Funny what you find when doing some filing on computer

[Norfolk Jim]

Found this picture of my lovely 9k Aero that had the complete works by Abbotts.

Really enjoyed that car but SWIMBO didn't appreciate the koni suspension

The spots on the photo are snow flakes as it had just started.......

[Steve440]

I miss mine, in my opinion it was a much better car than the 9-5. Yes the 9-5 is smoother an probably more relaxing but the 9000 was more of a drivers car.

Steve

[Audax]

I miss having a 9000 too, although I think that the 9-5 is (mostly!) a better car when compared to a 9000 it's not a better car when you compare the 9-5 to the competition of the time.

The 9000 for it's time was a fantastic car with very few bad points, it was incredibly powerful and fast compared to much of the competition and had a really high quality interior. Unfortunately the 9-5 kept the same power output as the 9000 (OK slightly increased by the weight of the car went up too) and there was no hatch, although we did get an estate but the 9-5 was more like an upgraded 9000 and not a new generation with a load of problems that should never have happened such as weak turbos, weak suspension, weak engines, heater problems etc. etc. When you look at the 9-5 alongside the competition of the same era it just wasn't really keeping ahead like the 9000 did.

[Geoff1951]

According to my newspaper of choice (Independent) back in 1993 a 9000 Aero would have cost a fiver under £30K. More than a BMW530i and an XJ6 3.2.   

[Audax]

According to my newspaper of choice (Independent) back in 1993 a 9000 Aero would have cost a fiver under £30K. More than a BMW530i and an XJ6 3.2.   

Although, I think I'm right in saying that the 9000 would have been way faster than either of them and burned less fuel while doing it. Would those 2 have been base models or not? would they have had aircon and leather as standard?

[Geoff1951]

It's just a column in a newspaper, not a detailed side by side comparison, so there's more it doesn't say than it does.

Here's the link -  http://tinyurl.com/cgd5koj

and for those disinclined to click through, here's the summary -

STAR QUALITY: Powerful, safe, distinctive, environmentally advanced and fine-handling sports saloon.

TURKEY QUOTIENT: Cost, loose gearshift, gloomy interior, poor parking visibility. Likely higher depreciation than for some rivals.

AND ON MY RIGHT: BMW 530i ( pounds 29,750) - the opposite approach, with lots of cylinders (V8) and rear- wheel drive. Smoother, more charismatic, a little more presence in hard corners, but less roomy. Jaguar XJ6 3.2 ( pounds 26,200) - slower, thirstier but recently face-lifted and very refined. Still a car in a class of its own.

I'm offering no personal opinion at all, other than my surprise in ignorance that the Saab would be in the same price bracket new.

[sgould]

I did a check of 9000 prices last year and uplifted them in line with RPI.

I did that because people kept asking me why I hadn't bought a Saab before, when I clearly admired them.  The answer would have been cost.  The Saab was far too expensive.  It might have had lots of performance, but it looked like a normal 4 door saloon and the non-turbo versions performed like the car I actually bought - a Rover 620Si

Uplifting the price of the top of the range 9000 turbo from the early 90's would give a current price of £57,000 without any extras. That puts in the same sort of area as the current 4 litre BMW/Audi/Lexus products.

[wrighar]

Found this picture of my lovely 9k Aero that had the complete works by Abbotts.

Really enjoyed that car but SWIMBO didn't appreciate the koni suspension

The spots on the photo are snow flakes as it had just started.......

Looks a lot like fathers one.

[Norfolk Jim]

It was a lovely car and went to a guy up North near Hull I think.

I originally bought it from Abbotts

[Norfolk Jim]

And engine bay and monster full exhaust

[phoenix]

Oh, go on then...



Small world time... as I parked up for the Shuttleworth air show in Sept, a former owner approached me to ask how long I'd had the car. Wasn't interested in chatting beyond that though even when I told him it had been on Top Gear 

[phoenix]

9000 vs 9-5

I like the 9-5's refinement but the 9000 is a more engaging car. I would say that overall, the 9000 is a better engineered car than the 9-5, but I have been pleasantly surprised at how well my 9-5 is enduring the miles- approaching 160k now and still good. The recent suspension refresh has made a world of difference.

My 9000 is standard apart from a catback Abbott exhaust, which has now been on all 3 of my 9000s...

[Norfolk Jim]

Dare I say snap? What year was your Mark? mine was 93 L.

I think it was on about 175k when I sold it. Mine was an auto with Dover Grey leather elec mem seats and had what was described as a co-driver computer display. Was certainly different to the newer CSE I had.

[Norfolk Jim]

When Ed had finished with it I was pushing out something like 268 hp with there ECU upgrade, 3" exhaust and hi flow intercooler - lovely noise

[phoenix]

Mine's bit later, Jim- MY96 N reg manual Aero.

196,000 and still going strong...

My white one was the looney car; started life as a 93 2.3T. It got custom short ratio box, LSD, gas flowed head, intercooler, delivery pipe, 3" DP, stronger springs, raised revs, hybrid turbo, water injection, bigger injectors etc.  Topped out at around 330hp. I "killed" it at around 230,000 when the NS inner driveshaft cup shattered and threw the driveshaft and tripod joint out which then proceeded to flail around like a mediaeval siege weapon, demolishing the gearbox housing.