Saabs are weird, funky cars which are most incessantly revered by nerds, be they automotive nerds or college professors, and this particular Saab is likely to be the nerdiest automotive you possibly can buy immediately. It was modified by Scandanavian Airport and Road Systems (SARSYS-ASFT) and sent to Salt Lake City International Airport for duty testing runway friction levels to make sure protected levels of grip for landing planes, and it’s freakin’ badass. It’s currently being auctioned on Bring A Trailer, with just in the future left, so get your checkbooks out now.
This 2004 Saab 9-5 wagon is sort of actually a safer buy than the nightmare 9-3 I used to own, because it has just 29,000 miles and lived a comparatively easy life running runway friction tests for 20 years. With a view to be ready for duty, SARSYS retrofitted it with a roof-mounted light bar, a large water tank instead of the rear seats, an underbody-mounted electronically retractable airplane-style wheel, a central touchscreen control unit, and a printer for test results. In the event you haven’t noticed yet, it’s also painted shiny yellow. It’s an Arc trim wagon, which implies it ain’t very fancy inside, though it has power adjustable and heated leather seats, a five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, and automatic climate control. Much of this wagon’s versatility was compromised in its transition from family hauler to life-saving runway workhorse, but that’s a part of the nerdy cool factor.
How does all of the test equipment work? I’m so glad you asked. Saab was intrinsically linked to aviation, as the corporate was actually founded after World War I as an airplane manufacturer. After World War II ended, Saab needed to pivot with a view to survive, so the corporate put its knowledge of aerodynamics and fabrication into producing automobiles, and the primary quirky little Saabs were born. Within the late Nineteen Seventies, the National Swedish Traffic Research Institute and National Aeronautical Research Institute of Sweden paired with Saab to innovate the primary self-contained surface-friction testing platform, and shoehorned that system into Saab 99s. The concept has remained vastly the identical over time: These cars test the friction levels on airport runways, especially in inclement weather, to make sure that there may be enough grip for airplanes to land safely. Most aviation accidents occur as planes are leaving the bottom or landing on it, and runways face loads of repeated heavy use that may leave rubber construct up even in dry weather.
Runway friction tests are run to scale back the chance of aircraft hydroplaning upon take-off and landing. To run a friction test, the auxiliary wheel is lowered and the pc system always reads the friction levels between the wheel and the runway. The onboard water tank is there for surface-maintenance testing so engineers can simulate wet conditions using a selectably regulated constant-rate spray of water ahead of the measuring wheel. The water system is precise enough to put down specific depths of water as chosen by the operator which allows test engineers to evaluate the runway surface, especially areas with significant rubber buildup from repeated landings.
There aren’t lots of these SARSYS friction test rigs in existence, and even fewer on the private market. Whomever finally ends up with this magnificent example of automotive and aeronautical nostalgia wins the award for coolest person ever in my book, though I fear most individuals will wonder why your shiny yellow station wagon has lights on the roof and no back seat. To whomever buys this 9-5, you’re a large nerd, and a hero.
This Article First Appeared At jalopnik.com
