I don’t know how much noise it’s made overseas, but here in Australia, the motoring wires have been buzzing this week due to the arrival of a limited edition Volvo S60 tuned by Volvo’s racing partners, Polestar. This package has been put together specifically for the Australian market and Volvo Cars Australia will only sell 50 of them, each of the cars individually numbered.

A quick description, from the Fairfax press here in Australia:

Under the bonnet is the same 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbocharged engine in the T6 model, albeit tweaked to deliver an extra 18kW of power (242kW or 325hp) and a torque boost of 40Nm (to 480Nm) thanks to software upgrades.

It even matches its donor car’s official fuel use and emissions figures of 10.2 litres per 100 kilometres and 243g/km CO2. We managed 11.3L/100km during our time behind the wheel, including spirited driving through tight, twisting roads around Wollemi National Park in New South Wales.

Despite the performance gains, the official numbers again fail to live up to the car’s real-world abilities. At 5.8 seconds, it might only manage a 0-100km/h time of just 0.3 seconds less than the regular S60 T6, but it’s the Polestar’s impressive rolling acceleration that is likely to have buyers hand over the extra cash.

Unlike the US version, the Australian S60 Polestar is the only one of its kind in the world to receive stiffer springs for even sharper handling over the sporty T6 R Design. The Stateside version doesn’t get the sports exhaust system, bigger wheels or lower ride height either.

It sounds to me like the other Swede might be using us far away Aussies as guinea pigs for a wider rollout. Fair enough.

So why am I writing about an admittedly impressive-sounding Volvo here at Inside Saab?

There was a time, not so long ago, when Saab were the undisputed sporting choice for the Swedish car buyer. This goes right back to the earliest days of Saab, with their lightweight, tossable chassis and high-revving stroker engines. It continued through the days of the 99Turbo, the 900T 16V and even the 9000 Aero and 9-3 Viggen. By those later stages, however, Volvo were beginning to shed their block-of-flats design language and were starting to include some performance versions of their own. I still observe some of those early ‘R’ wagons with a degree of admiration.

Saab’s most recent quasi-performance edition was the 2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X, a car that received a sitting ovation, mostly due to tamer-than-expected performance attributes. People expected the Turbo X’s output to be significantly raised over the standard 9-3 Aero V6 due to the addition of the XWD system. The truth of the matter turned out to be that the Turbo X was much more about XWD than it was about flat-out performance.

I have a feeling that the enthusiast set – me included – will come to appreciate the Turbo X much more as time passes, because it IS a great performing car on the road, even if the numbers on paper aren’t significantly different to other models. I know whenever I see one that I stop and stare, and my guess is that others do, too.

But back to the point…..

The S60 Polestar is a factory built collaboration between Volvo and Polestar, offered by Volvo Australia with the full Volvo three-year, unlimited kilometer warranty. It’s selling here in Australia for just over A$80,000 (previous S60R models from nearly 10 years ago sold for $20K more than that). All things considered, that’s a decent package.

I’d like to send a challenge out to Saab’s engineers and marketers – let’s not let Volvo have this ground to themselves.

Saab has the perfect performance partner, Hirsch Performance, from Switzerland.

Anyone who’s driven a car enhanced with Hirsch Performance gear knows that it’s a wonderfully integrated package that looks fantastic and drives even better than it looks. I first drove a Hirsch Saab 9-5 around 5 years ago and it was wonderfully, deliciously brutal when you wanted it to be, while still retaining all of the smooth qualities of the 9-5.

Saab has had a lot to contend with in the last two years – the carve-out from General Motors, the launch of the Saab 9-5 and 9-4x, and of course there are the severe troubles that the company has faced during 2011 and the immediate threat we face to our continued existence. We need to focus on getting past these obstacles and getting back on our feet.

I can’t help but think, however, that a project like the integration of Hirsch Performance into our factory offerings would instil a bit more pride, a bit more fight, into the Saab brand once we’re back on our feet. I know there are people in the upper echelon at Saab who are interested in these thoughts, too. As mentioned, though, we’ve just had too much on our plate in recent times to take it further.

We simply can’t let the ball-bearing manufacturers from Gothenburg have the fun side of Swedish motoring all to themselves. Can we?

The good news is that Saab did start working on greater use of Hirsch products with the 9-3 Independence Edition Convertible. I know there have been problems with those being built due to our current circumstances, but it’s still a step in the right direction for greater Saab-Hirsch integration.

The Saab 9-3 Griffin, using the new direct-injected 2.0T engine would be the perfect canvas for Saab and Hirsch to collaborate and produce a feisty product that could get some tongues wagging and a price point comparable to that S60 Polestar.

Just a little food for thought……

Sapan has written to me overnight, with the following query. As it’s not a task I’ve previously investigated, I thought I’d open the question up to readers here and see if anyone has had experience with short-term vehicle relocations across oceans.

I am going to Europe for a month or so and I wanted to bring my car there to drive.

Here are a few factors I see as potential issues

• Transportation (Someone Reliable and trust worthy)
• Can I even drive my car in Europe for that amount of time legally? MOT Laws etc? Do I need to pay VAT Etc? Insurance etc.
• Transportation back as well (Again this would be solved if I found a worthy carrier).

You may ask what my main goal is? Well, plain and simple, it’s tackling the Nurburgring.

I also want to visit both Maptun and Hirsch. Get my car ready to go fully functional with stock items and then head for the Nurburgring and see how fast a time I can set!

I know this sounds pretty crazy but I am just testing the waters to see if its even financially feasible at the moment!

This sounds like a more-than-worthy automotive quest, to me.

As mentioned, I’ve not looked into anything like this before, however a quick Google search of trans-atlantic car carriers did produce a few companies that might be worth looking into. If those companies are worth their salt, they might also have answers to the regulatory approvals you need to get along the way.

——

If you’ve embarked on an adventure like this before, maybe you can help Sapan get his Turbo X to The Ring and back again.

Comments are open.

–

The 9-7x has reappeared, however, in an interesting list on Inside Line, and I don’t mind covering one or two of those less palatable models in Saab’s history.

Inside Line has posted a Top 100 Worst Cars of All Time list and the Saab 9-7x, thankfully the only Saab to make an appearance, comes in at #49.

49. 2006 Saab 9-7X: The only Saab ever built in Moraine, Ohio, was a gussied-up Chevy TrailBlazer. It’s definitive proof that GM’s ownership of Saab was completely misbegotten.

——

Every internet list contains some contentious entries and this one from Inside Line is no different. The Saab 9-7x shares this dubious “Worts 100″ honour with some cars that I really like, including a couple of Ferraris, the Porsche 914, the AMC Gremlin and the Ariel Atom. Then again, there’s also the Rover SD1, the Aston Martin Cygnet and a whole fistfull of Chevys and Cadillacs to confirm the list’s credentials.

Was the Saab 9-7x really one of the worst 100 cars of all time?

Back in 2008 I had the opportunity to drive a 9-7x Aero in Detroit. The Aero at that time was the one with the 5million horsepower engine out of the Corvette.

It wasn’t the most pleasant truck I’ve seen, but it was far from the worst. It had a pretty well appointed interior and was a comfortable place to hang out. The engine had a magnificent, sonorous note and the only thing that kicked you in the guts harder than the sound was the speed. It was genuinely fast for a vehicle of its size. The 9-7x had no major (or minor) systemic issues and as far as I’ve been able to trace, was subject to only one recall (which affected 850,000 GM vehicles).

So what was the problem?

Simple. The Saab 9-7x was the wrong decision, the worst decision, for the Saab brand.

Whilst the Saab 9-7x did sell well (it was the second best selling Saab in the US for each year it was available) and whilst it did expose Saab to some new customers, the vehicle was crucified in the press.

When the Saab 9-7x was released, the motoring press had only just finished laying into Saab over the similarly ill-begotten 9-2x, which was a rebadged, re-nosed and improved Subaru Impreza WRX. It didn’t matter that the 9-2x was actually a great car to drive and was genuinely improved by the changes made to the regular Rex. The makeup was thin and people saw straight through it. Moreover, all this happened at a time of huge growth in web based automotive blogging and reporting, complete with all of the acid-laced mockery that the birth of social media brought with it.

The Saab 9-7x simply added fuel to the fire.

GM had long been a kicking post for badge-engineering skeptics, and rightly so. When they pushed out a warmed-over Chevrolet and asked people to accept it as a European luxury SUV….. well, it was little wonder that most of them were sold to GM employees in Michigan.

It’s ironic that the 9-2x got the bigger kicking of the two. The Saab 9-2x had the comparative advantage of being a wagon with a turbocharged engine and genuinely good performance. The 9-7x had little other than the badge. It wasn’t that Saab didn’t try. Many modifications were made to make the 9-7x perform and handle better than its forebears. The bottom line: it just wasn’t a Saab.

Is the Saab 9-7x one of the worst 100 motor vehicles of all time?

Objectively, no. Not at all. It’s a reasonable looking vehicle with great performance and better-than-acceptable comfort. It’s probably the best vehicle GM ever made on that particular platform.

Subjectively speaking, however, it was a PR disaster and for some people out there, it was another reason to view Saab in a negative light.

——

Have you ever had a chance to drive the Saab 9-7x, or did you own one? What did you think of it? Comments are open.

–

–

For those who are not so familiar with Saab’s history, the shadow of the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan looks very much like the silhouette of Saab’s older, teardrop-shape vehicles dating right back to the first Saab 92 and through to the Saab 96.

A wonderful photo capturing yesterday inside today.

Steven, I do not mean to post an off-topic response to this particular discussion, but I do have a question about future products. Has Saab considered introducing a hybrid model (gas + battery) into its line up? I know that you had written about various diesel options, but here in the US, there are few diesel cars and the models you find are incredible expensive. It seems the new ultra-efficient “hype” in the US is around solar and electric.

So, does Saab have any such product currently in development?

This is a great opportunity to talk more about something I’m very keen on promoting – the incredible engineering expertise that Saab holds as a company. It’s one of the key reasons this company has so much value.

When you say “gas + battery” people might automatically think of something like the Chevrolet Volt. In that case, the answer is No. We’re not doing a range-extended electric car that’s also powered by a gasoline engine.

However……

Last year, Saab partnered with a company called American Axle to form a joint venture called e-AAM. The main focus of e-AAM’s work is a new electric drive system that will work in conjunction with a gasoline powered car to produce an electrically assisted all-wheel-drive system. The rights to the name eXWD have already been filed.

e-AAM, which formally started operations on October 1 last year, is being led by Peter Johansson, a third-generation Saab guy known as the guru of XWD (he’s the guy Saab sent around the world to introduce the XWD system back in 2008, and he used to build AWD systems with his dad for their privateer rally team).

Some historical reading on eXWD and e-AAM:

Ny Teknik, a Swedish technology magazine, took a good look at the e-XWD system and predicted that it could be a bigger than turbocharging for Saab.

XWD is already the leading system in the world for delivering optimum traction. The downside is that there are efficiency losses in the system, as well as weight gains that can and should be lowered. e-XWD is the answer to that.

In short, you get an electric motor to drive the rear axle in combination with the gasoline engine driving the front. The system weighs around 40% less than a fully mechanical XWD system, and it also thinks and works faster.

Bottom line: when crunching the numbers for the Saab PhoeniX concept car, engineers calculated diesel-like fuel consumption numbers at around 5 litres per 100 kilometers from the 1600cc 200hp gasoline engine and that’s with the benefits of XWD traction for safety and performance.

Back in 2010, I did an interview with Saab engineering guru Mats Fägerhag and I think you’ll find that that article gives a good insight into the system, and why Saab were so keen on developing it:

The technology involves two electric motors being used on the rear axle. Conventional thinking would be to have two large electric motors, one for each wheel. Large motors mean large batteries, or a generator. That means weight, and lack of economy.

The new system developed by Saab, which will be completed by e-AAM is different. There will be a large electric motor providing power and torque. In addition there will be a smaller electric motor that will handle the torque vectoring between the rear wheels. This means a smaller battery, less weight, but a heap more torque that’ll be precisely controlled by the combination rear axle motors.

For initial expected use, the car will still have an internal combustion engine in the front. It’s expected that fuel consumption will be below the fuel consumption of a regular front wheel drive car.

AWD technology and handling with better-than-FWD fuel economy. Now that’s an attractive offering.

As mentioned in that article, the e-XWD system is slated for use in the replacement for the Saab 9-3. The article mentioned a 2012 launch date, which has been pushed out due to this year’s events.

–

I should mention that this isn’t just pie-in-the-sky theoretical stuff.

Auto Motor and Sport magazine have driven a prototype vehicle and e-AAM have a Youtube channel where you can see some winter testing video from last year.

This is real.

–

From one Swedish company to another, I just wanted to pass along some congratulations to Koenigsegg for their recent supercar achievement. First, because they’re Swedish, and second, because they’re super-cool. They are the epitome of “Subzero”.

I was very pleased to read my news feeds today and see that Koenigsegg have just been awarded a Guinness World Record for the fastest car to accelerate from zero to 300km/h and then back to zero again.

0-300-0 in just 21.19 seconds.

——

For those of you who don’t know, there is some history between Koenigsegg and Saab. A group fronted by Koenigsegg tried to buy Saab from General Motors back in 2009. That bid ultimately fell short when Koenigsegg pulled out of the deal in November 2009.

During that time, I had a chance to meet Christian von Koenigsegg at the Frankfurt Motor Show, when the Saab 9-5 was launched. In 2010, whilst on holiday in Sweden, I had a chance to visit the Koenigsegg facility in Ängelholm and take a tour of the factory.

I also got to go for a ride

We didn’t do the 0-300-0 run, but we came close…..

–

The engineering in these cars is absolutely amazing. The “no-hands” run should give you an idea as to just how rock-solid these cars are. The acceleration is brutal and as you can hear from my reactions, the braking is just as enjoyable.

So, again, my congratulations to this outstanding Swedish company on being recognised by Guinness for their work.

For those who do love to shop, I thought I’d help you see the day in with a fanfare, provided by the Saab Black Turbo Orchestra.

I love a good exhaust note……..

–

–

–

–

——

And a note to self……

I’ve got to get some seat time in a Turbo X. I’ve only driven it once and the more I see them, the more I want one. It’s truly an outstanding machine.

–

Norfolk Island is a self-governing territory, but part of Australia. It’s located approximately 1,500km off the east coast of Australia, in the Pacific Ocean. Did I say small? The island is only 32 sq km in size and has just 80km of roads (the cows get right of way).

Apparently this is one of two Saabs on the island, the other being a Saab 9000. I’m not sure if this one’s coming, going, or the reason why, but the message relayed to me included the possibility that it was time for a service.

I know of one guy who used to do a round trip of several thousand kilometers in Africa to get his 9-5 Aero serviced. It would be a big call to figure out who’s undertaking a more arduous trip.

–

That’s some considerable distance from being accurate. The sad fact is that we weren’t able to fill an order for the Swedish police due to our production halt. We could not assure them of delivery by their required date and sadly, they had to shop elsewhere. It had nothing to do with any opinion they held about the car. In fact, they were very keen on the Saab 9-5, as you can see below.

The Swedish police evaluated the Saab 9-5 V6 for operational purposes in September 2010 and I’ve received the OK to share their findings here on Inside Saab. This is a public document and as such, can’t be altered from the original Swedish, but I have been allowed to provide a translation in text.

This is somewhat different to a regular road test. There’s no comments on who the car’s vehicular relatives might be, no whipcrack remarks about re-sale, interior materials or competitive placement. It’s all purely and simply about how the vehicle performs relative to the needs of the police force. The police have to be able to drive the pants off this car if necessary, and still feel confident that the car will be stable and dependable.

——

Page 1 provides some details as to the test itself: location, who was present and the type of vehicle tested.

The car is a Saab 9-5 V6 and is noted as being a prototype (i.e. pre-production) vehicle with a chassis setup specifically for the police. The weather was 11 degrees C, with dry and sunny conditions. It also states in summary the tests performed and a pass or fail grade: Brakes, Konbana (slalom), Evasive Actions, Brakes with Evasive Actions, Emergency Driving on Public Roads.

At the bottom, you can see some green text with a check mark, stating that the vehicle is considered suitable as a police car.

Page 2 is concerned with the braking test, checking brake temperatures and braking distances over a session of 10 braking runs.

The tester notes the following:

The vehicle in question had an incorrect type of vacuum pump which affected the braking distance slightly. Overall, there was nothing to complain about, with no fading at all.

Page 3 – ‘Konbana’ is a slalom course (the fun stuff!). Note that the test course was driven without stability control up to 75km/h without incident or difficulty.

The drivers remarks translate as follows:

Fantastic handling, excellent response throughout the manoeuvre. The chassis is impressive. Even without the electronic stability control system there is no problem to run the course.

Page 4

Minimal notes on page 4.

Page 5 – This test was concerned with braking and evasive manoeuvres, conducted at increasing speeds.

The drivers notes from this test:

An extremely stable and flexible chassis. The car does exactly as the driver wants (with) a huge steering response. A really great car, very easy to drive with either under- or oversteer. It lets nothing on the outer wheel, the fact that you can travel at nearly 2.5 tonnes will not even notice. Power steering is very precise and easy to handle.

The chassis is so well prepared and adapted to the weight, to manoeuvre clear without a hitch. Even without a ESP system switched on, no problem taking the car through the course at 105 km/h – which must be considered a new record!

And the final page:

Final remarks:

There is nothing negative to say at all, a fantastic chassis.

Lateral movements at high speeds (~ 220 km / h) are very stable and safe.

Altogether it is estimated that this chassis is the best thing that has ever been tested and therefore awarded the highest rating class: full marks

——

So there you see the results for yourself.

These vehicles would have been supplied in the Swedish market and I spoke briefly with Saab’s Director for the Nordic region, Magnus Hansson.

We received great feedback from the Swedish Police, who are as heartbroken as we are that we weren’t able to deliver cars to them this year. Based on their tests, the looks of the car, and word of mouth amongst the Swedish police etc, they would really love to get into our new 9-5s. We can’t wait to renew our relationship with them in the near future.

It’s to our detriment that we weren’t able to fill the order, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be doing our utmost to do so in the future. We’re very proud of our history in terms of supplying quality vehicles for emergency services in Sweden.

–

Hirsch Performance products are available in select markets around the world. Check with your local Saab dealer.

——

Performance upgrade for the Saab 9-4x Aero

The performance upgrade to 330 hp that Hirsch Performance originally developed for the 9-5 Turbo6 is now also available in a version for installation on the 9-4x Aero. The maximum torque is increased to 430 Nm and is available over a wide rpm band, enchancing driving dynamics even further.

The upgrade is CARB-approved and comes with all nessesary documents. Of course, as with all Hirsch Performance engine upgrades, the Saab factory warranty is completely sustained. Just like with the original calibration for this car, and for all Hirsch Performance upgrades, premium high octane fuel is required to achieve full performance.

Vehicle shown also has Hirsch wheels

——

Premium leather upgrade for the new Saab 9-5 dashboard

The high quality Hirsch Performance leather interior parts for the 9-3 have been a huge success among Saab drivers all around the globe. Building on this success, Hirsch Performance has developed a leather trim set for the instrument panel in the new 9-5.

Available in two different leather finishes, it gives a premium look and feel to the dashboard and the center stack. The version finished in black nappa leather offers an understated, luxurious look, while the embossed carbon leather version combines elegance and sportiness.

In addition to the premium appearance, the black leather used reduces distracting glare in sunny conditions and when driving at night.

——

Sport pedals for the new Saab 9-5

The Hirsch Performance pedals are made from aircraft grade aluminum. The surface is brushed and non-slip rubber pads provide excellent grip.

——

Sports exhaust for the Saab 9-3 Griffin

The new stainless steel exhaust from Hirsch Performance for the model year 2012 Saab 9-3 Griffin offers both aural pleasure and a sporty design.

As with the previous versions, the sound is defined by a smooth, sonorous idle, a relaxed partial load rumble and a gratifying roar at high rpm’s with wide-open throttle.

The cat-back exhaust system is made from stainless steel to ensure outstanding functionality and longevity. The tailpipes are polished, chromed and embossed with the Hirsch Performance logotype – providing a look that is at the same time sporty and elegant.

The new sports exhaust system is backward compatible with all four cylinder gasoline and BioPower engines from model year 03 on, and are available for both US/Canada specification cars as well as for all other markets.

All parts necessary for the installation are included in the package. Fits all trim levels, including Arc, Linear, Vector, Aero etc.

——

Rear diffuser for 9-5 SportCombi and US/Canada 9-5 SportSedan

The Hirsch Performance rear diffuser for the Saab 9-5 is now also available in a version for cars with no rear fog lights integrated in the rear bumper. This includes the future 9-5 SportCombi for all markets, as well as the US/Canada version of the 9-5 SportSedan.

–