Anyone seen the "new" SAABs from Honda, and BMW?
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Jan. 27, 2010 3:50 p.m. oldeskewltoy New Reader
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Jan. 27, 2010 4:02 p.m. jrw1621 Dork
I parked next to a Honda Crosstour today. That thing is HUGE.
More SUV-like than car-like.
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Jan. 27, 2010 4:45 p.m. Slyp_Dawg New Reader
hm, maybe Saab might end up producing a more grassroots-level mid-engine RWD car, as sort of a little brother to the Spyker C8? similar-ish styling, but a 2.0L inline 4 paired to either a 6 speed manual or a 6 speed slushbox with a PROPERLY layed out sequential mode (pull BACK on the stick to upshift, not this push forward to upshift business), with a sub-3.0L V6 mated to the same choice of gearboxes for the I4. oh, and a bit more ride height, and much much cheaper to maintain and own overall than the C8 they could really do whatever they wanted engines wise, for the time being they've got the whole GM engine and gearbox range to choose from
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Jan. 27, 2010 4:49 p.m. Snowdoggie HalfDork
pres589 wrote:
The possibilities are great but the realities are scary. How is this not like Studebaker / Packard all over again? When was the last time either of these companies made money?
Studebaker tried to pass off badge engineered Studebakers as Packards and people saw through it. I don't see this as the same unless these guys try to pass off a badge engineered Saab as a Spyker.
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Jan. 27, 2010 5:11 p.m. pinchvalve UberDork
Andy Reid wrote:
Now my new 9-3 Aero AWD V6 seems like an even better deal for the new price of 28k. I think those deals are likely to evaporate now.
SCREAMING deal for that car.
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Jan. 27, 2010 7:34 p.m. alfadriver Dork
Slyp_Dawg wrote:
hm, maybe Saab might end up producing a more grassroots-level mid-engine RWD car, as sort of a little brother to the Spyker C8? similar-ish styling, but a 2.0L inline 4 paired to either a 6 speed manual or a 6 speed slushbox with a PROPERLY layed out sequential mode (pull BACK on the stick to upshift, not this push forward to upshift business), with a sub-3.0L V6 mated to the same choice of gearboxes for the I4. oh, and a bit more ride height, and much much cheaper to maintain and own overall than the C8 they could really do whatever they wanted engines wise, for the time being they've got the whole GM engine and gearbox range to choose from
Couple of things- IF they go RWD, it will take at least a decade. That's so new to Saab for mass production, it's a pretty big tear up for their plants. Any Spyker isn't a good example, since none are designed to be mass produced- it will have to be a ground up design.
Second, which is probably more important- RWD isn't exactly part of Saab's DNA. How many decades ago was the last RWD only Saab? (and I don't actually know that answer- if you know that, it's interesting trivia)
Saab is a 100-200k car manufacturer- which can be done with one I4 and one 6cyl of some type. They can probably get away without going diesel, unless they buy the engine, considering the Euro VI rules coming.
But a new clean sheet engine is incredibly expensive and time consuming.
Hope they can work it out- variety is a good thing.
Eric
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Jan. 27, 2010 9:25 p.m. GForce944 New Reader
I owned a GM era SAAB, a 9-5 Arc. I loved that car, and hated it...like the bad girlfriend analogy. Best combo of turbo performance and luxury I could find for the price. Plagued by little nuisance problems that I blamed on GM's quality control. After 20+ trips in a year to the dealership for warranty work (over 100 miles one way), I sued GM under Lemon Law and they bought it back. I hope SAAB gets back to their roots with their new lease on life. And then, if VW will start building air cooled engines again all will be right in the universe.
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Jan. 27, 2010 10:00 p.m. HappyAndy HalfDork
alfadriver wrote:
Slyp_Dawg wrote:
hm, maybe Saab might end up producing a more grassroots-level mid-engine RWD car, as sort of a little brother to the Spyker C8? similar-ish styling, but a 2.0L inline 4 paired to either a 6 speed manual or a 6 speed slushbox with a PROPERLY layed out sequential mode (pull BACK on the stick to upshift, not this push forward to upshift business), with a sub-3.0L V6 mated to the same choice of gearboxes for the I4. oh, and a bit more ride height, and much much cheaper to maintain and own overall than the C8 they could really do whatever they wanted engines wise, for the time being they've got the whole GM engine and gearbox range to choose from
Couple of things- IF they go RWD, it will take at least a decade. That's so new to Saab for mass production, it's a pretty big tear up for their plants. Any Spyker isn't a good example, since none are designed to be mass produced- it will have to be a ground up design.
Second, which is probably more important- RWD isn't exactly part of Saab's DNA. How many decades ago was the last RWD only Saab? (and I don't actually know that answer- if you know that, it's interesting trivia)
To the best of my knoledge, there has never been a factory built rwd SAAB, but somewhere out in cyberspace there are pics of a c900 with a 5.0 mustang drivetrain.
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Jan. 28, 2010 12:36 a.m. mtn SuperDork
HappyAndy wrote:
alfadriver wrote:
Slyp_Dawg wrote:
hm, maybe Saab might end up producing a more grassroots-level mid-engine RWD car, as sort of a little brother to the Spyker C8? similar-ish styling, but a 2.0L inline 4 paired to either a 6 speed manual or a 6 speed slushbox with a PROPERLY layed out sequential mode (pull BACK on the stick to upshift, not this push forward to upshift business), with a sub-3.0L V6 mated to the same choice of gearboxes for the I4. oh, and a bit more ride height, and much much cheaper to maintain and own overall than the C8 they could really do whatever they wanted engines wise, for the time being they've got the whole GM engine and gearbox range to choose from
Couple of things- IF they go RWD, it will take at least a decade. That's so new to Saab for mass production, it's a pretty big tear up for their plants. Any Spyker isn't a good example, since none are designed to be mass produced- it will have to be a ground up design.
Second, which is probably more important- RWD isn't exactly part of Saab's DNA. How many decades ago was the last RWD only Saab? (and I don't actually know that answer- if you know that, it's interesting trivia)
To the best of my knoledge, there has never been a factory built rwd SAAB, but somewhere out in cyberspace there are pics of a c900 with a 5.0 mustang drivetrain.
I think that there were about 4 original sonnett(1) produced that were RWD, developed completely in the USA in the early 60's. It ended up becoming a kit-racer type deal for the SCCA.
(1) I forget the name, something like quantro... I don't think that it actually shared DNA with a sonnett, but it looked a lot like it. I'd wikipedia it but I'm too lazy.
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Jan. 28, 2010 12:54 p.m. subrew Reader
Sonett.
Not Sonnet.
All Sonetts were FWD.
There were a few Quantum formula cars with the 2-stroke engine in a mid-engine configuration. But that is like saying VW built a bunch of mid engine Beetles because Formula vees exist.
It used a lot of Saab components, including a-arms, brakes, powertrain etc.
Chris H.
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Jan. 28, 2010 1:33 p.m. 4cylndrfury Dork
jrw1621 wrote:
I parked next to a Honda Crosstour today. That thing is HUGE.
More SUV-like than turd-like.fixt
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Jan. 29, 2010 10:53 a.m. Jack SuperDork
oldeskewltoy wrote:
Hmmmmm Jerry Sweet of Sweet Motors will be happy for the news... maybe he'll dust off his rally equipment and................
Since moving from NJ to WA, I miss Jerry, but then again, after 17 years and 250K miles the '88 9000S was totalled out and I wouldn't buy a GMized Saab anyway.
Sweet Motors = Excellent and reasonable Saab work in North Central NJ
Jack
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Jan. 29, 2010 9:47 p.m. Fit_Is_Slo Reader
DukeOfUndersteer wrote:
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Jan. 30, 2010 7:08 a.m. ignorant UltimaDork
jrw1621 wrote:
I parked next to a Honda Crosstour today. That thing is HUGE.
price tag or car? I think it starts above $33 or something.
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Jan. 30, 2010 1:23 p.m. mad_machine PowerDork
The crosstour is not bad looking... and it is smaller than most SUVs and minivans.. so I have great hopes it is the beginnings of a "back to normal" car size
