesel project can certainly benefit from Saab's established small displacement turbo engine technology. Saab's international network can also help Huatai plan for global distribution. Otherwise, I doubt Saab's sales in China will be of any particular significance as Saab is an unfamiliar brand with little or no badge equity in the country and I'm afraid Huatai doesn't give a damn.

For all the Saab loyalists out there, it's been a great run for you guys and I'd rather matters didn't have to end this way. Perhaps the only way for Saab to rise from the ashes would be to use the new Chinese capital for aggressive and ambitious product development, a la Lotus's ambitious 5 model project and more recently Jaguar/Land Rover's ridiculous 40 model development plan. Hire a formidable design director, develop a radical chassis and power train, and find the best marketing agency conceivable... or to basically start from ground zero. As it is with "flight or flee" animal instinct, it is also important for a company to go all-in if it wants to survive. These days, delivering a "good" car is no longer good enough.

Porsche owners at Porschefest... like brothers of a strange fraternity.

In another car driven (in both a literal sense and in motive) trek to Boston for the weekend, we cover Porschefest.

Porschefest is exactly as it sounds, a get-together picnic at the park for Porsche owners, in a friendly and intimate setting at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum of Brookline, Massachusetts. Attendees would walk amongst some of the most significant cars of Porsche's colored history.

Er... so we thought.


In its defense, The venue was very well thought out with lots on the lawn specially dedicated to 356s, another for 928s, Boxsters/Caymans, and also for a handful of 924/944s and 914s in the mix.

And yes... a Panamera was present too.




But we expected that. We knew those cars were going to be there. What we hoped for is something more exciting-- Chin's friend, Dave, looked forward to a Carrera GT, I was honestly expecting to see more than a few R Gruppe owners, a 550 Spyder, maybe a RSR, a 959, hopefully a 917 and other endurance Porches, even RUF and perhaps a 9FF (FF stands for f*ckhein führocious).

A 959 was actually there!! But otherwise there wasn't even a single 2.7RS.


I'll admit, when i saw the 959, I had a crisis in the middle of the lawn. Mmm... um, yeah, I promise to cover that for another time.

Perhaps the problem is with me. No, I didn't actually expect to see a 917 there. I read the flier. But I am still a bit of an idealist when it comes to Porsche ownership and unfortunately I've come to the conclusion that the Porsche owners that day were more like brothers of a strange fraternity, patting each other on the back or giving each other the smug nod for bone stock Boxsters, restored 914s to stock production spec, cookie cutter 930s and 356s.

It would be unfair to say that there weren't any hoonin' Porsches on the lot at all but still, you'd think with so many trims and variations for 911s, more owners would adopt a philosophy of individualism and customization. Mustangs owners did (on that note, one of the more notable cars for Chin that day was the Shelby GT350H), so why should R-Gruppe be so exclusive?

So, I've brought it unto myself to deliver. The following are some of the Porsches we would have wanted to see at the perfect fest--

R Gruppe owners courtesy of europeancar.com

Porsche Carrera GT courtesy of rsportscars.com

Porsche 917 courtesy of 917flatout.bravehost.com

9FF GTR9 courtesy of coolthings.com

Porsche Turbo RSR courtesy of sportwagen.online.fr

Porsche 911 2.7RS courtesy of EVO Magazine

RUF "yellowbird" courtesy of lindseyracing.com

Let us know of your favorite Porsche!
See more of our pictures here.

... almost always look like a naked woman lying on her stomach about to get up." -unknown

I would have gladly taken credit for this quote, but let's face it, we all know it was said by someone much more brilliant. If any of you know of its origin, feel free to leave a helpful comment.

Every once in a while, your favorite car magazines will do a cover on what they've nominated as the most beautiful cars in the world. 90% of the time, they've somehow managed to let you down by either not including one of your favorite cars or by putting in a car that you just don't care for. Unfortunately, this may happen here too. If you really want a list that meets your expectations, it'd be easier if you just created your own.

Anyway, back to me. I imagine that industrial design may be one of the most creativity prohibiting fields within design. Oftentimes, designs are dictated by the boring philosophies of practicality and functionality. You've all heard the phrase "form follows function," yes?

Even so, the humble automobile that started out as a tool for transportation, has become something that has transcended to lifestyle, culture, and won the affections of many.

Affection is wonderful. Affection has given upright utility a sprinkling of the irrational. But with a little extra addition of passion (Italian or otherwise), the flood gates opened and we witness the evolution of modern car design.

Through the decades, specifically starting in Europe and the United States during the late 1930's, one shape overcame the test of time and became the shape we have all universally agreed upon as beauty.

A common misconception has been that the most important part of a car is its engine.


Take this picture of an 1918 Peugeot for instance. It suggests to me that it is as powerful as a locomotive, dramatically displays the immensity of its engine. All else is an afterthought.

Later, a new philosophy stated that, in fact, the most important part of the car is its contact points to the road-- the wheels and tires. Car design paid close attention, and eventually devoted attention, to incorporating fenders that cover the wheels and suspension for better protection, aerodynamic fluidity and, of course, aesthetics.

1935 Duesenberg SJ Speedster


1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900


Italian "Pontoon"



1949 Mercury Coupe


American "Character Line"

This design pursuit gave fruit to two key design cornerstones. The "pontoon fender" and the "character line." The majority of later design exercises have always been a combination of the two in varying degrees.

1955 Porsche 550 Spyder

1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa


1963 Ferrari 250 GTO


1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe


1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback

Approaching the late 1960s, we enter the golden age of Italian car design and engineering.

Advances in fiberglass and metallurgy allowed for even more complex surfaces. In order to convey athleticism, designers offered the illusion of tension and bottled energy. No longer is it simply an attractive steel shell covering the mechanical bits. Inspiration created taut, firm skin, appeared to have stretched itself to its limit of tension across the car. What's the result?

Yes you guessed it, the result is a car that looks like a naked woman lying on her stomach.

Through it all, the philosophy from the 1930s remained true in the 1960s-- wheel fender arches are even more aggressively exaggerated, the engine still bulges through the bonnet.

Another notable event happened in the 1960s. A small Italian automaker was founded in the once quiet town of Sant'Agata Bolognese. You may recognize the name from their more recent efforts; Diablo, Murcielago, Gallardo. But in 1966, Lamborghini created their genesis, the very first mid-engined V12 Lamborghini. The Miura.

A sword has two edges, however. In the 1960s, car manufacturers were still in the experimental phase of aerodynamics and many were yet to master wind tunnel techniques. What does this mean? The rule of thumb for designers became, "if it looks slippery, then it is slippery."

1967 Lamborghini Miura

1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale
1968 Ferrari Dino
Porsche 917

Ferrari 330 P4

Ford GT40

1990s Britain's decade of Magnificence. The wind tunnel's path of enlightenment.

Jaguar XJ 220


McLaren F1

Aston Martin DB7

2000s

Porsche Carrera GT

Ferrari F430

Aston Martin DB9
Alfa Romeo 8C Competitzione


Porsche Cayman S

Like many things, design can come back in full circle. For numerous reasons, whether it may be heritage, intellectual recycling, or what not, I do feel that the modern cars, while still thoroughly modern and innovative, borrow a lot from its predecessors.

Nonetheless, I am very amazed at how far and how successful the original Italian Pontoon and the American Character line have developed and evolved while still staying very true to its original intention.

Thank you all for reading this incredibly long post. In a century, there have been millions of cars that have been created so naturally there are numerous cars that have captured our hearts and inspired us.

To the Lotus race car fans, and Lancia Stratos fanatics, Acura NSX tuners, Rolls Royce connoisseurs and yes, even you BMW playboys, I have not forgotten about the contributions your cars have provided but I just couldn't have possibly done them all.

Folks, it's a road trip post!

Completing my last final exam at around 11pm last Wednesday night, I receive a call from mom with exciting news that we would be going on a trip to Cape Cod the morning after. Road trips with mama dukes always meant that you'll have to mentally come to terms with her role as the back seat driver for the coming four hour drive. But hey, I was desperate and I really needed this.

I'd like to use this opportunity to just say how important family really is and that I'm really glad we did it. In the end, this turned out to be one of the most pleasant trips of recent memory. My parents are no longer young and they're only going to get older. Another family trip is another memory that we'd be able to share together. When my folks get to an age where they've become too old to travel, I hope not to have any regrets on not spending time with them when I had the chance.

Road trips also remind us what owning a car is really about. Fundamentally, it is mobility. When an owner buys a Ferrari only to leave it in a climate controlled garage, I can only believe that what the owner must feel is a sense of regret and remorse that grows exponentially for every back road that he prevents his Ferrari from stretching its legs on.

Anyway, without further ado, please enjoy the pictures!

Day 1, Cape Cod:

Considerations were made on whether or not to make this post a review on the Lexus (this is supposed to be a car blog after all) but I was afraid that it'd make readers fall asleep.

Let's get this over with. The Lexus GS 300 awd. Design wise, it's one slippery and handsome bar of soap, or as Lexus likes to call their design direction, "L-finesse". It seats four comfortably, though headroom is a bit lacking and I would have much preferred to leave my hat on while sitting inside.

Performance is good. With all passengers and luggage in the car, the engine was not out of breath when it was asked to accelerate to merging speeds. I'd describe the delivery as similar to that initial feeling you get when an elevator starts to move from underneath you. Boring, pretty much.

The chassis is rigid, the suspension is firm, the dampers are forgiving. The cabin is extremely quiet, the air conditioner blew cold, the leathers are soft, the ergonomics are sensible, the Mark Levinson stereo system was most welcomed. My mom and dad were especially happy with it whenever Lady Gaga's Telephone came on. Really, they're more hip than you think!

In conclusion, the Lexus is a good long distance tourer, but we'd prefer something with a bit more passion (a quid in the Italian swear jar) or a bit more Maserati Quattroporte.


Day 2, Provincetown and Gray GablesToken "editor in front of test car" picture.Paying Uncle Bob a visit!Day 3, BostonTop of the Prudential with Danny ChinCoordinating get up was unintentional. Probably caught a bit of attention though.Danny Chin and I sitting around talking about cars as usual. Note how my left arm is flat against the armrest and my fingers are curving upwards. I'm convinced that this picture was taken when I was in the middle of describing this white Aston Martin V8 Vantage I saw earlier that day and what my arm was actually doing is imitating the Aston's duck tail spoiler. Yes.

All in all, I had a great time and it was great to visit Boston again. Special thanks to Sandra and Uncle Bob, a thank you to my parents for becoming less dorky, and special special thanks to Danny Chin and his family for the hospitality. It was wonderful to see you all again!

I'm sure there will be more road trip posts in the future. It is arguably the most rewarding thing to be able to do as a driver. This sort of combination of spontaneity and freedom is rare and I don't think it's even something I see many major publications write about in detail.

I hope you enjoyed this post, let us know of your memorable road trips or one that you've always wanted to do!