My sense of humour

I was wondering if it's something in my sense of humour or simply because I drive a BMW. Presently I keep up to date with your web site and enjoy visiting your site very much as do young members of my family. There is just something about Saab and your obvious enthusiasm for the marque, however, I hope that I haven't offended anyone with my writings.... One thing puzzles me though, in the car photo pages you keep referring to, I quote, "Eats BMW's and Mercedes for breakfast lunch and dinner." This I find to be most enjoyable, more comments such as these are great to read......no stuffy stiff white shirt and tie nonsense. Simply enjoyment, enthusiasm, knowledge, skill and others. Why BMW and Mercedes though do you feel these cars are a threat to Saab, or are they in your opinion inferior? and why? I thought BMW and Mercedes were top range professional transport and have a well deserved reputation....built on excellence, a standard out of reach by inferior marques. Are Saab's even higher up the excellence ladder in your opinion? I know the Saab 9000 received high award standards from Germany, America, GB and of course Sweden. The articles on the Saab 9000 being the safest car on the planet made me sit up and take notice.....the 9-5 has seemingly beat every other marque in the more contemporary model line up to be voted the safest car on the planet....Again that makes me take great notice indeed....after all I do have a family to consider, that is why I drive a BMW....it is safe, and very well built. I know this as my family and myself were smashed into sitting at a road junction from the rear by a very large white van, (yes it was white!!) much larger than a transit type. My BMW only suffered a few scratches.....I couldn't believe my cars strength, mind you the tow ball took the hit as well but nothing was damaged on my BMW. We suffered some minor whip lash though. The white van's front end was damaged, its bumper was off on the ground, it's radiator was burst open....I thought initially that it was my cars bumper on the ground....I suppose it may have been the shock and confusion which made me think that.

So come on I'm very interested, why should I buy a Saab.....are they as reliable in the engineering department as say BMW and Mercedes? Some have Triumph engines? don't they? Top gear go on about kippered turbos and that it is, in their opinion, sometimes wise to avoid the turbo cars......but why? the naturally aspirated ones surely cant eat BMW's and Mercedes for breakfast lunch and dinner then, can they?

Another example when reading Mat's journals, he says about Tom suggesting he install a 16 valve lump into his 1984 8 valve 4 door 900 classic.......you wouldn't hear that suggested at a main dealer franchise I'm sure. How would carrying out a modification such as that affect insurance on the car though?

I have gone very occasionally to my main Saab dealer, simply because I'm interested in Saab systems and safety.....I asked did they have any Saab 9000's (I like the CD range somehow) in stock......the salesmen were very uninterested, one sales chap suggested these 9000's are mostly old scrappers now! we don't see that many. As for 900's these main Saab dealers had one I told you about before but I felt quite embarrassed by the Saab sales chaps and of other members of the public viewing the more contemporary Saab range....I was simply interested and possibly weighing up a 9000 for space, safety and comfort or maybe a 900 but I am led to believe these are not as safe as the 9000 range. Don't the main franchise dealers realise that people are possibly looking for a second, third, fourth or maybe even a fifth car and not a more expensive main working car?

Not everyone is bothered about what year or registration mark maybe on the car. People look at a car for their particular purpose and needs. We are all becoming so pigeon holed and stereotyped......The human race surely have more character, or are we simply being led by the nose and told what to do and what we should or must buy? A Daewoo for example? There are emotions to consider common to the human race, such as I want, I need, nostalgia, class, breeding, snobbery, ah! snobbery, I think I suffered this at my local main Saab franchise, why?

Best regards

Stuart