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by Swade

Saab 9-X Air

September 26, 2008 in Archive

There’s pictures at the links in comments. Really great pics over at Auto Motor and Sport.
Unfortunately, I’ve got to drive off to Vancouver Island in the next hour so won’t have time to publish all the press information, but here’s the summary article.
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World Premiere: Saab 9-X Air Summary
Canopy Top Brings Breath of Fresh Air to Convertible Design
The 9-X Air concept demonstrates what a future convertible from Saab could look like. It features a unique ‘Canopy Top’ – patent pending – and the close-coupled proportions of a sports car, as well as four-seat accommodation.
In breaking the mould of conventional convertible design, the bodywork of the 9-X Air incorporates prominent rear pillars which curve upwards to mount the flat folding Canopy Top. They also anchor a distinctive, wraparound glasshouse, including a separate, recessed rear screen.
Designer Anthony Lo and his team have achieved this execution while still offering the four season, four seater practicality pioneered by Saab when its first convertible concept was premiered at the Frankfurt Show exactly 25 years ago.
Top down or up, the 9-X Air cuts a distinctive silhouette. With the canopy stowed away and the rear screen up, occupants can enjoy open-top motoring free from buffeting. Top up, the 9-X Air assumes the appearance of a true coupé, with a cohesive design that eschews the looks of a conventional, four-seater convertible.
Designed in parallel with the Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept, the 9-X Air shares its distinctive frontal styling, together with its highly efficient powertrain. The small, 1.4-liter Saab BioPower engine combines a series of steps for more responsible performance: engine rightsizing, turbocharging, the use of biofuels and hybrid technology.
Running on E85 fuel (85% bioethanol/ 15% gasoline), the engine delivers a sporty 200 hp (147 kW), giving zero to 100 kph acceleration in 7.9 seconds and projected CO2 tailpipe emissions of just 107 g/km over the combined cycle. Compared to gasoline, the overall environmental impact on a source-to-wheel basis of using E85 is even more beneficial.
Progressive Design
The clean, sculpted body contours of the 9-X Air give fresh expression to Saab’s Scandinavian inspired design ethos and its aircraft heritage. The purposeful stance, with minimal overhangs front and rear, is complemented by a single, wraparound window graphic, smooth uncluttered body surfaces and ‘ice block’ lighting themes.
The exterior look is defined by the prominent C-pillars, or buttresses, that provide the rear mounting for the unique Canopy Top – a powered, flat-folding roof developed from a Targa top principle. This innovation in convertible design, which distinguishes between a folding roof and a complete folding soft-top or hood assembly, is subject to a Saab patent application.
The Canopy Top is in fabric, rather than metal, to save weight and provide more efficient packaging. It is fully automatic in operation and folds neatly in three small sections under a rear tonneau cover in the trunk deck. The rear screen between the buttresses retracts automatically into the underside of the raised tonneau cover to allow stowage of the Canopy Top. The screen then moves back into position to provide a complete glass surround for the cabin in open-top mode.
This ‘surround glass’ feature, together with an active wind deflector on top of the windshield header rail, provides enhanced occupant comfort. It minimizes buffeting, reduces back drafts and eliminates the need for a wind deflector net. Separating the rear screen from the folding top also enables a glass area larger than feasible with a soft top and integral screen.
In a further break with design convention, the 9-X Air dispenses with a trunk lid. Instead, a large storage compartment, big enough to accommodate two golf bags, slides out from underneath the rear light bar. To save weight, it is spring-loaded, without any power assistance, and slides
effortlessly on rollers. Revealed underneath the sliding drawer is a separate compartment for stowing smaller items.
Driver Focus
Inside, the 9-X Air features innovative developments in its driver-focused cockpit design and the provision of seamless connectivity for personal nomadic devices, both first seen in the 9-X BioHybrid.
The driver information zone encompasses the top of the door moulding. It is a fresh execution of Saab’s traditional, driver-focused cockpit layout and dispenses with a central, floor-mounted console. The zone is a flat, arc-shaped surface, within which a row of five display screens is embedded and illuminated in green 3-D graphics, including an ‘infotainment’ screen and control panel in the driver’s door.
In co-operation with Sony Ericsson, the 9-X Air and its hatchback sibling also showcase the potential for seamless, wireless connectivity (Bluetooth) with one or multiple nomadic devices (mobile phones, PDAs etc). The in-car interface enables streaming of data, entertainment and satellite navigation functions, which are transferred automatically to the car while the device remains in the user’s pocket.
The smarter the device, the more functions in the car. The same unit could also be programmed to remotely lock /unlock the car, raise or lower the Canopy Top, and even remotely change incar pre-sets. The 9-X Air makes a separate car key fob or remote controller redundant
Efficiency in Design and Performance
The 9-X Air has been created by a team under Anthony Lo, Director of Advanced Design at General Motors Europe, working in co-operation with the Saab Brand Center in Sweden. “Like the 9-X BioHybrid, this car is all about efficiency in design and performance, and that includes the Canopy Top.” says Lo. “It offers important benefits in weight-saving and packaging, as well as giving us the freedom to take convertible design forward in a very Saabish way.
“This is the direction we’re exploring for a future open-top car from Saab. We’re keeping the all-year-round practicality and the four-seat format, but giving it a fresh, sportier expression.”

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Visit Auto Motor and Sport in Sweden for all the best pics.
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by Swade

Modified Saab 900 Talladega – very classy

September 26, 2008 in Archive

This is a Saab 900 SE Talladega as they were originally delivered in the US:

UPDATE: I should have looked this up earlier. The Talladega model enhancements were as follows:

“Talladega 900SE Turbo” models feature 185-horsepower 2.0-litre Turbo engine; black, silver metallic or cayenne red metallic exterior; 7-spoke light alloy 16″ wheels; leather seats and accessories; colour-matched front spoiler, exterior mirrors and turbo rear spoiler (not available on convertible); “Talladega” exterior identification graphics; bumpers with colour-matched top surface; blacked-out bumper trim strips; and black plush floor mats (four)

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Last weekend, in Washington, I met a guy named Jeremy who bought a Saab 900 SE Talladega just like that one, and subjected it to one of the most tasteful makeovers I’ve ever seen on a Saab. In fact, my 17 year old stepson, who’s been immersed in the Fast-and-the-Furious-style Japanese automotive culture (as many teenagers are) is now interested in Saabs again thanks to this car.
Here’s a front and rear view of Jeremy’s Tally:


As you can see, this looks quite a bit different to the original Saab 900 shown above. The list of modifications is extensive, as follows:
- Viggen front and rear bumpers,
- 9-3 SE side skirts,
- 9-3 smoked fender blinkers,
- e-Code headlights and corner lights,
- Viggen spoiler,
- Saab UK top spoiler,
- 9-3 grille with a stainless steel mesh insert,
- 17″ dual three-spoke wheels,
- a Remus-made Viggen Sport Exhaust muffler.
Jeremy writes as follows:

The bumpers came from an east coast Saab dealer on eBay that’s now out of business, the skirts were from my local Saab dealer, Carter Saab; and the top spoiler, wheels, and muffler came from Turner’s Hill Garage, a Saab dealer in England. Their online store doesn’t seem to be around anymore. Everything was painted by a local body shop with BASF Glasurit paint, which I think came out very nicely.
The grille was courtesy of my insurance company after the car was backed into by a pickup truck while parked two days after I bought it. I added the mesh myself, using a piece from eBay. The Viggen front bumper was also paid for by an insurance company a couple of years ago after a Ford Explorer tore off the original bumper, also while my car was parked. The front edge of his rear bumper snagged the back edge of my front bumper while he was pulling out. I also had to put a Fuba Betaflex-D amplified antenna on the roof since the original antenna hole is covered up by the spoiler. It has a shorter 6″ VW mast on it.

Interior mods are as follows:
- carbon fiber dashboard,
- carbon fiber door pulls,
- gearshift knob (official Saab accesories);
- Saab’s accessory armrest,
- Saab door-mounted cupholders,
- a Blaupunkt Bahamas MP46 radio
- all new Boston Acoustics speakers,
- a 10″ subwoofer
- outboard amplifiers for the rear speakers and sub.
Mounted on the center console is a Dension IceLink iPod cradle on Saab’s 9-3 small cell phone mount.
Here’s a few of the interior carbon fiber bits. Australians who have seen a Viggen will be familiar with the carbon fiber dashboard, which was standard kit on the Aussie Vig:


Performance mods are as follows:
- Viggen Sport Exhaust,
- a 3″ stainless steel Taliaferro downpipe,
- Viggen intercooler,
- a Forge bypass valve,
- custom 3″ air intake (3″ plastic pipe fitted into the stock airbox with a K&N air filter),
- SAS rear swaybar,
- 17″ wheels with 215/45R17 front and 225/45R17 rear Pirelli P-Zero Nero M+S tires,
- Abbott springs,
- a TD04 turbocharger.
Jeremy also replaced the original cable-operated clutch with a hydraulic mechanism and a Viggen clutch and pressure plate.
In terms of what he’d like to do in the future, Jeremy has the following plans:

There are only a few things I’d like to add in the future. First is a stage 4 ECU. I haven’t decided which company to go with, though. If I can ever find a good deal on them, I’d also like to install Viggen side skirts, and last, I need to hook up the headlight levelers on the headlights and get a new pair of middle mudflaps. I threw the originals away, but decided I’d like them back for that quirky Saab look. This weekend or next the red LEDs in the radio will get replaced with green ones to match the rest of the dashboard. There’s always something to do with that car!

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I really, really like the look Jeremy’s created with this car. If the next generation Saab 9-5 follows the Aero-X in having a wraparound rear light assembly, then this car is quite possibly going to look more contemporary that any Saab 9-3, thanks to its 9-3 Aero/Viggen body effects and that beautiful red decor panel that stretches between the tail lamps.
Jeremy’s done a really good job of capturing the all the best parts of the 900/9-3 model range and combining them into one car.
Kudos to him, and thanks also for being willing to share the details of the vehicle here with the rest of us!


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by Swade

Saab 900 with Saab 900 trailer

September 26, 2008 in Archive

Like me, you might have seen the occasional photo of a red Saab convertible with a red Saab trailer floating around the internet. I can’t remember if I saw them in a forum, or on Flickr, but when I first saw the photos that John C sent to me, I had a sense of the familiar.
What I knew nothing of, however, was the story behind the trailer – which is the story that John’s passed on for sharing here at TS.
I just love original projects like this. Enjoy.
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Saab and a half……Or Clifford and Harvey (halfy) as my daughter prefers.
My daughter named our 1991 T16S convertible Clifford as he’s red, has a name tag (the Clifford alarm plate) after the children’s cartoon character Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Harvey, well, let me explain about Harvey.
Last year we went on holiday to Albas in the Lot region of France, and after many an evening enjoying the good food and very good wine, we bemoaned the fact we had flown, which severely limited the amount of wine we could take home.
After one particularly long day enjoying the fruits of the region and several hours evaluating the possibility of resurrecting our guests’ VW Karmann Ghia Conv from the boathouse, our guests knowing we had a passion for Classic 900′s suggested we drive down the following year and bring a trailer to allow us to take home as much wine as we liked. After a few more glasses, the plan became more contrived and it was sort of agreed that a Saab trailer would be created to be towed behind our T16S Conv.

Unlike other silly late night discussions, this one carried forward to the next morning, and got more meat on the bones. My wife Julie thought it was just like me, but as the 900 we were planning on driving down in the following year was hers, she contributed that as long as it was the same colour, had the same body kit and alloys, then why not? Let’s do it!
After a few months of planning I began looking for a suitable donor vehicle that was cheap and eventually I found a 2-door 8 valve Turbo that was good and solid for £150 and collected him from S.Wales. Jon Saab in Poole kindly helped strip him down to a carcass, and distributed the engine, gearbox and other usable items to the needy cars of the region while I found help to get the oxy scalpel to work.
Andy, John and the guys at New Milton Motors initially thought we were bonkers but agreed to fabricate the chassis, cut the donor vehicle in half and mount it on the frame. I have to admit it was a very strange sensation drawing cut lines on pillars and the floor pans like some mad surgeon, but the deal was done, torches were lit and the 900 became half a Saab. The roof became the front panel, a heavy duty hitch was bolted on and phase one was complete and ready for a road test. The very strange looking appendage towed like a dream, but did create some amusement to the pedestrians we passed.

Next the trailer went to Kustom Kolors, the previous year they had done a good job in stripping down and re-spraying Clifford and were intrigued by the challenge of making a slightly rusty half a Saab look like a fully fledged trailer. It was decided we would line the trailer space with aluminum checker plate with the individual plates being seam welded, cap various holes created during the creation, fit an S kit post-spraying and work out how to fit a tonneau cover at a later date. A few months and a lot of part searching later Harvey was rolled out of the workshop and smiles the size of the Grand Canyon appeared on the faces of all who had been involved in creating it.

The last 2 parts of the jigsaw still remained, tonneau cover and alloys. The trailer went to a friend of Kustom Kolors called Gary (a vehicle upholsterer and roof manufacturer) who worked out the best way to match in the mohair and fit a cover that wouldn’t blow off while eating up the French motorway miles to Albas. This just left the alloys, Clifford has curly alloys but the trailer was born from a 1985 2-door leaving me with a slight problem to a problem, the axle stubs are different sizes which would mean acquiring a replacement axle for the trailer and fitting it in the 2 weeks left before holidays, so with great disappointment new wheel trims were fitted and that was that, to be honest it didn’t make that much difference, and did leave me with something to do next year.

Clifford was serviced, a new gearbox (many thanks 2stroke) and clutch was fitted in preparation for the journey and off we went. I can honestly say having been to several classic car rallies and shows that the combo definitely attracted more attention than envisaged. Clifford and Harvey were photographed endlessly on the motorway, at the services with many an interested party engaging in discussion about how long it took, how much it cost but all in all everyone was very positive and complimentary on the Saab and a half.
We arrived in Albas at Justin and Robin’s, a Saab friendly holiday destination where the initial idea was born, and the story of Harvey is complete. Needless to say many a vineyard visit later we returned home fully laden, very relaxed with great memories.

No breakdowns, 1700 miles later, averaging 30mpg empty and 26.5mpg loaded up, this years holiday was much more fun that simply getting on a plane, with the bonus of having made lots of new friends because of the Harvey the trailer. We thought we would share the experience with you.
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A few more photos follow. As always, the photos are enlargeable with a click.
My thanks to John for passing on this great story.








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by Swade

2009 Saab 9-5 Griffin – Sweden

September 25, 2008 in Archive

I covered this in snippets last night, but have just received some more information about the 2009 Saab 9-5. Bottom Line: If you live in Sweden and want a 260hp Saab 9-5 – get in quick.
Please bear in mind that this is just for the Swedish market at the moment and may not be the case for other markets, but one of the headlines for 2009 is that the 260hp engine variant, and the Aero badge, are not options in Sweden for 2009. If you want a Saab 9-5 Aero with a 260hp engine, it looks like you’ll have to sift through 2008 model stocks
The Saab 9-5 will only be available in a special “Griffin Edition” and will come in two levels of trim only – Linear and Vector (with a sports variant available). The details I’ve received so far are as follows:
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First week of November (week 45) Saab will start to manufacture an “enhanced” version of the Saab 9-5. It will be named Griffin.
The Griffin model has gone through a few careful design updates and it will have additional standard
equipment.
The Saab 9-5 will be available in two different versions, Linear Griffin and Vector Griffin. The Griffin models will be open for order 1st of October. And will replace all existing 9-5 models.
Exterior changes:
* Aero rear bumper including spoiler.
* The finish on the metallic frames on the headlight grill will be more like the 9-3 (not so shiny)
* New contrasting seams on handbrake and gear stick
* SPA (parking sensors standard)
* Front foglights standard
* Linear Griffin will have tinted metallic inserts on doors etc.
* On Griffin Vector Bi-xenon is standard, rain sensor, ALU63 rim (Aero MY08).
You canʼt order anymore Aeros, no 2.3t biopower as an Aero model, and there’s no 260hp engine. The following engine options are available for both the Linear and Vector trim levels.
2.0t (150hp)
2.0t BioPower (180hp)
2.3t BioPOwer (210hp)
1.9 TiD (150hp)
1.9 TiD HP (175hp)
Prices will range from 239,900 skr for the 2.0t Linear Griffin sedan and top out at 296,900 skr for the 1.9 TiD HP SportCombi. The full range and prices are as follows. Click to enlarge:

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The seat you see is the new standard seat for vector griffin, itʼs available in black with beige accent, black with grey accent and beige with black accent.



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by Swade

Saab 9-X Air uncovered

September 25, 2008 in Archive

Jalopnik’s got the goods and it turns out Boon94′s prediction of a few days ago wasn’t that far off the mark.
The embargo date is apparently later this week; Saab were going to pre-empt the Paris show by releasing details early. I’m not sure where Jalop’s got this stuff from as it looks like scanned images, but all’s well that shows early.
I’m sure we’ll get some better quality stuff through soon now.

Well, it’s certainly interesting, like all Saab concepts.
There’s precious little information about it over at Jalopnik so we’ll have to wait for more to come through in order to find out what sort of mechanism closes the top of the vehicle. I’d suggest that in order to keep it’s sleek profile, though, there might be something sliding up from the back (just my idea, though).
The interior looks just the same as the 9-X, though I’m sure the press release will promote a few new gadgets they’ve added in.
Interesting times.
Now, the challenge is for Saab to take this car and its 9-X sibling right into the board rooms of GM Europe and demand they get built. Otherwise, it’s all just pissing in the wind.
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Thanks to Turbin for the heads-up.
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