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Bienvenidos amigos.
One of the purposes of the Columna Latina is to communicate ideas and
events and therefore expose those who are normally not in much contact to
Hispanic and Latin culture. As such, I thought it appropriate to mention
a few 
Latino events in the Ann
Arbor area.
On October 9 , put your dancing shoes on for the Afro-Cuban All-stars at the Michigan Theatre. Don't miss this chance to see one of Cuba's premier music groups play spicy "son," mambo, and rumba rhythms direct from the source. 8:00 p.m., run, don't walk, and call 764-2538 or www.ums.org for details.
If you cant get a ticket for the All-stars, check out some jazz/rock poetry from the chicana Brenda Carderas & Poignant Pletcostumus, also on October 9, 7:30 p.m. at the Rackham Auditorium. Culture for Free!
October 11 is the Tropicola Cuban Culture film by renowned film producer Steven Fagian at the Michigan Theatre. 7:00 p.m. at $5.25.
On Monday, October 19, you can enjoy imperial Baroque Spanish music in voice and harpsichord from Norma Gentile & Eduardo Lopez Banzo. Take a step back in history at the reformed Church (1001 E. Huron) for $9. Advance tix at SKR Classical.
Another great band comes to town Friday, October 23. Congresso, an 8 piece jazz/folk fusion group from Chile brings world music to the Huron High Auditorium, 2727 Fuller Rd. at Huron Pkwy. 8:30 pm, students pay $8 at the door. For information, call 480 4591.
Also on October 23 you can find Flamenco dancing with a guitar-dumbek trio at the Espresso Royale, 9-11p.m. for free.
On October 28, Dos Alas: Grupo Cepeda & Grupo Afro-Cuba offer a lecture and workshop at the Michigan League Ballroom 4-6 p.m.
So put away those financial calculators one night a week and check out some culture. The world is only a few blocks away.
Red convertibles are the best. Red convertibles that look great and go like stink are even better. The 1999 Saab 9-3 SE Convertible is an eccentric blast from start to finish. It offers open-air motoring for four with a legitimate back seat and a great hands-off automatic drop-top that is always fun to watch.
The 9-3 is re-introduced to the US this year. The last 900 debuted in 1994. A very nice car, it was the first car to come from the happy Swedes in Trollhatten since GM took over. The new 9-3 is the result of over a thousand iterative changes that serve very quietly to make the 9-3 a much better car than the 900. Visually, you would be hard pressed to tell a 900 from a 9-3. I rely on the badges on the back to know for sure.
Focusing on our SE Convertible, our test car came with a black top and nice tan leather on the inside. Saab has made great leaps in building quality and this car shows it. Walking around the car, perhaps the styling traits I like best about the 9-3 is the sharply chiseled styling and the crouched, hunkered down look. The 9-3 is a strongly distinctive shape that carries the traditional Saab wedge shape forward with striking modernity.
Inside the 9-3, the family resemblance continues. The sweeping walnut-trimmed dashboard is a nice design that puts most controls up high where the driver can easily see them. The stereo and trip computer are nicely integrated into a single unit on top of the center console. An optional single CD player can be found as part of this nice setup.
Climate control operates in two modes: top-up and top-down. In top-up mode, the Saab automatically maintains a driver-selected temperature. But with the top down, that could be kind of hard, so the car automatically drops into a manual mode that blows hot or cold air at varying fan speeds.
Overall the interior of our Swede is very comfortable. The seats are very nicely executed and have memory on the driver's side. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes as well.
Saab quirkiness can be found throughout: the ignition switch is on the floor, the world's coolest air vents (cannot be described, just trust me), and the instrument cluster that is always lit are just a small part of what has always made Saab a Saab.
And Away We Go!
Putting the top down is a dead simple exercise. This is because the car will not let you do anything dumb. A little bell or a nice message on the trip computer politely reminds that you forgot something. To open the top, pull the single lever on the headliner back and down. Next click and hold the roof switch and watch the fun.
First, the back edge of the roof folds up, then the hard boot in the back opens up like a clam shell. Finally, the whole top quietly folds back into the storage area. When it is all in, the boot flops back down and latches. The process takes twenty seconds or so.
The car also has a nice single switch that moves all four windows up or down in addition to individual controls. On the down side, the designer who put the cupholder behind the plain of the driver's seat on the center console clearly never actually used it.
All 9-3s come with the awesome 2.0 liter turbo four cylinder that spools out 185 hp and 194 lb ft of torque at only 2100 rpm. This car runs like a train. Saab Turbos have always been great fun when up on boost, but this new motor is even better because it is not totally gutless when the turbo gets caught off guard with insufficient revs. When you put your foot to the floor, you feel some turbo lag from the 16-valve mill, but that vanishes once the revs climb above 2500. From there it is a hold-on-to-your-hat adrenaline rush that could make even Alan Greenspan crack a smile. I grinned from ear to ear.
0-60 could be achieved all day long in seven seconds.
Highway power is even more fun. Downshifting to third and nailing the gas quickly makes those pesky SUVs distant memories. The turbo delivers instant power and a torque curve as flat as Nebraska. The car just runs away with you in tow.
The five speed manual retains a very Saab-like feel. This is kind of a back-handed complement. Though improved, the mechanism can still be a little vague, especially when selecting first or third gear from a start. On full boil though, the transmission partners very well with the motor in delivering top shelf entertainment. Heel and toe shifting is not possible for my big feet because of pedal alignment and hence lack of room to handle three pedals at once. Too bad.
An automatic is available for $1095, but tends to sap the power from the feisty four-cylinder.
The SE trim level is sportier than the base model. 205/50ZR-16s Michelin Pilots set the mood here. The car offers a very firm ride but retains enough give to not batter the occupants, even in Michigan minefield roads. The Pilots provide great adhesion in all situations. One can lean on this car pretty hard in the twisties without fear.
Open-air motoring at highway speeds in the 9-3 is no problem. There is much less wind buffeting in the Saab than in the recently tested Miata.
Safety is always a Saab priority. Front 
and side airbags are standard as is ABS.
Trunk space is surprisingly not a problem with the 9-3 Convertible. I was expecting a disaster at the grocery store, but was pleasantly surprised by generous space. With the top up, the bin in which the top is usually stored can be snapped up out of the way to create additional room.
Closing Arguments
Our very red SE model comes standard with almost everything. Stickering at $42,050, our car's only options are heated seats and a single CD player for a total of $450 in options. This is a pricey investment, but competitive with the likes of a BMW 328 Cabriolet or Audi convertible. A 9-3 sedan can be purchased for about $26,000, a more reasonable stretch.
My wife loves this car. A long-time Saab owner, she loves it's modern features and appreciates its traditional Saab standards. That is the point. You buy a Saab because you love it and love what it represents. Do not buy any Saab, the 9-3 sedan for example, and then complain that you could have purchased a Camry with a V6 for the same price. Saab owners will circle in and flog you for it.
My wife and thousands of Saab fanatics like her are just happy that Saab still makes Saabs and that the company has not been co-opted into building badge-engineered Opels by parental GM.
Drive a Saab, any Saab, before buying anything else. The 9-3 Convertible and all of the other cars in the Saab range provide a distinctly different vehicle to the drab monotony of sedans and coupes we see on the road. Hop in and drive, just remember that the ignition switch is on the floor.
As long as the weather permits, we're going to be spending some time every week reviewing local golf courses. A lot of us don't have 4 hours to spare, but those who do should take advantage of these gorgeous days to get out and play some golf. Our course of choice this week is
STONEBRIDGE GOLF CLUB
STONEBRIDGE is one of our favorite courses here in Ann Arbor. This course is laid out within a neighborhood of modern condominiums and single family homes. If you don't have a lot of confidence in your game, beware, because golfers are responsible for any damage inflicted on the homeowner's property. For the most part, the houses really (and shouldn't) come into play. STONEBRIDGE is definitely challenging. There is water on 15 of the holes, and the shortest par 3 is 156 yards.
Both sides of this course are magnificently designed, but the back 9 is definitely more of an adventure. The back 9 on this course requires the golfer to make strategic tee shots, sometimes teeing off with a 5-iron on a 356 yard hole. The back 9 also has some lengthy par 5's that really test your strategy. If you decide to go for it on your 2nd shot, you could very well be 3-putting because of the multi-leveled greens. STONEBRIDGE is awesome - but not one for the beginner golfer. The conditions are fabulous, and the people are friendly. Be patient with this course and think about your shot selection. Enjoy!
Jason's shot of the day: On the 509-yard par five 17th, teeing off over a lake into a wide-open fairway, I nailed my drive about 280 yards. The ball flew straight as an arrow, and landed smack in the middle of the fairway. The ping from my Bertha echoed through the hills.
Jeremy's shot of the day: The 11th hole has a rocky stream flowing up the right side. The sharp dogleg right forces you to hit over the stream to get to the green. After landing my second shot in the thick grass just before the stream, I hit my pitching wedge eighty yards, and it landed two feet from the pin. Easy putt for par made my day.
Jason and Jeremy would like to thank STONEBRIDGE Golf Club's management for their hospitality!
| 9 holes | $26 / $32 | |
| 18 holes | $44 / $54 | |
| Gas Cart | included and required | |
| Specials | after 3:00, $37 for 18 | |
| after 3:00, $27 for 9 | ||
| Yardage | Blue / 6932 |
| White / 6458 | |
| Yellow / 6032 | |
| Red / 5075 |
| Phone | (734) 429 - 8383 |
| Food at the turn | Yes. Full service kitchen |
| & beer. | |
| Titleist TD 90 | $9.00 |
| Driving range | Yes |
| Putting green | Yes |
| Season end | Early November |
| Payment | Cash, Visa, Mastercard, |
| AMEX | |
| 19th hole? | Yes |
Technology | Corporate | Global Blue | Alumni