Can you help our rally team find some pistons?
April 14, 2010 in Rally Team
From J
You are browsing the archive for 2010 April.
by Swade
by Swade
Saab 9-5 hits the track
April 13, 2010 in Saabology
Saab Turbo Club of Sweden had a track day at Knutstorp last weekend.
Take a look at one of the cars that came out to play…… 
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Special thanks to mioh for sending the images through.
The car looks sensational!
by Swade
New Saab 9-5 ready to roll
April 13, 2010 in News
So that’s where Autocar got their latest report from.
This could be the first full-on entry to appear in the Saab Newsroom. Finally!
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New Saab 9-5 Ready to Roll
- More than 500,000 km of chassis testing on European roads
- Handling, ride, refinement assessed across 250 measurement criteria
- Unique challenge of forest test track near Arctic Circle
- Customer order book already open in many markets
From the frozen wastes of northern Sweden to the baking plains of southern Spain, Saab’s chief test driver Peter Johansson and his small team of chassis experts have driven on some of the most challenging roads in Europeto fine-tune the dynamics of the next generation Saab 9-5.
Peter and his team clocked up more than 500,000 kilometers, the equivalent of driving 12 times round the world, in their quest to find the best set-up. That meant optimizing two different suspension layouts, front and all-wheel-drive transmissions, passive and adaptive chassis functions and two steering systems with different brakes, wheel sizes and tires, as well as five powertrain options.
Customers will soon enjoy the results of their work. In many markets, the 9-5 order book is already open and the first deliveries of Saab
by Swade
Autocar – Saab 9-5 finished with testing
April 13, 2010 in News
UPDATE: Don’t bother with this entry. If you’re on the front page, just scroll up to “New Saab Ready To Roll” entry.
If you’re somewhere other than the front page, click here.
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I’m not sure what’s going down the line right now, but if it’s only 9-3s (for customers) on the production lines in Trollhattan at the moment, then this could be why:
Saab nears the end of 9-5 testing
Saab is readying its new 9-5 saloon for launch later this spring having completed more than 300,000 miles in testing on roads from the Arctic Circle to southern Spain.
….The six-strong driving team brought a fleet of 15 9-5s from the Arctic Circle in Sweden’s frozen north all the way to the baking plains of southern Spain in an effort to replicate real-world conditions for prospective buyers.
Saab’s chief test driver, Peter Johansson, said the exhaustive testing was necessary to optimise the 9-5′s two different suspension layouts, front and all-wheel-drive transmissions, two steering systems and Saab’s new DriveSense adaptive chassis system…..
….”The electronic systems such as the stability control, DriveSense adaptive chassis and our XWD system must all work together. The stability control, for example, must not get in the way of enjoying the benefits of the chassis and transmission systems…..
….As well as extreme conditions, the driving team also tested the fleet of 9-5s at the high-speed bowl at Nardo in Italy, and at the Nurburgring.
The Peter Johansson they’re talking to there is quite possibly the same Peter Johansson who toured around the world introducing the Turbo X to everybody.
He’s a multiple-generation Saab guy, part-time rally driver, top bloke, and if I recall correctly, one of the masterminds behind the whole XWD system that was finished off by Haldex.
You can see him throwing the Turbo-X around on dirt here.
by Swade
Tuesday Snippets – Saabs arriving in the US edition
April 13, 2010 in Saabology
Apparently there are around 1,000 new Saabs sitting at a dock in Newark, awaiting distribution to dealers around the United States.
That’s got to be welcome news.
Here’s three of them arriving at a Saab dealership in PA:
This is the new beginning, yet another step in the new story of Saab.
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This seems to be significant: Electric Mini drives the Nordschleife in 9:51
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Either the story about Vladimir Antonov wanting to build Saabs in Russia just won’t go away, or Inside Line are several weeks behind previous reports on this subject.
I vote for option 2, as there doesn’t seem to be anything new in this IL report.
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Note to Victor Muller – buy at least one of these.
Could be used for Spyker Squadron, or for something Saaby as well. It makes financial, logistical and strategic sense. They don’t have to be used for motorsport, after all but could be extremely useful.
by Swade
New Saab advertising spotted in Stockholm subway
April 13, 2010 in Saabology
Spotted by Joost.
Cool.
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by Swade
Adrian Hallmark and the Saab challenge
April 13, 2010 in Saabology
Now this is the spirit I like to see!!
Adrian Hallmark, 47, says he turned down a job from a stable European carmaker to join Saab AB as executive vice president of global sales.
“I had to decide whether I wanted safe and the same thing every day or this — a challenge,” he says.
Few would dispute that Hallmark came to the right place for a challenge.
Hallmark is speaking to Automotive News there and his words are indicative of exactly the sort of person that Saab needs right now.
There’s no doubt that they all face an uphill battle in their quest for success, but they’ve got several things going for them – loyal and eager customers, great new products, great people and a tenacious spirit.
I hope there’s a list of all the nay-sayers on Hallmark’s office wall and they’re the first ones to get the press release when Saab turn a profit.
by Swade
Saab USA ought to do a roadshow
April 13, 2010 in Saabology
From Chris, via comments:
OK, that’s great, but the U.S.of A. is huge. Time for a road show. Every major market should have something in the way of dog and pony show, meet and greet. At some dealership, with folks from the Mi. home office. Say, work off the list of customers who have purchesed new Saabs over the last 6 years, and send them a personal invit. There is the message, “we are back, we want your business, and you are part of the family, and by the way, here is a free hot dog.” Local clubs to help in this as well.
Around 4.5 years ago, when this blog was young and fresh, and when Saab sales were quite a bit healthier, I suggested a similar thing. I think I was (naively) lobbying to run Saab’s operations in Canada or something similar.
I don’t know how much it’d cost, but I reckon Chris is dead right. Now would be a great time for such an outreach effort.
Saab have said quite specifically that they want to get former customers back in the fold. They’re going to target them electronically and whilst that’s a good start, getting eyes on metal and bums on seats is a much better option.
Spring is springing. People are feeling good. Why not tap your dealer network for facilities, hire a truck with some nice graphics on the side and get a 9-5 and 9-3x out there for people to look over?
Attendances will be high, as will the interest. Build it all up, like the convoys. Watch it snowball. Sales will end up higher but more importantly, word will get around at a grassroots level that Saab is still here and ready to ship ‘em out.
by Swade
Press Release: Lower CO2 Emissions for Saab 9-3 Convertible
April 12, 2010 in News
- CO2 and fuel consumption for diesel variants cut by seven percent
- Zero to 100 km/h acceleration and top speed unaffected
- Efficiency gains are part of Saab’s EcoPower Technology strategy
Trollhättan, Sweden. Diesel-powered Saab 9-3 Convertibles now offer customers an average seven percent reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions without any noticeable loss in performance.
The improvements are part of Saab’s ongoing EcoPower Technology development strategy, which is focused on optimizing efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of its products.
Low emission diesel variants with the 150 hp/110 kW, single turbo 1.9-liter engine produce 145 g/km CO2 and fuel consumption of just 5.5 l/100 km over the combined cycle. With 180 hp/132 kW, two-stage turbo power, the figures are improved still further, to 144 g/km and 5.4 l/100 km.
Zero to 100 km/h acceleration and top speed is unchanged, while fifth gear 80-120 km/h times are increased by less than one second. The efficiency gains have been achieved by a series of fine-tuning measures including: the use of wider gear ratios, a longer final drive, idle and low engine speed remapping, and an optimized tire and wheel choice.
Available only with manual transmission, these variants are now built in Trollhättan, Sweden, like all Saabs. In many markets, they offer customers valuable CO2 tax-related benefits and are being introduced alongside 9-3 Sport Sedan and SportCombi diesel models, which already feature the improvements.
by Swade
Re-posted: My drive in the 2010 Saab 9-5
April 12, 2010 in Saabology
A few days ago I posted an entry that included a link to my own tour of the Saab factory back in 2007. I was surprised by the number of people who hadn’t read it, but of course readers come and readers go so it should be no surprise that there’s some stuff in the archives that people haven’t seen.
given that the site piked up quite a few new readers from December to February, there are probably numerous people who wouldn’t be aware that back in September last year, I was fortunate enough to go to Sweden and drive the new Saab 9-5.
The review was in three parts, all of which were written straight after the car’s debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and my subsequent drive a few days later.
Part 1 – Initial impressions of the new Saab 9-5 from the first showing
Part 2 – A closer look at materials, comfort, gadgetry in the new Saab 9-5
Part 3 – Driving the new Saab 9-5
If you haven’t read it before, I hope you enjoy the review.
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And whilst we’re talking Saab 9-5, there are some very, very good images of the car available here at the Saab Slovenski Saab portal.
The car has just been presented in Slovenia for the first time and Peter G went along to have a look. He’s taken some fantastic detail shots of the car.
Highly recommended.
by Swade
Saab F1 dreaming
April 12, 2010 in Saabology
One of our design buddies, Niklas Palm, has been busy drawing up his F1 dreams for Saab, with some substantial Swedish sponsorship on board.
I know Victor Muller still is still an F1 fancier. He tried to buy the Brawn F1 team in the off-season but was pipped by Mercedes, though that particular outcome had some good consequences for Saab
But I also know that that particular dream would be way off the radar right now. Still, it’s nice to dream…….
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The full story, with bigger pics as well, is over at Auto Motor and Sport.
by Swade
Spyker open LMS racing season with 8th place finish
April 12, 2010 in News
News from Spyker Squadron follows, with video.
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SPYKER SQUADRON PAUL RICARD RACE REPORT
- Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2R eighth in openingrace LMS season
- Collision with Ferrari costs Spyker Squadron top classification
- Team optimistic after good performance at Le Castellet
Le Castellet, April 10, 2010 – Spyker Squadron had mixed feelings finishing the opening round of the Le Mans Series in eighth place. After Peter Dumbreck was hit by another GT2 car in the first hour of the race the team had to work hard to get the car back in the race. Chances of a decent finish were gone by then. In the remaining hours of the race the car improved and all three drivers set faster lap times.
During the first few laps of the race Peter lost a few places but the Scot started coming back soon. His efforts came to nothing when he was hit from behind by Dominik Farnbacher’s Ferrari 45 minutes into the race. With a damaged left rear suspension Peter returned to the pit and the car was pushed into the pit box. The Spyker Squadron mechanics rushed to work and fixed the problem in fifteen minutes. With Tom Coronel behind the wheel the number 85 car returned to the track in last place in the GT2 category.
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2010 Spyker Squadron Paul Ricard LMS Onboard from Spyker Squadron on Vimeo.
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The report continues after the jump……
by Swade
Saab 9-5 caught in the wild
April 12, 2010 in Saabology
One of our SU regulars, Rune, took a birdwatching trip with his Mrs (g’day Anna!) and his folks and whilst they didn’t get to see the elusive cranes they were looking for (here’s one), they did manage to photograph what is at this point an even rarer bird – a new Saab 9-5.
They were at Hornborgasj
by Swade
Saturday Snippets – sailing edition
April 10, 2010 in Saabology
Having picked up the new car and given my sister a scary ride (little brothers never change), I’m heading for the boat for the overnight ride home.
Turns out the seller of the Alfa has just bought a 2002 Saab 9-5 Aero and in the ensuing webs surfing managed to come across this little website about Saabs
That’s not where the coincidences end, though. Turns out this car was one that I was considering a few years ago when I bought my first Alfa. Norbert got in before me and bought it, but I’ve managed to pick it up a few years later.
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In these changing, turbulent times, it’s good to know that some things never change.
TTAC is still as cynical as ever when it comes to Saab.
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If you feel like giving Saab a boost, vote for the Saab 9-3 in this best midsize poll over at Autoweek.
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Today Online has a brief PR interview with the chief of Trans Eurokars, the importer for Saab in Singapore.
The Saab brand is here to stay! The Saab brand has a long, distinguished history in motoring. Throughout the whole takeover episode, Trans Eurokars remained committed to the brand. Under the new ownership of Spyker Cars, we are confident that Saab has found the right owner to take the brand forward and Trans Eurokars will continue its long-standing relationship as the only official distributor of Saab cars here in Singapore.
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I love CAR Magazine, but I find it a bit cheeky when they show these Saab concept drawings and claim them as their own scoop.
We saw those in the Swedish press over a week ago.
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Have a good weekend, all. I’m off to the ferry and for a long drive home.
by Swade
Living with a Maptun tune in a Saab 9-5
April 10, 2010 in Saabology
A few months ago, Maptun offered a special deal on their tuning products for SU readers. I’ve just received an email from one of the guys who took up that offer and got a new Maptuner device for his Saab 9-5 Aero.
I’m keeping his name out of this post, for reasons that will be obvious to those in similar circumstances.
I hope you’ll find it interesting reading.
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Swade,
Greetings. Thanks to you and MapTun for the February S-U special. I have a different car now.
My car is a 2009 9-5 SportCombi with the 2.3T “Aero” gasoline engine and automatic transmission. The stock engine is 260 hp and 258 lb. ft. (~349.8 Nm) torque. The MapTun is a Stage 1 done via the MapTuner. The Stage 1 is rather mild for horsepower but an important boost in torque. The MapTun Stage 1 added 10 HP and around 52 lb. ft. / 70 Nm torque for totals of 270 bhp and 420 Nm (~309.8 lb. ft.) torque. This is about a 20% torque increase. MapTun confirmed that the automatic transmission torque is capped at 420 Nm.
I applied the tune 3 weeks ago. I have made regular highway and street commutes plus one long trip. I have observed a +2 MPG improvement in fuel economy in *both* highway and street driving. The highway fuel economy improvement is validated both by numbers in the SID and by calculating at-the-pump using miles driven divided by gallons put in the tank. The street driving fuel economy is validated primarily by numbers in the SID with some at-the-pump observations.
With the tune, I am now getting around 29 MPG highway on the SID and between 24 – 26 MPG on the SID in the specific mixed street driving that I do. This street driving has a bit of highway in it. The at-the-pump numbers are 0.5 to 2 MPG lower than the SID depending on amount of street driving but are still +2 MPG better than before the tune. Before the tune, I used to get around 27 MPG highway and 22 – 24 MPG in my specific mixed street driving.
My family and I recently had to take a significant highway trip in the vehicle. Six days and about 2000 miles round trip. My wife commented that she is no longer getting car sickness. The improved torque delivery at lower RPMs has removed an annoying forward to rear rocking motion the car would exhibit before tuning. I would often be running with cruise control. The stock engine tuning would allow the car to slow and then run the engine up to a higher RPM to gain speed. This would rock the car and set off my wife’s motion sickness.
MapTun’s email support has been fast and attentive. The Stage 1 tune has not tripped ESP or the torque limiter. With the benefits to fuel economy and passenger comfort, I would recommend the tune and do not plan to remove the tune. I haven’t mentioned “sporty driving.” I’ve been cautious. To paraphrase a Jeremy Clarkson-ism “I have enough torque to tear a hole in time.” The car feels more solid. Engine and speed come up with less drama. I no longer have to thrash the accelerator as much or sweat passing situations, especially on hilly roads.
Thank you and Happy Saab-ing,
