Saab News

[nordwulf]

[SPGreg]

Cool! In a kitchy sort of way...Even his Bentley makes an appearance!

[SaabWorld]

Filed under: Coupe, Saab



The all-new Saab 9-5 is one of the best looking models to come out of Trollhattan in recent memory, but for now it's only available as a four-door sedan, with a wagon version coming in the very near future. While it's been nearly a decade since Saab discontinued its last coupe based on the 9-3 (okay, so it was a liftback) the 9-5 and its predecessor, the 9000, have never been offered in two-door flavor. However, that hasn't stopped a member of Saabs United, Z!, from breaking out Photoshop and rendering up a 9-5 coupe.

The 'shopped image features some of trademark Saab elements, particularly the downward sloping roofline and bulbous back end. While the proportions and execution may be a bit off (the short doors in particular), it's a reasonable rendering of what Saab could do if they wanted to enter the niche. Handsome as it is, don't expect to see such a model in your local Saab showroom - this is purely a flight of fantasy.

[Source: Saabs United]Rendered Speculation: Saab 9-5 looks rakish as a coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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[SaabWorld]

Filed under: Motorsports, Saab, Rumormill

Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Saab was quite successful in rally competition once upon a time, and it looks like the automaker's new management hopes to kick-start the brand's revival with a return its motorsports roots.

The word out of Europe is that Saab has met with World Rally Championship officials and committed to a 2012 entry into the series with a machine based on its upcoming smaller car. Depending on who you talk to, the new model could be dubbed either the 9-1 or 9-2.

The small car project originally began several years ago when Saab was still under the General Motors umbrella with the car expected to be based on the Gamma platform that underpins the Opel Corsa. As an independent, Saab doesn't have the resources to develop such a platform on its own and is currently talking to other potential partners including BMW and some Chinese makers. Expect its design to be inspired heavily by the Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid concept (above).

If Saab hooks up with BMW, it could have a Mini-based 9-1/9-2 competing against the new Mini Countryman WRC.


Gallery: Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept



[Source: CAR]Rumormill: Saab to enter WRC with new 9-2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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[Shazam]

Rumors... but such good rumors to hear! I'd love to see Saab back in the rally game.

[nordwulf]

I am not sure how I would feel about a Mini-based 9-1/9-2 but it would be cool for Saab to get some publicity trhough the WRC.

[SaabWorld]

Filed under: Saab, Design/Style



Saabs United, the site that played such a noteworthy role in the General Motors-Saab-Spyker cage match earlier this year that Saab gave the site an award, is at it again. This time, Saabs United is voicing concern about Jason Castriota, who was recently named 's Saab's design director. Castriota took the position above longtime Saab designer Simon Padian, who penned the Aero X concept.

Saabs United is worried that Castriota, moving between Turin and New York with his design consultancy and more known for supercars than family sedans, won't get Saab design and might not understand what the next 9-3 should be. And if that car isn't right, then Saab has a lot of trouble on its hands. So Saabs United wrote Castriota a letter detailing its concerns. Castriota, much to his credit, answered with a 2,347-word response.

Castriota acknowledges that there is no way he can prove himself yet to Saab fans, since the first product we'll see from him is at least two years away. But after relating that his first car was a hand-me-down 900 three-door hatch, he does a good job of explaining how his supercar-designing experience isn't really any different than designing for Saab: if you want to make a worthy Ferrari or Maserati, you've got to understand what the brand means and how to move it forward. Only the year 2012 will reveal the truth of the statement, but for Saabphiles, it's an auspicious start.

[Source: Saabs United]New Saab Design Director greets the diehards, calls for "return to Saab's roots" originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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[nordwulf]

I think many of us are/were a bit wary about Castriota but his response to Swade's letter was a good move. It's good to hear about his past and future plans for Saab design. It's a new SAAB so perhaps it's good to get some new design ideas and direction.

[nordwulf]

Automotive News Europe
August 27, 2010

(Bloomberg) -- Saab Automobile is holding technology-sharing talks with three vehicle makers to cut model-development costs and cement its recovery from near collapse, the head of the manufacturer's parent company said.

“We've had discussions with three carmakers,” Spyker Cars CEO Victor Muller said Friday. The company wants an industrial partner to invest technology and cash in an updated version of Saab's classic 92-model compact car of the 1950s, he said.

Muller spoke after Spyker announced a wider first-half loss stemming from its purchase of Saab from General Motors Co. in February. He declined to identify potential partners, citing non-disclosure agreements.

Reviving the Saab model lineup is key to the $1 billion recovery plan that secured GM's backing and 400 million euros ($509 million) in European Investment Bank funding earlier this year. BMW AG is in talks with Saab on sharing components for a new small car, two people familiar with the matter said in June.

The company predicted that it will deliver 45,000 cars in 2010, the lower end of a previous forecast range of 45,000 to 50,000 vehicle sales.

Saab needs an industrial partner or another investor to help fund development of the 92 model, which isn't included in the business plan, Muller said. The car's design would emulate the teardrop shape of the original 1949-56 model, which has appeared on postage stamps.

Saab resumed manufacturing in March after a seven-week hiatus spurred by GM's last-minute attempts to secure a buyer. Following Spyker's acquisition, the brand introduced the 9-5 sedan in May and revived its supplier base and dealer network, now spanning 50 countries.

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...#ixzz0y0W60pQB

[RI Nine Three]

A bunch of new models with some new technology could be just the medicine Saab needs. As long as they can execute with some reasonably priced and reliable models maybe they can once again be turning a profit. Saab hasn't offered the market a lot of "choices" per say throughout their history.