atomicbri
atomicbri
Live life in the fast lane... or move the heck over!
View My AgentSpace

Print this Page | Digg It | del.icio.us

Tags: Saab, 9-3, future saab, 2009

Tag Links: Saab, 9-3, future saab, 2009

Saab not resting....Next 9-3 testing....
Even with the recent facelift of the Saab 9-3 not even out yet, Saab is not resting on its laurels. Caught testing is an Opel with what may be Saab underpinnings for the next gen. 9-3. An artist rendering of what it may look like is also here. Read Article
Saab not resting....Next 9-3 testing....



Comments:

Images hosted in your AgentSpace can now be posted in the comments section using the following syntax (case matters):
[img]IMAGE URL[/img]
Example: [img]http://agent004.myautospies.com/users/150/Sample-Gallery/sample1.JPG[/img]
zorbeezezorbeeze - 5/17/2007 12:55:22 PM
+3 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
WOW, that's a sweet design.
Thumbs up to GM with this. Finally giving their brands what they deserve.

reply to this comment
EnnNorakEnnNorak - 5/17/2007 2:14:24 PM
-2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
Yes, the car looks good and I think that Saab is already a true competitor in the "Audi A4/ Mercedes C-Class" arena. GM has the Cadillac Northstar V8 which has already been adopted by the Buick Lucerne. That is the engine I would like to see in the new Saab instead of another weird turbo. The Northstar V8 is powerful yet fuel efficient and, as a V8, is super smooth as well. Saab has always had comfortable seats so this new model should sell well.

reply to this comment
daytonavioletdaytonaviolet - 5/17/2007 4:11:01 PM
+3 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
If they take away the Turbo, they will have stripped the company of all that remains of the Original SAAB. Please don't take that away, we want SAAB to get back to it's roots.

GO SAAB!


motomoto - 5/21/2007 1:56:43 PM
+1 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
Yes, the latest Saab designs look great!

But, no, Saab is not a serious performance competitor to the BMW or Audi, which are sport coupes & sedans bred for the autobahn. There is nothing wrong with that, because few buyers actually explore the limits of vehicle performance, but i guess the audience here is more interested in bragging rights than anything else.

The high-HP Audis are AWD, and the BMWs RWD. Saab cannot offer anywhere near the level of performance with a FWD chassis -- torque steer becomes unmanageable, as any Viggen owner will attest. Most Saab afficianados wish that Saab would return to its off-road rally roots, where 4-season driving capability is more important than who has the most HP.

Only the 9-2X ("9-2WRX") was truly capable of high HP, and GM pulled the plug early on that project before giving it a chance. The 9-2X was the most fun Saab in over a decade because it WAS NOT a heavy V-8 bloatmobile. It was light, agile, and had enough traction to go anywhere, on any road, at any time of year.

A V-8, too, would not fit any current Saab chassis, nor would it be accepted in Europe (remember, Saabs are primarily marketed there, not in the USA). When you pay $6 per gallon of gas, you probably will be less enthusuiastic about driving a V-8. Even with the right gearing for economical highway cruising, no V-8 is fuel economical in urban driving. Tell me how an engine that is twice as heavy and volumous -- which requires a larger and heavier chassis to maintain the same strength and stiffness with a larger engine -- would burn less fuel.

The fact is, turbo engines, pioneered by Saab and others, have proven themselves economical, powerful and reliable. Reliability degrades of course when you tune it for obscene amounts of pressure boost, but that should be obvious. Saab needs to win back buyers with continued innovation in safe, fun, 4-season cars. it should not be chasing German sports cars for Nurburgring lap times, nor should it be another outlet for GM V-8s and Trailblazer chassis. In my opinion, Saab needs another sporty 3-door hatchback in the worst way.


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 5/17/2007 2:50:49 PMView My AgentSpace
+4 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
They shouldn't be resting on their laurels, because they just can't afford to. Saab is hanging on by the skin of their teeth, no thanks to GM. I want the real Saab back.

reply to this comment
EnnNorakEnnNorak - 5/17/2007 11:26:03 PM
-2 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
I guess I just hate turbos because the early ones were unreliable and had bearings that were not properly cooled. Any mechanical device that is continuously exposed to high temperature raises a red flag for me. Also Saab had some sort of asymmetrical turbo arrangement for a few years that made no sense at all. Original Saabs in the U.S. in the fifties had 2-stroke engines -- I'm sure current emissions regs would not allow us to go back to those roots. I would not mind if Saab used a supercharged engine but I still think GM should install the normally aspirated DOHC Northstar V8 into the Saab.

reply to this comment
MercedesMercedes - 5/18/2007 6:22:52 AM
+3 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
A V8 Saab would make it pointless in calling it a Saab. There is already enough GM DNA in "Saabs" as it is so no dice to that. It would be the nail in an already closing coffin.



reply to this comment
zorbeezezorbeeze - 5/18/2007 10:46:59 AM
+3 BoostDrop the Boost Up the Boost
No V8 in Saab please. If they really need to put a V8 in the lineup then just make a new larger car, bigger then the 9-5. But for the 9-3 and 9-5 no V8. That's just my opinion.

reply to this comment
To post a comment for this story, you must first Login.

If you do not have an account, you will need to Register (It's Free!).

Most Recent Stories
BMW 7-Series Promotional VideoJaguar Land Rover Developing New Flywheel Hybrid Tech.BMW X6 M with possible twin-turbo V10 Who needs a Prius? 2009 Audi A4 at over 70 mpg!BMW's new X6 hybrid caught testingFerrari working on new hybrid modelsIs Lexus Missing the Boat By Not Having a BMW CS Competitor?EVO Magazine: Nissan Skyline GT-R Birth Of An Icon 1989EVO Magazine Long Term Test: Mitsubishi Evo X FQ-300 SST.....More Exciting Then The M3?BMW planning top secret event for July 8th in Moscow2009 Suzuki SX4 Special Edition With TRIPCarlsson Tuned Mercedes GL500 With 435HP2008 Bentley Continental GTS Black Edition by Project KahnBMW Puts Lexus and Mercedes on Notice - But Did BMW Go Far Enough With Their New 7-Series?Bigger and more powerful Prius in the works2008 Jaguar XKR Portfolio Limited Edition in AustraliaPorsche 911 Powered Trike Troubled Waters by Phoenix Trike WorksPeugeot Builds 50 Millionth Peugeot CarPaolo Martin’s rendering of what the Fiat Topolino should look likeBrazil receives a new Volkswagen Gol 2009 modelSeat reveals schedule until 2010, includes first ever Seat SUVBritish companies plan a new kinetic hybrid flywheel systemTata faces a rough ride as shares dropGordon Murrays T25 City Car SketchesInterior spy pictures of the next-generation BMW 5-seriesSpy pictures of the BMW X6 HybridNew Tatra concept revealed, the 903 concept modelOpel to feature the Insignia hatchback and sedan at the British Motor ShowThe Chevrolet Beat is being considered for the U.S marketBugatti wants a new model, maybe even a four-door-coupeToyota Canada Reduce Retail Prices on 11 ModelsMaybach Exelero Concept for sale for $7.8 millionDetails emerge on 2010 Toyota Prius, more power and better fuel-economy2009 Ford Focus RS images leaked before debutGM To Unleash Corvette S-Limited in JapanA Sneak Peek At Mercedes Benz's European SLR Code Name Z199Leaked Images Have Hit The Web But The Spies Are The First With Full Details Of The New 7-SeriesSTUD or DUD? The 2009 BMW 7 Series Leaks It Way On The WebMINI SUV to spawn a 5-door hatchbackThink June Sales Were Bad? Both GM and Toyota Say Their Sales Will Fall Even FurtherBMW 135i with carbon fiber partsMerrill says GM bankruptcy possibleAUTOEXPRESS UK: Jaguar XKR-S vs Audi R8 vs Nissan GT-RPorsche 997 TARGA Refresh Leaked Before LaunchAudi A5 3.2 Quattro ReviewToyota struggling to meet small car and hybrid demandNow Just What Would You Do For A Tank Of Gas?High Gas Prices Causing European Market DownturnThe Good The Bad And the Ugly - Who Will Rise And Who Will Fall In 2008?Video: New Lexus RX goes testing at Nurburgring