Saab: 1947-2009

You know, At first I thought Government takeover would be good for GM, you kno, to help them build more quality cars. But, now, all it's doing is creating problems. We saw this in the death of Pontiac RIGHT AFTER they finally started bringing performance back. Same deal with Saturn. The General FINALLY gave two brands good cars, then they kill respective brands. Genius marketing idea. No, really. Maybe Ford should off Lincoln, too. Why doesn't the White House take control over Ford, too. They've ruined Chrysler by not letting Fiat take over right away, and now the go and murder GM. I bet the Camaro is on its deathbed too. Pricks.

Anyway, since GM took over Saab, the brand has gone way downhill. Gone are the decent performance drivers cars, what they've been producing is utter shit. A Saab Trailblazer? Really? Oh wait we can shove a V8 in it and charge $50k for it. No one will notice. Of course they didn't, that's why no one bought them. The 9-3 and 9-5 are nice looking cars, but since the dealer network is shit, no one's buying them. Same with the oft-overlooked 9-2X. Great idea, good packaging, but again it's dealer network and lack of good advertising. Which brings us to the "new 2010" 9-5. Since GM killed Saab by not letting Spyker or Koenigsegg buy them, well, they're toast. I betcha that new 9-5 that's supposed to "save Saab" isn't even coming out. Good job assholes. Why don't you sever ties with Isuzu, too, and put Buick on the chopping block as well. Obviously the only thing you guys care about now and much miles per gallon you can eek out of overpriced, lousy, small cars that won't pass on crash tests. I want my G8 back, and I want my Turbo Saab back. I also want a C7 Corvette, too. Apparently car enthusiasts are too much to cater for now. You just lost ALOT of fanbase with your recent actions. Keep it up, and those "employee pricing" schemes will be the only way you assholes can sell cars. RIP Saab. RIP GM. Go burn in hell.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Range Rover Edition

Very few non-mainstream vehicles can withstand the test of time. I'm not talking stylewise, either. I'm referring to general reliability, both in the long run, and in day-to-day use. There are some vehicles that, where ever you go, you're bound to run into, and I'm not talking about your run of the mill boring everyday cars, either. I'm talking about vehicles built to survive long after humans. Cars like the W201/W124 Mercedes, the E28 and E34 BMWs, Volvo 240s, and what have you. Notice I didn't name any outright trucks. That's because there's only one two that are built that way. The Mercedes Gelandewagen (G-Class for the US), and the Land Rover Range Rover. Built since 1970, the first generation really is the one to go for. Available until 1995 (on American shores), with no significant changes, they're one of the "classic greats" in the SUV market, sharing the ranks with the G-Class and Wagoneer and Toyota Landcruiser.
What sets the Range Rover apart from the dozens of other soccer mom mobiles is its ability to go off-road. And go off-road it does. It's able to power through snow, through the stickiest of mud, and it has the ability to push itself through water and up steep hills too. I don't think I've ever seen a Range Rover get stuck in bad weather, either. One more bit of trivia: A stolen Range Rover in California was able to outrun the police for more than 2 hours on flattened/spiked tires at speeds of 80MPH. Don't try that, but if that's not a testament to their indestructible-ness I don't know what is. Let's see your GMC Yukon do that.
Since the first generation Range Rovers were made for about a quarter century, finding a used one usually won't be a problem. However, a quick check on autotrader revealed none within 50 miles of me. A good example can run anywhere from $2500 for a complete beater to about $12,000 for a really nice one if you can, indeed, find one. Finding parts for this ol' reliable shouldn't be too hard either, with several Land Rover and British only yards throughout the country.
So, whattaya say. You ready to trade in that tired old GMC Yukon with 185k on the clock and step into something better?

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Buick Invicta

Around Uptown in the winter, most of the cars I encounter on a day-to-day basis, so I was quite shocked when I saw this Buick. I kept seeing it only it night, so I never thought I'd be able to blog it, and I kinda lost hope. Well, as luck would have it, I peeked around the Irving/Lagoon intersection, and as my eyes scanned the street, I spotted something familiar. I had to go up and inspect, and I was greeted with this; a suspiciously clean (for Minnesota) Buick Invicta. The paint was in nice shape, thought it looked worn. The interior was in the same shape, as well. However, this specimen did have all its badges and trim intact, and in great shape for their age. The Buick badge on the grille seemed to be pretty nice, and the side badges seemed to be well-preserved, too. Even the hubcaps were not only all there, but all in great well-preserved condition.
Kudos to the owner of this Invicta for keeping it in decent condition. Like with many older cars in the rustbelt, I hope winter doesn't eat this one alive. I would hate to see this at U-Pull-It come spring 2010.

Diecast of the Day: AutoArt Saturn Vue

As you already know, I collect models of "mundane" vehicles I like, as well as exotics. This Satun Vue is no exception. While I don't really care for the second generation version, the first one is a cleanly designed mini SUV/crossover with no design flaws, and no wierd angles. I figured it'd be sweet to have a 1:18 scale version to match my Saturn L200 (yes, I have one of those, too). It arrived in great shape, but since winter has come upon Minnesota, I couldn't take it outside to shoot out. My bedroom sufficed though, I think.
The details on this AutoArt version are pretty sweet. My favorite feature is the ridges in the roof for bike racks that I honestly hadn't even noticed before I got this model. Another one of my favorite features is the fact that the matter trim looks incredibly realistic. Too bad I don't see many real ones in the color.
If you're a Saturn fan, or just like SUVs, I'd recommend this model because not only is a budget priced AutoArt, it's likely a model everyone and their mother doesn't have.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Imperial LeBaron Golden Crown Coupe

Now, this car was unusual to me for a few reasons; first it wasn't the typical classic GM or Ford, second, it was a two door rather than a four door, and third, I hadn't seen this car moving, so this was an entirely new find on my part. I slowed to a stop to inspect this ride. I began looking at the profile, puzzled as to what kind of car this was, because even though it said "LeBaron", I was damn sure this was no Chrysler LeBaron. A full inspection rendered it to be an Imperial LeBaron, which is no doubt a much nicer car, and probably much rarer than any version of said Chrysler namesake.
Once I got near enough to inspect the badges, I knew I had to do some research when I got home. Gold Fawn paint? check? Red "Crown" badges on the car? Check. Imperial Crown coupe? Check. Tan interior and vynil roof? Check. Turns out this Imperial Crown Coupe isn't a normal Crown Coupe at all. It's one of 1,641 Crown Coupes, but only 57 Golden Fawn Crown Coupes were built in 1974. So, in any event, it's a rare piece that should have been snapped up by collectors. I shudder to think how many in this condition have been derbied over the years. :(
As far as "blog findings" go, this car is a tad more run-down that what I normally shoot, but that's okay. The paint is decent, the trim is surprisingly all intact, and fade-free, and even the interior isn't it that bad of shape. One obvious downfall is that the hubcaps are long-gone, which sucks, but for the most part it's in nice, daily-driver condition (for Minnesota anyway).
As a car enthusiast, and a sucker for rare and obscure cars, I hope this thing gets returned to its former glory before it becomes one with nature, and disappears from the city' streets. Forever. So, quick, somebody save it. We can't let a piece of Chrysler's once-prestigious history go to waste.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Mercedes Vito

Usually, I try to get a full photoshoot of a vehicle before I blog it. In this case, I picked the three best photos I had. Now, most people don't get excited about vans, much less big vans. But, as I briskly trotted along Lake St., something caught my eye. I turned around to see-- a Sprinter? No.. a Mercedes Sprinter? Wait.. No. It looks a bit wrong for a Sprinter of any sort. I had to get a closer look. I waited for an opening in the seemingly never-ending spree in traffic to make my way over to this behemoth.

I chatted with the owner for awhile about his van, and about how he got it over here. Apparently it was converted to a full fledged passenger van to replace a Mercedes Sprinter. It started life as a cargo van, and was imported as such. The previous owner spent many hard hours and copious dollars to import all the proper parts from Germany to convert this Vito to a full fledged passenger van. This isn't his first Eurospec vehicle, as he's had a previous E200 CDi, too, and currently owns a Eurospec Audi TT as well. He said he enjoys the reaction from different people, and he takes pride in having what he calls a "car guy's van". Certainly having something as interesting as this Vito brings out the car guys (and gals) versus the attention whores.

Diecast of the Day: AutoArt Toyota MR2 Roadster

I've always had a soft spot for tiny sportsters, including the Lotus Elise, and it's close, less exotically named cousin, the Toyota MR2/MRS Roadster. Since I am a secret Toyota fan, (and have been for a very long time) I've loved all of the company's sporty models, but had a hard time finding them in 1:18. I didn't really want to pay retail for it(I can't really afford a bunch of AutoArts, let alone spend more than $40/$50 on one car), so I went about trying to find the cheapest one on the net. Well, my friend, who has a GMB account, found this puppy for a staggering (or not-so-staggering) $4. Yes. Four Whole Dollars. The price of some cheap McDonalds food got me an AUTOart. I was happy! When it arrived, my excitement grew tremendously. I was in shock and awe, for a couple reasons. The level is detail is pretty good, and I enjoy using this little guy as a desktop showpiece. The second part of the whole shock and awe thing, was the size. Good lord, this thing is tiny. I mean, yeah I know the real car is pretty small... But damn. At a size that's smaller than the Saturn Vue 1:18, I would almost call this adorable. It's so.. dare I say cute? Which is funny because my Fieros are the same size almost, and I don't consider them to be "cute". This little bugger has me scared of how small a 1:18 Elise is. O.o.

I'm quite happy with this little guy, so much that two more of his friends are at my house for a permanent playdate. As far as uniqueness in JDM cars, you can't beat AutoArt. And at supercheap prices, getting your hands on these older castings is not that hard. For all you Toyota MR2/MRS fans, grab em while they remain on rock-bottom prices. They value for dollar is incredible, and almost rivals Sunstar's Ford Escort lineup.

Minneapolis Street Sightings: Lotus Elan

With the arrival of winter in Minnesota, the nice cars are slowly being put away for the next few months, but that doesn't stop me from going outside and snagging what I can before the elements do me in. As luck would have it, this little Lotus is my first real "winter sighting". Sure, I shoot cars on a daily basis, but very rarely do I find blogworthy cars. For a winter sighting, this is pretty good. I don't even see these in the summer time.
One the surface, this Elan appears to have weathered the storm pretty well. Upon closer inspection, though, this little Brit is in pretty rough shape. Driveable, yes, but it's far from Concours quality. The paint, while appearing pretty nice, is sadly in poor shape. The finish is pitted in more places than it's smooth, and finish is rather dull. The trim and badges are all in decent shape, save for the "Lotus" script on the trunklid, which seems to be all but gone. The interior was in decent shape, however, I didn't really spend too much time pouring over it to be sure. My main peeve of this once-classic British roadster is the fact that it was burning oil as it drove away. Such a shame, really, because a little sportser like this warrants a true enthusiast. I hope this one gets restored for the sake of (sorry Mini) Happy Motoring.