Saab celebrated 25 years of drop top motoring yesterday, but today there isn’t much to celebrate as the Detroit news is reporting that talks to partner with Hawtai Motors has crumbled. The Chinese automaker wasn’t able to secure stakeholder concent to get a 29.9 percent stake in Saab in exchange for $172 million.

This is not good news, however it doesn’t necessarily spell the end of the long and dramatic saga of Saab. Hawtai and Saab are reportedly still trying to resurrect the deal and on top of that, Saab is supposedly in talks with the European Investment Bank for a $41 million loan drawdown. It already has a $48 million loan to sell new cars in the short term, but Saab is still looking for some long term security. Apparently they’re ven willing to strike a deal with shady Russian businessman and former Spyker Chairman Vladamir Antonov. In fact, Antonov was reportedly the reason why the original Saab-Spyker deal was stalled for so long last year.

 In any event, should the Hawtai deal fail completely it seems like Saab has some plan B’s and even some plan C’s in order, so don’t worry too much Saab fans – yet. Besides, with Saab currently developing a new 9-3 and a Audi A1 fighter, it’s unlikely they would continue working on new product when the brand may not exist in the near future.

[Detroit News]

Despite unwillingly flirting with death due to being full-on ignored from former parent company GM, Saab’s lack of sales in the past decade haven’t stopped the Swedish auto maker from continuing on in a niche market: the luxury cabriolet market.

In fact, Saab has had quite a bit of success with its topless offerings dating all the way back to 1986 when the 900 convertible first flew onto the scene (flew, because Saabs are born from jets, don’t ya know). It was a risky move back then as most Saabs were considered to be a good sturdy ride for adverse weather conditions and not much else. But Saab quickly shut critics up with a 12 month waiting list for the original 900 convertible. The second generation, which spanned incredibly from 1994 to 2002, sold a respectable 149,000 units. The next generation from 2003 until today has sold 100,000 units giving a total of around 300,000 units of Saab convertibles sold in 25 years. Not too shabby at all, in fact that gives Saab a bit of a stranglehold on the premium convertible segment.

Saab is now celebrating 25 years of topless driving (get your mind out of the gutter). With this success and news that Saab was saved, once again, by the Chinese, it seems as though we can expect convertible variant of the 2013 9-3, which is expect to debut in a years time.

[Saab]

Apparently, since Spyker took over Saab from GM, they’ve had to completely re-work the next generation 9-3 because what GM had planned was, well, let’s just say that there was a lot of work to be done to make it a true Saab.

One of those Saab characteristics was the 9-3′s hatchback back in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s. Well apparently the hatchback will be returning to the 9-3, in fact it’s the sedan that’s rumoured to get the axe this time. Apparently the 9-3 will be five door only (sorry to those who were hoping for a 3-door like the Viggen model pictured above, but maybe that will happen down the line).

The redesigned 9-3 will also take styling cues from the PhoeniX concept that Saab debuted at the Geneva Auto show earlier this year. Even though Saab wants to bring the 9-3 back to its roots, there’s some people that think the PhoeniX concept is lacking in Saab style.

Another big change will be the addition of a hybrid to the 9-3 model range. It will reportedly get the same 2.8 litre V6 found in the 9-5 and will power the front wheels. The electric motor will actually power the rear wheels, and it will be possible to drive the hybridized 9-3 on the electric motor alone up to a certain speed.

The next 9-3 is expected to debut next year.

[Autoblog]

Any Saab fanatic knows about saabsunited.com – a blog dedicated solely to the awesomeness of Saabs. The site was actually created by Steven Wade six years ago and has been going strong ever since, despite Saab’s dabble with death a short while back.

Wade actually had to sell the site due to family and day job commitments but ‘Swade’, as he’s known on the blog, was still quite vocal in blogging on the site. In fact, he ended up quitting his day time job to commit to blogging full time.

Anyway, it seems as though Wade’s commitment, passion and overall knowledge of Saabs has caught the attention of the automaker itself as he has apparently been offered a job within the company. Wade will now serve as Saab’s much needed social media guru. Essentially, the position will enable him to connect with Saab lovers and owners alike on a more intimate level – more or less what he did at Saabs United only with likely more pay.

Wade recently took notice of Car Driven’s 9-5 and 9-3 Turbo reviews and posted them to Saabs United along with kind words (and much needed corrections). As such, I thank him for the gesture and, after recently viewing Saabs United on a semi-daily basis, I can think of no one better suited for the job.

Congrats and best of luck over at Saab, Steven! Maybe I can have a bit more access to Saab press vehicles and inside info? One can only hope!

[Saabs United]

At the Geneva auto show this year, a revived Saab decided to show off a concept car called the PhoeniX concept. It’s a beautiful looking car that shows just what Saab is capable of making if it puts its mind to it.

The man responsible for the design of the PhoeniX, Jason Castriota, was on hand at the show to talk about the concept, the delivery and the inspiration of the design.

Chris Bangle, on the other hand, was also at the show and came over to have a look at what Saab designers are up to these days. By the way, if you didn’t know, Bangle used to work for BMW as their Chief Designer and is responsible for the more controversial designs that BMW became  known for for the past decade such as the previous generation 5-series, 6-series, 7-series and Z4. Those were definitely love it or hate it designs.

Anyway, since Chris Bangle is Chris Bangle, he had the opportunity to talk to Castriota one on one about his design. And boy, did it ever get awkward.

Bangle is known as being a bit of an instigator of sorts and that’s clear in the video above. Bangle challenged Castriota on what exactly makes the PhoeniX a Saab.

The conversation is full of awkard silences, fake smiles/laughs and, surely, lots of restraint. Check it out above.

Who do you agree with?

[Youtube]

By Kevin Harrison

“So what’s the story here, just a small car with fancy wheels?”

I turned around to find a middle aged man with a Pepsi in his hand. It probably should have been diet considering his body type was the same as Humpty Dumpty’s. He had a grey mustache, glasses, ratty jeans on and, you guessed it, a denim shirt with a denim jacket. Oh and he had one of those douchy bluetooth ear pieces on for good measure. The whole shebang. I stopped pumping gas to address him.

“Um, well this is a Saab 9-3 turbo,” I replied, not really knowing where he was going with his question.

“Saab? Didn’t they stop making those?” he asked. Before I could respond, he shot back with another question.

“How much did it cost you?”

“Actually this car isn’t mine, I’m an automotive journalist and I’m reviewing this car for -”

He interrupted.

“Well I hope you tear it a new one. I had a 9000 many years ago and it was terrible. They’re terrible cars”.

He was already headed back to his car shouting “have a good one!”  before I could say anything. He got into his previous generation Audi A4 and took off.

Isn’t it funny how one bad experience can completely turn people off from something forever? It’s a pity that this man already had his mind made up about the new 9-3 Turbo XWD because I might have offered to take him for a drive around the block to show him that the 9-3 Turbo XWD is much more than a car with nice wheels.

But since Wilfred Brimley’s doppelganger did notice the wheels and styling, enough to muster up to courage to ask about it to a complete stranger at the gas station, let’s start off with that first. It’s gorgeous. Absolutely eye catching in all the right ways. This is what Susanna Anden would like like if she were a car – simply one of the best looking things to come out of Sweden in a while. The aggressive front end is decidedly Saab and is much improved over the previous generation 9-3. The side profile is sleek and classy. Out back the clear tail lights are tolerable for some reason and I can’t quite explain why. Usually clear tail lights give too much of a “boy racer” look, but on the 9-3 they work quite nicely. The rear twin pipes complete the look. And those 18 inch wheels that seem to be so eye-catching? They’re actually paying homage to the 1980 Saab 900 SPG, and boy do they look fantastic!

Inside you’ll find a typical Saab layout in the form of tiny buttons everywhere mimicking the dash of a fighter jet (Saabs are born from jets, don’t ya know) and the ignition is between the two seats. Interestingly enough when you turn the engine on, it reads “all systems go” in the instrument cluster as if you’re actually about to fly a jet. But what’s even more interesting is that 9-3 Turbos in Europe get a message that reads “Ready for take-off”. We apparently get a different message here in North America because we are so stupid that it actually might lead us to think the car is capable of flying. No, seriously. American lawyers had quite the time making sure the original message was changed.  Anyway, the cabin is a very nice place to be once you get used to its business. There is ample room for rear passengers and a decent amount of cargo room as well, especially when the seats are folded.

You’ve likely noticed by now that I keep using the moniker “XWD” as opposed to “AWD”. That’s not a continuous typo on my part. It’s because those crazy Swedes prefer to call their all-wheel drive system “cross-wheel drive” hence why the ‘X’ has replaced the ‘A’. It’s a Haldex system, but the wheels don’t need to spin or lose grip before the system engages like previous Haldex systems. A hydraulic pump can send up to 40% of the torque to the rear wheels even when they have grip. This helps eliminate under steer and over steer and makes sure the 9-3 Turbo XWD stays planted.

The problem is, however, that you don’t ever really notice if the XWD system is actually keeping the 9-3 planted or not because you’re always hanging on for dear life. While the 9-3′s XWD system might be doing all it can to make sure you stay on the road, the seats do everything they can to make sure you fall out of them. I’m not sure why Saab didn’t fit the 9-3 Turbo XWD with sport seats – bigger bolsters would make all the difference in the world and that leather seating surface is especially slippery for some reason. As a result, when pushed hard under aggressive driving, it gives the illusion that the 9-3 isn’t stable and that it has quite a bit of body roll. The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t, it’s just those slippery unsupportive seats. It’s quite a shame because they are immensely comfortable under normal driving conditions and unfortunately they do the 9-3 Turbo XWD a bit of a disservice for aggressive driving. But rest assured the 9-3 can hold its own in the bends.

The engine, on the other hand, definitely does not do this car a disservice. The 2.0. litre turbo 4 cylinder is quite happy to give you 210 horsepower whenever you want it. It’s readily available at 2,000 RPM’s. The engine never seems like it’s trying all that hard which keeps engine noise down all while delivering blistering amounts of power. However, unlike the new 9-5, there is noticeable torque steer – a Saab characteristic. Happily, the XWD system quickly settles down the the wheels before you torque steer yourself into a lake. Another Saab characteristic is turbo lag, and it seems to be omitted in the 9-3 Turbo XWD. There were two instances where it felt like there was some lag, but I honestly didn’t feel it for the rest of my time with the 9-3 after that. That’s good because without turbo lag, the 9-3 can get from 0-100 in an impressive 5.7 seconds. All that turbocharged power combined with the XWD system and the ability to stay poised in the bends makes the 9-3 a refreshing alternative to the typical sport sedan players.

But do yourself a favour and get yourself a 9-3 Turbo XWD with the six speed manual because as good as this engine is at delivering power, I still feel there’s more to it and that’s because the automatic transmission that my tester came with seems to rob it of power. Shifts are inconsistent and a bit delayed in manual mode. Those problems would disappear completely in a manual 9-3 Turbo I’d wager.

If Denim Brimley is to be believed, there was apparently a time when Saabs used to be “terrible” and left a bitter taste in peoples mouths. So much so that it turned people off from the brand all together with no hope of luring them back. It’s too bad Denim Brimley didn’t stick around to see what Saabs are actually capable of these days because I would wager that this new 9-3 Turbo XWD could blow the sox off his Audi A4 2.0T Quattro in almost every category. And it’s a shame that he’ll never know it.

The 9-3 Turbo XWD really is a hidden gem amongst a sea of denim luring sport sedans.

Base Price: $45,000

Pros:

• The best looking car that Saab currently makes
• Those wheels!
• Superb turbo engine
• No “faux” all-wheel drive, uses a true system
• Unique and roomy interior
• Decent fuel mileage

Cons:

• Torque steer prevalent when pushed hard
• Unsupportive seats for aggressive driving
• Automatic transmission tends to rob power
• Too many buttons on the dash

Overall: 9/10

By Kevin Harrison

My dad has an old toaster that has got to be from 1960. It was given to him as a gift from his mother to help him get started when he moved out on his own. That was a very nice gesture but I’m sure my grandmother, if she were still alive, would have expected him to have gotten rid of it by now with a more modern one.

But no. It’s still in the kitchen and it still is being used. It also works about as well as a Whoopi Goldberg starring in a pornographic movie. Either it doesn’t toast the bread at all or it will burn it more times than Letterman burns Leno. It’s also terribly unsafe. Every time it pops the toast up after being “finished” there seems to be blue sparks that fly out. And when you unplug it, the same thing happens.

In every measurable sense your toaster is probably better than my dad’s. Except it isn’t. While your toaster may be able to exceed dad’s toaster in, well, everything, one thing I guarantee it doesn’t have is character. There’s a history and a quirkiness that goes along with dad’s toaster whereas you just bought yours at The Bay.

The same can be said for Saab. BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti all make tremendous sports sedans. Sure some can be argued to have character, but do they have the history and quirkiness that Saabs have?

What other car company can say they’ve come within a hair of certain death and live to tell the tale for instance? Thanks to Dutch car company, Spyker, Saab has beaten the terminal illness that GM administered it.

The first new model to come out of a revived Saab is the 9-5. Was it worth it, or should Spyker have just left Saab to die?

Since it’s no secret that GM was running low on cash for the past decade, they really didn’t have the resources to give the previous generation 9-5 a much needed refresh. The little funds GM did have went to volume sellers such as the Malibu and G6 (which didn’t work anyway) so the 9-5 actually went essentially unchanged for an unbelievable 13 years. Other car makers advanced their technologies, while Saab saw 9-5 sales wither away. But the new 9-5 is promising to take a very competitive aim squarely at the BMW 5-series, the Audi A6 and the Volvo S80.

Outside, the design has evolved quite nicely from the old 9-5 but still keeps distinctive Saab styling. The flat angled roof is a unique touch as is the aggressive front facia. Out back, complicated looking LED brake/turn signal lights along with a LED tail lighting which stretches across the entire rear deck lid helps the 9-5 get noticed. The overall design is agreeable, evolutionary and unique.

Inside the layout is still laid out like the cockpit of a fighter jet. There are still millions of buttons everywhere which pays homage to Saab’s “born from jets” mantra but gives it quite a busy and overwhelming feel to the driver. My tester had a feature which allows the driver to keep the key on their person without ever taking it out. The doors get locked and unlocked by touching the handle and the push button start does not need a fob. And yes, the push button start is located between the two front seats – a Saab tradition. Also a tradition is the jet-like ability to go into “night mode” which a push of the button dims the interior lighting to a more comfortable level on the eyes. Little quirks like this is what I mean when I say Saab’s have character. As per usual the seats are ridiculously comfortable. Maybe even too comfortable. Sure, they’re supportive enough for aggressive driving, but I’d wager you’d have a tough time keeping your eyes awake on a long trip in the 9-5 because it feels like you’re sitting in your favourite arm chair.

Rear legroom is good thanks to Saab stretching the wheelbase by 5.3 inches over the previous model and widening the car by 3 inches. This not makes the 9-5 bigger than the 5-series, A6 and S80 but also helps translate into better handling abilities, despite its large size.

And this is where I start to become puzzled. The 9-5 comes in two flavours: the regular 9-5 and the 9-5 Aero. Oddly enough, Saab actually decided to go with two different suspensions in the trim levels. The top of the line Aero gets “HiPer strut front end” which essentially increases longitudinal stiffness and reduces torque steer. The base 9-5 on the other hand, uses a conventional multi-link suspension which improves comfort noise and vibration. Saab’s thought process was clearly that the hotted up 300 horsepower and 295 pound foot of torque Aero (which uses a 2.8 litre V6) should clearly walk the walk as a sports sedan, while the base 9-5 will take a more luxury role for those who value it more over performance. But I found the base 9-5 to handle quite well despite its set up for comfort. In fact, considering how big the car is, I was downright surprised. It’s poised, sharp and yes comfortable all at the same time.Steering feedback is decent but could be a bit heavier. Still, it’s miles ahead of the old 9-5.

The 2.0 turbocharged engine in this base model churns out 220 horsepower and 258 pound feet of torque. My tester was mated to a six speed manual transmission and is the only car that has a manual option of all its rivals, aside from the BMW 5-series. Its 0-100 time is a respectable 6.9 seconds, however it’s still outdone by its rivals. The good news is, as a typical Saab, it’s quite the torque filled experience. While the base has a big 80 horsepower less than the Aero, it only has 37 less torques. That means power blasts in at very low RPM ranges and there’s even a turbo gauge on the dash that indicates how much you are actually using. And guess what. A Saab characteristic is missing from this puzzle. No turbo lag! None! No longer will the driver of a Saab get a heart attack when turning left into oncoming traffic with the throttle down to the floor and nothing happens. There’s almost instant power.

Another thing that the 9-5 does that is very unlike any Saab before it is….wait for it… have close to zero torque steer. One of the more annoying Saab quirks was always the immense amount of torque steer. Torque steer so bad that you ended up in your neighbours front lawn while trying to drive down your street. But in the new 9-5, go ahead. Take your hands off the wheel and floor it. There is only very minute torque steer.

But don’t think for a second that Saab has lost all its quirks. They’re still there and a lot of it can’t be explained in words. Much like driving a BMW, there’s just something about the experience that is hard to describe. And it’s a good experience.

For those of you who have an older 9-5 and are hesitant to get rid of the trusty old quirky toaster, don’t worry. Because this new 9-5 is just as trusty, charismatic and quirky as your current 9-5 and as my dad’s toaster. And if this is a sign of things to come from the new and improved Saab, well, the only thing left to say is thank you, Spyker.

Base Price: $45,000 (Estimated)

Pros:

• Comfortable seats
• Unique styling
• Excellent blend of comfort and handling
• Six speed manual available
• Little torque steer
• No turbo lag
• Still charismatic and typically quirky

Cons:

• Steep starting price
• Busy interior
• Thirsty engine
• Automatic only for Aero

Overall: 8.5/10

*Note: When this article was originally published it incorrectly mentioned the 9-5 Aero as having a 3.6 litre engine. The Aero actually uses a 2.8 litre V6. We all make mistakes, right? It has since been corrected.

Set to officially debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show in November, a Saab nut over at Saabs United was actually able to snag a pic of the production version.

Now under the ownership of Spyker, it seemsthings are chugging along quite nicely for Saab after being dangerously close to death. Spyker seems to be respecting the overall Saab design philosophy that makes Saab such quirky loveable cars.

Since this Saab was planned and developped under General Motors, it actually shares the same platform as the Cadillac SRX. It is expected to get possibly the same 2.8 litre turbocharged V6, however the 2.0 litre turbocarged inline four found in the 2010 9-5 is also a possibility, what with efficiency being on the mind of everyone. As the ‘X’ in the name suggests, AWD will be standard.

[Saabs United]

Saabs have not been sold in Canada since 2009 and contrary to popular belief, the reason why had little to do with the brand being put on life support before Spyker could fall back on the tired cliche of saving Saab just in the nick of time.

What actually happened was its dealer and government importation agreements expired here and they weren’t renewed since it looked like Saab was done like dinner.

As a result, Spyker pretty much needs to start from scratch bringing Saab back to our country. According Saab Cars of North America president Mike Colleran, “Canadian Saab consumers are fiercely loyal. I get letters on a daily basis from Canadians asking ‘when’s Saab coming back?”

Didn’t know Canadians had such a thing for Saabs. In any event, the first model to be sold on our soil will be the newly redesigned 9-5 flagship sedan meant to be a 5-series, E-Class, A6 and S80 competitor. It will arrive at the end of September.

Next up will be a revised 9-3 in October, then the 9-4X crossover. Can’t wait to try them all out!

[The Globe & Mail]

Auto Express apparently has it on good word that Saab has officially inked a deal with BMW to build its upcoming sub-compact 9-2.  Rumour also has it that BMW will lend a helping hand with the next generation 9-3.

The 9-2, however, will use the Mini chasis along with other technologies from the lovable little Cooper.

According a Spyker exec: “We could build the 9-2 on our own, but that wouldn’t make sense. Thanks to the crisis in the industry, everyone is willing to share everything. So Spyker couldn’t have bought Saab at a better time.”

Spyker is serious about turning its newly acquired brand, Saab, into a serious world contender that can take on zee German heavyweights such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

It looks like the tides are turning away from terminal GM influence on the Swedish brand. The newly designed 9-5 is now out, the 9-4 crossover is next on the docket, Spyker is making an 1-series, A1 and Mini fighter called the 9-2 (meant to be a throw back to the tear drop design) and now they’re promising an all-new redesigned 9-3 sedan for 2012.

Spyker is going to revive the hatchback design of the old 900 series and make a convertible version. If they’re smart, they’ll also revive the Viggen models as well. After personally driving a 2000 9-3 Viggen, I can say that, despite the notorious turbo lag, it was one spicy Swedish meatball. I definitely have a soft spot for it.

Reports are swirling around the interwebs that Spyker has been in talks with BMW to help out with the chasis of the new 9-3 as well as the engines. The powerplant in the Mini Countryman is supposedly being considered. BMW has reportedly agreed to supply these underpinnings and if that’ true, the new 9-3 will definitely be a big contender.

Armed with BMW blood, the new 9-3′s goal is to take on the Audi A3 specifically. Should be interesting!

[Autocar]

Alright, I’m going to admit that I’m a huge loser because I will go out of my way to go down Kempt Road in Halifax just to oggle all the new cars in the dealer lots. If you are unfamiliar with Kempt Road, it is a haven for car dealerships and the place to go if you are looking to buy a new car or if you are some sort of car pervert like me and you just want to look from a distance.

Whenever I’m on one of my Kempt Road runs, there’s always a moment of sadness when I pass by the dealership that used to be home to Saab. Right now, the building is empty and there are no Saabs to be found.

Luckily, as you have probably heard, Spyker has bought the second largest Swedish car brand and as a result, Saab will be returning to Canada and will be available for sale as early as this fall!

So far 20 dealers accross Canada have expressed interest in importing and distributing Saab vehicles.

There is also the possibility of Spyker selling its own models through Saab dealers as well.

There’s always a catch to certain deals isn’t there?

We’re thrilled that Spyker stepped up to the plate to save Saab, but as a result of them doing so, product such as the Peking-to-Paris SUV that you see above may now have a chance at seeing production. Due to its ugliness lack of production ability, the concept remained just that. Well, Spyker now has the means, expertise and the manpower to actually make it thanks to the deal.

The Peking-to-Paris was a concept introduced four years ago as the Dutch automaker’s best effort into getting into the luxury ute parking.

Let’s hope they do something about the unfortunate exterior.

The sale of Saab to Spyker was finilazed today, so now we can all breathe a sigh of relief and start the fun process of drumming up new possible models for the former terminally ill Swedish brand.

Among the models rumoured to return is the beloved five door hatchback version of the 9-3. This makes perfect sense to us as premium hatches are on their way back to popularity with the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, Volvo C30, and Audi A3 proving Canadians’ interest. Lexus’ CT 200h is around the corner and BMW is going to jump into the fray as well.

The previous generation hatch only 9-3 was well known for swallowing up just about anything you put in the back, which was one of its many good selling points.

Spyker is also rumoured to continue on with the new 9-5, 9-3X wagon and the somewhat unfortunate 9-4X. All we ask is that they bring back Viggen models like the one you see pictured above. There was no hope of GM doing it, but it seems there is a bit more hope with the Dutch behind Saab’s proverbial wheel.

The sale of Saab to Spyker has been officially been approved by GM thanks for Spyker following certain stipulations, some of which were a bit odd. Case in point, the reported request that chairman Vladamir Antonov be removed from Spyker.

It was originally thought that this request was made so that GM technology wouldn’t fall into Russian hands, but the true nature of the request was due to Antonov’s alleged ties to the Russian mafia.

Antonov agreed to step down, but he is now speaking out as to the reasons surrounding his role in the deal. And he still wants to be a part of it.

Could this cause enough friction to make the deal fall apart?

In an op-ed piece published in the New York Times, Antonov claims his innocence in any dealings with the Russian mafia and insists that the findings from the Swedish government that implicate him are “surreal allegations”. He has even hired a team of private investigators to help clear his name.

Although he is no longer the chairman at Spyker, he is still a lender. His $100 million helped Spyker to acquire Saab in the first place, not to mention his agreement to step down from his position. So, naturally, Antonov feels as though he is entitled to a piece of this new proverbial Swedish-Dutch pie.

The deal itself is already done but this will definitely cause some friction with both Swedish and U.S governments. He’ll have to try to get past them in order to truly play a role in newly acquired brand.

Good luck.

Read Antonov’s full op-ed here.