Classic Car News: Bringing Classic Back

Saab claim to be â??bringing quirky backâ? reports PistonHeads.com, through the revamp of the classic 99/900, which is inspiring the creation of the new 9-3. It can be argued that Saab is also bringing sexy back using the spirit of the old Saab and utilising its â??quirky rootsâ?.

Spyker might have only just got their hands on the Saab legacy, but already the new owner Mr Victor Muller has big plans for the company, saying â??within two years, the entire production line-up will be renewedâ?. Some might say these are big plans for such a small company, in fact these are almost the exact words reported on Top Gear, who have reported that â??Saab globally sells 100,000 â?? 150,000 cars, while the likes of Mercedes, BMW and Audi do 10 times that amountâ?. In order for Mr Muller to get the success he believes is possible all of us car enthusiasts need more than just sentiment for this classic car maker, which Top Gear believe the simple answer is â??people just need to start buying Saabs againâ?.

According to Dutch car news website Autointernationaal, â??Spyker wants to bring back the essence of the old Saab 99/900 series with the next 9-3â?. With additional body styles and using the Vauxhall Astra platform and its turbocharged 1.4-litre motor you should expect this new car to be here sooner rather than later.

TopGear.com reports that itâ??s a tough job to be distinctive when youâ??re a â??small company who canâ??t afford its own proper engineeringâ?, which is why with the injection of £347 million, approved by the European Investment Bank, Saab will have the fuel and resources to â??develop and build fine carsâ? placing them in the position of being a credible rival to BMW and Audi.

Since the deal has been made between General Motors and Spyker there has been a lot of scepticism about the future of the Saab name, but the million dollar question is, can Saab attract customers back to the classic brand and make a profit? According to BBC News, Mr Muller of Saab has high hopes for the company and believes that â??the main reason why we think Saab will succeed is its unique brandâ?.

From chemisty to cars; news online

One of the best things about the internet is that practically any type of interest can find a passionate following. Whether it’s a car news site for motorists or an online sci-fi magazine, the chances are that there’s a site out there with a dedicated readership, which regularly covers the latest developments in their area of interest. After all, one of the biggest benefits of a potentially global audience is that you’re not limited by publishing costs, distribution issues or even subscription costs.

 

Some of the most popular genres of fan-sites and niche news (barring video games and tech – a little too obvious!) that can be found online include:

 

Motoring

 

America may like to celebrate its love affair with the automobile but in truth it’s a global phenomenon. People love their cars – and what’s more they love hearing about the cars that they would like to have. Car news websites don’t just report on stories that would affect the average driver, they report on the things that only a tiny, miniscule amount of even the most dedicated car hobbyists will ever have direct experience of. From the launch of a new prestige sports car (and a subsequent test drive) to interviews with car manufacturers or professional racers, motoring is one of the biggest passions out there and its online presence reflects that.

 

Music

 

Still, no matter how many people love cars you can’t argue that even more love music. Of course that’s slightly complicated by the fact that music is a little more of a diverse interest – your average jazz fan won’t be too interested in the world of death metal. Music news sites dedicated to each genre or even specific geographies can be found throughout the internet. Gigs, festivals, interviews, label signings, the release of new albums or just good old fashioned gossip about rock-star lifestyles, it can all be found online.

 

Science

 

Science news may only take up a small section of most print publications outside of New Scientist but online, it has a huge and dedicated following. A lot goes on in the world of science that is neither quirky or entertaining but can be significant – or at least interesting if you’re so inclined. Whether it’s new information on exoplanetary surveying, the cellular behaviour of bacterial life-forms in a vacuum or even political or social commentaries from eminent scientists, you can find dozens of sites dedicated to covering science news. Be warned though; if you’re the average layman – if you left behind science in secondary school – then some of these websites may be hard work. Many are written by the scientific community exclusively for the scientific community and if you’re not familiar with the principles, they could be a little impenetrable.

Car News and Reviews

It is always nice to know all the pertinent information regarding a certain car which interests us, so that when we go to a dealer to purchase such vehicle we are well informed as far as its features and capabilities. This basic rule applies not only to cars and the automotive industry but to electronic gadgets, properties,etc.

When people hear the word “news” the first thoughts that come to mind are war, people killing each other, natural disasters, robberies (white collar, blue collar or plain old thieves), fashion, and any other event which catches our attention but there are in fact, all sorts of news and the automotive industry makes one of them.

It is very exciting to know when our favorite vehicle manufacturer comes up with new and improved models such as the Audi A4 (2009 model) or the all new Ferrari California. Before spending in such beautiful models it is a very intelligent thing to do to shop around, compare and actually read car review magazines or even better, blogs and forums which have active users who can share their experiences after owning a certain vehicle; networking is the key to a smart purchase.

Keeping up with all of these news is time consuming and a hard thing to do, unfortunately as useful as forums are, most of them don’t offer a direct feed where the user can subscribe and read all the latest discussion topics and articles through one news reader. Luckily, this feature is available on blogs, which can refresh their content as often as possible and provide handy tools to keep subscribers up to date through RSS feeds, this way a car enthusiast can subscribe freely to several car news blogs and sites which offer feeds and download all the news and headlines to one program.

Other newsworthy event within the automotive industry are “car shows and conventions”, depending on the place where you reside there are many ways to access up to the minute information about such events. Some are held in the US and create a great buzz, others in Canada and Europe. Many will agree that such conventions are the best events next to Xmas, Hanukkah, New years eve, etc.

Networking and exchanging ideas with other people around the world pays off, using the web to get detailed information about a certain vehicle leads towards a smarter decision which will satisfy not only your taste but your budget.