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]

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.

A while back we reported that Spyker was unfortunately planning on building their Peking to Paris Concept. Now being dubbed the D12 (no relation to Eminem’s rap group), it will be Spyker’s first venture into the SUV segment. Why, no one knows. Perhaps they’re banking on the sucess that Porsche has had with their Cayenne, but a big expensive gas guzzling SUV isn’t exactly on the public’s radar right now.

This is likely a clay model model and unfortunately, we’re still aching after looking at it. It’s still ugly. Those suicide doors are kinda cool, but are unlikely to actually make it to the production model.

In any event, the D12 reportedly won’t feature a V12 engine as once thought, rather it will likely borrow some version of a V8 from either Ferrari or Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division.

We’re not sure when the D12 will be available, but we’re betting sometime in 2012. In the mean time, we recommend that you put your energy into Saab than this thing, Spyker.

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.

By now you’ve already heard about Saab being saved from certain demise thanks to Dutch supercar company, Spyker.

Spyker originally was rejected on its first bid but won the Swedish brand thanks to a revamped second bid that addressed some of GM’s concerns.

As a part of the new deal, GM made the odd request that Spyker Chairman Vladamir Antonov be removed from the company. Since Antonov is clearly Russian, it was speculated that this request was made so that GM technology wouldn’t fall into Russian hands (apparently there’s still some bad blood between America and Russia…who knew?)

As a result Antonov was asked to step down, and voila – Spyker got themselves a premium car brand for $75 million.

But new reports are surfacing as the the ‘real’ reason for Antonov’s removal. Find out more after the jump.

Antonov allegedly has ties to organized crime, specifically with the Russian Mafia. It was the Swedish government, who played a role in securing funds from the bank, that suspected Antonov’s ties were shady and alerted the FBI of their findings. The U.S government then ordered GM to stop the sale of Saab to Spyker as a result.

In any event, Spyker really wanted Saab so it got rid of Antonov without much fuss, and complied with any other stipulation made from GM.

All very interesting. This could make the plot for a great movie, would it not?

After a torturous few months of indecision, GM has reportedly reached an agreement to sell Saab’s auto division to Dutch supercar company Spyker.

The deal reportedly gives GM $74 million up front, while it pockets $326 million in preferred shares from Saab’s new parent company. Also rumoured to be part of the deal is a guarantee that the Swedish government (who fought intently to keep the country’s second biggest car company afloat) is able to secure a 400 million euro loan.

Perhaps one of GM’s oddest requests in order to seal the deal was the insistence of removal of Spyker’s Chairman, Vladamir Antonov. Antonov is of Russian decent (his name really gives it away, doesn’t it?) and GM is quite adamant that their technology be kept out of the Russians proverbial hands. This was reportedly a condition in the now dead Opel-Magna deal as well. American pride is great, isn’t it? In any event, Antonov has agreed to step down in order for the deal to carry through.

Saab has had quite the tumultuous past decade or so. When GM bought it, the brand was all but forgotten. GM invested virtually no money into it and as a result, the quality of product, marketing and sales all suffered. Saab then, unsurprisingly got cut from the ‘new’ GM, which is essentially now being funded by both American and Canadian governments. Things started to look up for Saab when fellow Swedish car maker Koenigsegg stepped in offering to buy the brand, which saved it from almost certain death -a fate that had already been bestowed upon Saturn and Pontiac. That deal managed to fall through and the Grim Reaper was then again knocking on Saab’s door. Spyker managed to come fourth with a bid, which ultimately got rejected and GM then announced the liquidation of Saab. Spyker then offered this second bid, and after a ridiculously long wait, GM finally accepted the bid, and here we are.

Saab’s future looks rather bright right now. The 2011 Saab 9-5 is rumoured to be the model that really held things together during the deal discussions. It is supposedly one of the most advanced Saab’s ever and a Sportcombi version (that’s wagon in human speak) has already taken cold weather testing duty. The 9-4X crossover is reportedly ready for crash testing as well.

How will Spyker do with Saab? Who knows. The brand isn’t exactly a volume seller, so its experience in dealing with a large company such as Saab is limited, but hey, Saab’s just glad to call just about anyone their parent company right about now. Congrats to Spyker!