Notes from New York – Part 2 – it’s all about PhoeniX

April 20, 2011 3:49 Line

By: Swade

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Today was day 2 in New York City, leading up to Saab’s PhoeniX Concept getting it’s official US unveiling at the New York International Auto Show. Today was all about PhoeniX.

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Whenever a new Saab is unveiled, I’ve always taken great effort in telling people not to judge it from photos. People are very passionate about Saab design and that passion tends to lead to strong reactions when something new comes along. I tell people again and again……. You have to go to an event and see the car for yourself, for real.

I’m going to have to add a new element to this mantra of mine – it’s also highly recommended, wherever possible, to go and see a new car in an outdoor setting.

Last night, the bystanders who saw PhoeniX at the night time photo shoot absolutely loved the car. Go read their quotes for yourself, if you like.

Today, I met up with a few friends who were covering the PhoeniX press event. Jeff P is one of the writers for Saabs United. Steve C is a big Saab fan and is attending the auto show press events due to his work with the National Motorists Association. Today was the first time seeing PhoeniX for both of them and I think it’s fair to say that both of them were quite smitten by the end of the encounter.

So…. see it for yourself, and if the rare opportunity presents, see it outdoors, where it can mingle with buildings and other cars like it would in a more real world scenario.

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Jeff and Steve were just a part of the automotive press contingent who came down to Chelsea Piers today to view PhoeniX and have a chat with Jason Castriota.

The weather didn’t play into our hands, but there were still a good number who came out and took a guided tour around the car with the man responsible for its design. Here are a few photos showing how the morning unfolded.

Spare a thought for these guys. Today’s press viewing was the final part of a photo shoot that began at 10pm and continued all through the night, finishing at 1pm today. They’d been awake the whole time, looking after PhoeniX.

I couldn’t resist. This is me taking a photo of a man (SCNA photographer, Len) who’s taking a photo of a man (Top Gear photographer, Joe) taking a photo of a man (Jason Castriota). If anyone was taking a photo of me at the time, please pass it on.

Jason Castriota giving one of many guided tours of the car today. A brave effort, given the conditions.

Anders holds the remote keys that everyone would love to get their hands on – the keys to PhoeniX.

Mother Nature didn’t serve us well today, but PhoeniX still managed to shine on the grounds of Chelsea Piers in New York. Chelsea Piers is a very busy sports complex on the banks of the river and PhoeniX put a smile on the faces of many people passing by, too.

Loading up, in waiting for the big unveiling at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday morning. The car will be hidden away until then.

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I shot the following video towards the end of today’s press event. Unfortunately there was just a little too much ambient noise for the camera to catch the engine and exhaust note properly. I’m sure you’ll enjoy seeing PhoeniX in motion, nonetheless.

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Notes from New York – Part 1

April 19, 2011 15:15 Line

By: Swade

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Greetings from The Big Apple!

We are here for the New York International Auto Show, which starts this Friday, April 22.

It’s my first time in New York City and all I can say is “Wow! What a place!” I’ve travelled to a few great locations for Saab events and Auto Shows but rarely has one city so completely exceeded my expectations – and I’ve barely scratched the surface here.

There is something new and fascinating to see with even just the slightest shift of your eyeballs. From the glamorous stores to the architecture, from the lights of Broadway to the people walking the manicured dogs owned by the well-to-do on 5th Avenue – there’s always something to see. And the food! This city can cook, believe me!

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It’s been heartwarming to see a decent number of Saabs on the streets here. I’ve seen more than I expected in such a large and busy city. For those of you keeping score the first Saab-spot was a black 9-5 SportCombi on Grand Central Parkway, around 15 minutes after I left JFK a few days ago.

The “wow” factor kicked in last night when I spotted a black classic 900 Convertible parked on the street. Unfortunately I was zooming by in a taxi and didn’t have time to get my camera out, but I might head back to the same district tonight and see what I can see…..

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Events so far in New York……

I had a small dinner meeting on Sunday with some readers from my Saabs United days. A few others tried to make it but were hampered by some unfortunate logistics. We had a great time, regardless.

Yesterday I headed down to the Javits Center to check out the setup of the Saab stand. It was mayhem down there as all the manufacturers had crates of equipment being hauled in, opened up, with staging areas being assembled, etc.

Last night was very special as the Saab PhoeniX Concept vehicle hit the streets of New York. I can’t say anything about where and I certainly can’t show you any photos from the night as it was all for a magazine shoot and we need to wait until the issue hits the streets. What I can tell you is that PhoeniX drew a LOT of attention from passers-by.

I think it’s fair to say that PhoeniX has been a vehicle that has forced people to have opinions. You can’t see the car and remain neutral about it.

Seeing it in a cityscape last night was a new revelation for me and from the quotes I collected from people passing by (everyone stopped to ask about it and you’ll probably see some cellphone photos out there on the web).

WHAT kind of car is THAT? (Nearly everyone)

It looks like a small batmobile! (20-something guy)

It’s a Saab? Get outta here! (Around 10 different people, some stopping their cars to check it out)

Is it a hybrid? (Again, a number of different people, showing how hybrids are gaining attention here)

Do you want me to pose in front of it? (Very nice lady, passing by with her husband – they hung around for about 10 minutes checking it out)

If that came into my workshop, I’d be having dreams about it for months. (Young mechanic in training)

Is that the Aero-X? (The same young mechanic, who obviously pays some attention to his Saab concepts)

Is that really from Saab? But they’re famous for making the ugliest cars in the world. (Something I’d clearly disagree with)

It’s so hot. It’s amazing. (Another 20-something guy).

That’s not a filtered list. It’s everyone that I got to speak to personally and as you can see, the reaction was uniformly positive on the streets last night. It really was great to see PhoeniX in a different environment.

Did I mention I got to hear it running, too? The 1.6 turbo sounded fantastic.

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Today I’ll be back down at the Javits Center, taking a look at the final stages of setup for the Saab stand.

Before that, however, we have a press event featuring Jason Castriota down at Chelsea Piers. There should be plenty of media there.

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Saab PhoeniX Concept prepares to take flight

April 18, 2011 23:13 Line

By: Swade

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Greetings from New York, where preparations for the New York International Auto Show are well and truly underway. I’m writing to you from the Saab stand, which is still under construction leading up to the first press day on Wednesday.

Whilst we’re beavering away here at the Jacob Javits center, the Saab PhoeniX Concept is sitting in waiting, ready to make it’s North American debut at the show. How does a one-of-a-kind concept car keep an appointment nearly half way around the world?

Very carefully…..

If you can make it to the Javits Center from April 22 to May 1, you’ll get to see PhoeniX, as well as the new Saab 9-4x, the new Saab 9-5 SportCombi and the rest of the Saab range.

Saab will be conducting a number of press events in New York over the next few days, culminating in their official press conference on Thursday morning. I’ll be attending all events and reporting on them here at Inside Saab.

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Welcome to Inside Saab

April 18, 2011 13:41 Line

By: Swade

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It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Inside Saab – a new initiative from Saab Automobile to bring the company closer to its enthusiast community.

My name is Steven Wade. Those who know me – and many who don’t – call me Swade. I’ll be your host on a journey into the heart of this wonderful carmaker. Some of you may be familiar with my previous work at a site called Saabs United, where a community gathered to support Saab as they were sold by General Motors to become an independent company back in 2009/10.

Saabs United continues in good hands, but Saab has decided to take a big leap of its own into the social media space, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be invited along for the ride. To work for one’s favourite company, in such an exciting industry and at such a unique time in history is an enthusiast’s dream. I’ve been on board with Saab for just two weeks and I’m already bursting at the seams over the things I’ll be able to share with you here. I’m even more excited about the things I can’t share, but we’ll get to those eventually.

Saab is blessed with a passionate and engaged enthusiast community. Rather than just have you read press releases, we want to bring you Saab’s story from the inside, and from an enthusiast’s point of view.

  • How do we design and build our cars?
  • Who are some of the people involved?
  • What goes on behind the scenes?
  • What happens at Saab events around the world?
  • How can you connect more with Saab?

We don’t want you to just read more about Saab. We want you to experience more, too. We’ll give you plenty of information about official Saab events around the world and how you can participate.

A conversation needs two or more people. We invite you to connect with us here at Inside Saab via the comments section of the site. You can also connect by being a fan of Saab Cars on Facebook, or following Saab’s official twitter feed. We’ll add more outlets for connection as time goes on.

Saab has a rich history, filled with superb, iconic vehicles and stories of innovation, determination and triumph over adversity. These are still challenging times for Saab, but they are also exciting times as we build on our independence and bring you an all-new range of Saab vehicles and technology.

You’ll be able to read about it all, right here on Inside Saab.

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