me 2

Nope

It looks like the first article is the only article so far.

If you check their front page, it links directly to the link iota posted.  Looks like they started it in May, we should be due an article by now.  Check the last few issues if you can find them.  This mag (and it's sister's like Sport Compact Car) normally run new articles in print and then follow with the article online a month or two later.

Interesting, thanks for the link.  Not sure I'm interested in the mag enough to subscribe but I'll try to follow the 9-2X project online.  They did say they were going to up the luxury quotient a bit before going for performance (commenting about what the saabcentral folks said).

I'm interested.

Since the europeancarweb.com site is so slow in posting their later 9-2X articles, can anyone here provide some info from the April issue - specifically details about the suspension changes?  I put TEIN Flex on a '94 Miata and that already great-handling car is now incredible. 

VERY interested in Tein Flex for the 9-2X down the road.  I might lighten the springs a bit (depending on Tein's standard setup), and do minimum lowering, so I retain some ride comfort and travel.  The Miata has little suspension travel room because it is so low.  Doubling the spring rates with the TEIN and removing the "R-type" OEM Bilsteins made the ride  better  because the TEIN shocks are initially more compliant and the springs prevented the harsh impact from bottoming the suspension.


All europeancarweb.com has for the 9-2X is Part 1, from the Feb. 2005 issue.  I think it's their Feb.2005 issue if I convert their link ( http://europeancarweb.com/tech/0502ec_proj92x ) from "0502ec_proj92x".  If that "YYMMec"  code is valid, then their "Race-ready Golf" has an April 2005 article, their Boxter has an August 2005 article (?) posted.  On the other hand, June 2005 magazine has part 11 on the Porche 951 (944T) and their last online article is part 7, from October 2004.

Obviously, this magazine has to get their on-line act together.

...Rich S.

I picked up the September 2005 issue of "european car" last week.    Here are some of their comments about the 9-2X.  It was a one page road trip article, not a "here are the new mods" project car article.

Since they have to return the car to Saab "in a couple of months", they are going to put miles on it and not just use it as a project car.  Guess that might be the end of the major mods, since this article was called "Long-term Update" and not "Project Car Update".

I obviously agree with some of their comments:  "the clutch is long and weird", turbo lag needs to be dealt with, engine is sluggish below 3000 RPM.

They say the Saab suspension tuning makes the car fine for touring, but a little loose in the corners.  The TEIN Flex coilovers they installed "are incredible and impart a scary kind of confidence."   They say the TEIN Flex at their softest setting are "much firmer than most stock setups".  I wish they said how much the TEIN Flex setup affected ride comfort versus the standard Aero suspension.  They only commented that the car was comfortable on the long trip, "in spite of the the purposefully rigid suspension."

Their PROs:  "comfortable, roomy".  Their CONs:  "turbo lag, goofy clutch".

When the heck are they going to post their TEIN installation article????

As someone indicated elsewhere, this magazine might be latching on to the new Audi A3 instead of the 9-2X due to Audi's advertising budget.  I've got to admit, the torque of the A3's sounds pretty appealing (207 lb-ft at 1800 RPM). 

They closed the one page article by saying the 600 mile road trip they took was scouting for "an upcoming wagon road test we've been cooking up."  I hope they eventually do that small wagon comparison test, using the TEIN-equipped 9-2X of course.

....Rich S.

rexster wrote:

here's a scary quote from the EC article:

The Aero model we have is tuned with 10- and 20% less compression damping in the front and rear, respectively. Rebound damping was increased by 5% in the front and reduced by 5% in the rear over the WRX wagon's stock suspension.

The WRX is already under damped, i can't believe they would soften it further.  sounds like SPT struts and springs are in order if i convert to a 92-x.

We may have different uses for our cars, but for tooling around and just plain having a good time I find the 92X's suspension just right.

You could always do better if you were racing.  Take a test drive before you buy.  It takes the turns and bumps pretty damn well for a daily driver.  In the same sense it will not cause your fillings to fall out either...

I noticed the other day that Part 6 of this series is now on the web.  Parts 2 to 5 weren't published online, but they might do that later (they seem a bit disorganised)

Edit: scrub that.  All 6 parts are now up online.

http://europeancarweb.com/projectcars/

Cheers,

This is good enough to be in the general 9-2x thread.

its unreal!

Chad W wrote:

Ugh, could that be any more worthless?  I don't like anything they've done to that car.  Part 6 was just a list of of bunch of parts and how they comprised the car with no objective and little subjective feedback on any positive aspects of the mods.

No bumper support?  (Also most the IC is not getting air!) Seat mounting reduces crash safety?  BOV causes CEL's?  A project should be useful and give ideas about what you can do to yours and how you can do it.  This project reads more like a what not to do...and the car in that color with the 18" Shuks looks like ass.

I agree. They threw so much money at this car. . . most of it pointless crap to juice the vendors who donate it to the project. Free advertising. Opted for coilovers and camber plates for thousands of dollars, but not the solid front endlinks for a hundred. . . wouldn't want that swaybar working too well now would we. . . 

There are hybrid BOV's that cause no CEL's and require no software/hardware fixes.

The issue of BOV's and CEL is not about the light on your dash, as much as the potentially harmful lean conditions that they can cause.

Seeing how much larger that IC is than necessary, you'd think they could find a smaller unit that still can do the job and keep the bumper support.

[sarcasm]And yeah I agree on the wheels, as long as it looks different from stock and are really big, its a good choice, because there are not 100's of better option in the 17inch range that would look better, fit better, be lighter and make more sense on the street[/sarcasm]