Exactly one week after deciding to sell my 1973 Saab Sonett III, it was sold. I give ebay all the credit, though it didn't officially sell through ebay. I placed an ad for the Sonett (first car I've ever tried to sell on ebay) on March 8th, one day after deciding to sell it. Last Friday, the 14th, I came to an agreement on price with a gentlman who saw the ebay ad and flew from Seattle to Los Angeles to view the car in person. I had stated clearly in the ebay ad that "I reserve the right to end the auction early if I find a buyer serious about purchasing the car."

The Sonett represented something of an enigma in my car collection. It was the only truly "foreign" car I owned, the only V4 engine in my fleet, and the only car with a market value well below what I'd spent on it. After 7 years and 7,000 miles I took about a $7,000 loss on the car. The moment I decided to replace the engine and equip the car with the original, dealer-installed air conditioning I knew I was in "over my head" in terms of expenditures versus market value. That was three years ago, and now that the Sonett is sold I'm facing the facts of my prediction.

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Here's the follow-up to our look at Europe's future product as predicted by Automotive News. Yesterday we hit Alfa Romeo through Maybach, so today we'll start with Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes-Benz: Lots of activity for 2008, most of which we've already seen (SLR Roadster, S65, all-new C-Class, etc.). Next year we get the C63 (457hp), a CLK convertible, an E-Class update, an SLK restyle and an SL freshen. In 2009 we get a CLS freshen, an AMG E-Class, an S-Class convertible and -- believe it or not -- a small crossover called the GLK.

Mini: The Clubman just debuted in Frankfurt, and we'll see how the small-car brands fares with a larger model. The new John Cooper Works model looks cool (and makes 207 horsepower while weighing 66 pounds less) and the convertible gets a full redesign, to catch up with the coupe, for 2009.

Porsche: Both the Boxster and the Cayman get freshened next year, while the titanic 911 GT2 debuts with 530 turbo-charged horsepower. A full redesign of the Cayenne happens in 2009, while Porsche's first sedan, the Panamera, hits town in 2010 (and yes, the company will still have a "soul" -- along with a stronger bottom line).

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Had lunch with the Saab folks yesterday, and heard some interesting bits of information regarding future product. It doesn't take a Bart Simpson to realize that GM is slowly, but surely, rebuilding each of its brands. With Cadillac and Saturn pretty much handled, and signs of life from Chevrolet (Malibu) and Buick (Enclave) you might be wondering where Saab fits into the picture. It appears they fit in between 2009 and 2012, when (beyond the upcoming 9-3 refresh that includes all-wheel drive), we'll see a new 9-5 (also with all-wheel drive), a 9-4x crossover that should go up against the RX/MDX/MKX class, and a sub-9-3 model (9-1?) that will provide both sporty performance and traditional Saab utility.

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Let's be honest, the Saab brand is not getting the attention (or money) it needs to truly compete in today's market. Between the rebadged Subarus and Chevys, along with the aging platforms with no redesign on the horizon, it's clear the General has other priorities right now (stabilizing its market share, rescuing Delphi, rebuilding brands it obviously considers more important -- like Cadillac and Saturn, etc.). So the "refreshed" 9-5 sedan must soldier on with a platform dating back to the Clinton Administration. When looked at through that prism the car is actually "not bad." Comfort and handling are "fine" while drivetrain performance and refinement are "okay." The interior design is painfully outdated, with the last minute, contrived cupholder (inside the center console) being the most obvious indicator of the "just make it work" directive the Saab guys undoubtedly had to work under. But overall the cabin is "good enough" to get by. If there was no Acura TL, Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Infiniti M35, Lexus ES, Lexus IS or Mercedes E-Class (notice I didn't mention the Jaguar S-Type...) it would be a highly competitive vehicle. Admittedly the 9-5 costs less than most of those models, and if you love the Saab-ness (including the turbo lag and funky controls) it  probably should be on your test drive list.

Hmm...looking back at this blog entry it starts to read like one giant qualifier...which I guess it is.

In the last three nights I've driven three GM vehicles home -- a Saab 9-5 SportCombi, a Saturn Vue Redline and a Pontiac Solstice. And while they all had similar qualities I didn't particularly appreciate (mediocre interior materials, questionable ergonomics, unrefined drivetrains) they also all had two traits that made them hard to hate. The first is power -- as in plenty of it, and the second is audio -- as in excellent quality. It's really interesting to see how the parts sharing between these three divisions (divisions most people probably see as quite diverse) come shining through when you drive these cars back-to-back. For instance, the Saab and Saturn have the exact same rearview mirror controls, but the Saab's are on the A-pillar and the Saturn's on in the center stack. Also funny that the "premium" Saab 9-5 doesn't have any one-touch windows, but the Saturn (not really a premium brand) at least gives you a one-touch down driver's window. One interior component that was identical between all three was the audio system display (and, I suspect, the head units are either identical or nearly identical in these vehicles). That means they all have XM and they all have auxiliary audio input jacks for MP3 players (I tried the Solstice's out tonight with my iPod Shuffle -- and it worked great).

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I drove this one last night, and I told myself I wouldn't comment on the name...but I can't help it. I know what a station wagon is, and I know what an estate is. I even know what a shooting brake is, and I think I know what a "sports tourer" is. But what the hell is a SportCombi? I guess it's a Saab station wagon, though I wish they'd just call it such. I like this vehicle's design -- both in and out. The seats are comfortable, the interior material quality is satisfactory, and the exterior looks sort of like a large Mazda 3 wagon (not a bad thing). Better yet, it rides and handles like a SAAB (unlike the last "Saab" I drove). However, throttle response was problematic, with a sort of dead zone whenever I initially pressed the gas pedal. I consistently had to push past this dead zone to get the car to go, at which point it did indeed go quite well. The 2.3-liter turbo does not feel overtaxed despite the car's size and weight. I can also deal with the center ignition key (classic Saab trademark) and even the location and operation of the quirky window switches. But I can't deal with a $30,000-plus luxury wagon that doesn't even have a single one-touch window function (up or down), and I was disappointed with the lack of storage space in the cabin. Happily, the auxiliary input for MP3 players in the audio system somewhat balances out that flaw. Still, with this car's primary competition being Audi, BMW and Volvo I think this would be my fourth choice out of those four.

I just drove the "Saab" 9-7X. So the obvious question is: Why would Saab slap their badge on a Chevy Trailblazer and try to pass it off as one of their own? The supposed answer is: Without taking such action there would be no Saab.

The argument has some merit -- just look at Jaguar. They've never come out with any sort of SUV (heck, they didn't even want to bring their X-Type wagon to the U.S. -- not that it saved them when they finally did) and I think the leaping cat's current financial predicament is clearly related to the lack of "SUVinating" Jaguar. But there is a theoretical upside, that being a lack of any Jaguar-badged SUVs. Confused yet?

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An topic in last week's Automotive News, and discussed on Jalopnik, stated that Saab is considering a new two-seat sports car, and is planning to show a concept at the Geneva Auto Show. The obvious qeustion is -- Doesn't Saab have bigger challenges than trying to produce a narrowly-focused two seat sports car? The obvious answer is -- YES! But the flipside is that Saab needs major help, and the first step (IMHO) is to give the brand back some personality (versus saddling it with rebadged Subarus and Chevys). Of course, this will likely be a re-badged Pontiac/Saturn, but just like the Sky will be the first truly desirable Saturn...well, ever -- a new Sonett could really revive interest in, and respect for, the brand. Interestingly, the Automotive News article states the concept will be a front-drive, 250 hp V6 while Jalopnik (and convertional wisdom) suggest it would share the Solstice/Sky platform. Either way, it'd add some life to Saab's current image.

Plus, it might make the value of my original Sonett (pictured) go up!