The most recent rumor to spring up in the Saab saga, which was originally posted on Autoblog.nl, is that BMW is considering joining the queue of parties interested in purchasing Saab
But what’s still missing from the Saab formula in these new efforts is the borderline batshit-craziness that we’ve come to love in the Swede’s of yore. Never fear, Saab product developers, we’ve got your backs. Here are ten stunning ideas as to how a real shot of quirkiness can be injected into the brand, and quick. (Well, we’re not sure how quickly the gas turbine-hybrid can be unleashed, but you get the idea.)
It seems that any car-loving person over the age of 35 has an opinion about Saab. You can find all sorts of discussion about whether Saab can make it without a large parent auto company (Saab is now owned by Spyker, the supercar maker, which is about as small—and committed—a parent as you can get). Like most business situations, the issues are complex, but certainly a recent cash infusion from Chinese auto assembler Hawtai along with additional funds from Russian investors, totaling over $300 million, will help Saab in the short term.
Enthusiast rejoice, Saab is back! That’s right, those of you who’ve been patiently waiting for the next iteration of that most comfortable-seated, key-by-the-hand-braked, airplane-vented, griffin-bedecked sporty sedan need wait no longer.
We are currently driving the 2011 Saab 9-5 at our Michigan office. Its 2.0-liter turbo four makes 220 horsepower, and gears are shifted with a six-speed automatic transmission. The exterior on our tester is silver (Glacier Silver Metallic, to be exact), and the interior is black leather.
In Geneva, Saab has revealed its PhoeniX concept car, a showcase of design and technology.
This week, Saab will debut its freshest wagon, the new 9-5 SportCombi, at the Geneva Motor Show.
Saab has unveiled the 9-4X at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the second new model since the Swedish manufacturers rescue by Spyker. When the 9-4X hits dealerships in May of 2011, it will be powered either by a 3.0-liter V-6 that produces 265 horsepower, or the top-spec 300-horsepower 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6.
Saab has pulled back the curtain on its current offering into the world of crossover vehicles with the announcement of the new 9-4X. The mid-sized crossover had faced an uncertain future while General Motors was negotiating the sale of the Swedish brand, but now that Spyker Cars has taken Saab into its stables, we can expect the 9-4X to see the light of day.
Rauno Aaltonen, a name very few people have heard, was a World Rally Championship driver, who just so happens to also be credited for inventing left foot braking. Known as “The Rally Professor,” Aaltonen was born in January 1938, in Turku, Finland. He is regarded as one of the first of the famous “Flying Finns” and started rallying in 1956 at the age of 18.
It is being reported that 36-year-old American Jason Castriota, the designer behind the one-off Ferrari P4/5, Maserati Gran Turismo, and most notably the Bertone Mantide, has taken a position as the head of design at Saab.
Saab’s new Dutch owner Victor Muller is an adamant, outspoken kind of car guy. Exemplifying this sometimes impulsiveness, while we were talking with him near the airport he handed us the key fob to his pre-production 2011 Saab 9-5, and said we could have a spin in it so long as he was our constant passenger.
According to Autocar, Saab is planning on making a competitor to the Audi A1 and Mini Cooper. Referred to by the code name “92,” the minicar is still a few years away from reality.
General Motors has announced that it and Spyker Cars “have reached a binding agreement on the purchase of Saab.”
Earlier this week, we saw the Saab 9-5 SportCombi in cold-weather testing on some snowy roads in Sweden. Now, we have just received a new set of photos, showing the car without the snow all over the hatch.
We don’t know if this speaks to Saab’s optimism for a deal to stay alive, but they are currently testing the 9-5 SportCombi, as these spy photos show. Caught in northern Sweden, the wagon version of the 9-5 is chugging around in the cold as though nothing is wrong.
With the death of Saab still fresh on our minds, a new report states that General Motors might make use of the newly finished 2010 9-5 sedan by rebadging it as a Buick, to better expand that marque’s lineup.
Saab the car company isn’t likely to be around much longer, but Saab the legend will live on indefinitely thanks to a healthy enthusiast community that works hard to keep these cars on the road. That community maintains a strong presence in cyberspace—as do most modern auto clubs—but also offers a more traditional owners club for Saab faithful to join.
Last week, we reported that General Motors announced it would kill the Saab brand after a failed deal to sell it to Spyker Cars. Not so fast.
Shopping for niche machines like the 900 can be intimidating to the uninitiated, and for good reason. Unique vehicles invariably come with unique problems requiring expensive, hard-to-find parts, and if you’re not much of a mechanical master, finding someone to handle the repair can be the greatest challenge of all. Yes, the Saab 900 Turbo meets all the aforementioned criteria, but it can also be a reliable, million-mile survivor when maintained by knowledgeable hands. More on that to come.
Saab is done for. So it goes. But, what of the brand loyalists? What will they do when they’re done swallowing sadness and it’s time to buy a new car? Who will offer a new home to the Saab orphans?
Here are the top ten brands.