Saab Further Delays Production Restart Due to Lack of Parts

Saab announced today that it is still in discussions with its suppliers over supply and delivery terms in order to restart production at its Trollhattan factory.

Yet, as the Swedish automaker tries to secure short-term funds, it isn't able to guarantee that production will commence on August 9 as Saab's new plan had initially called for, postponing the date to the end of August.

Gunnar Brunius, Vice President of Production and Purchasing, said:

"I am positive about the progress we made on the payment terms with our suppliers. What we need now is a full commitment on supply of parts into our factory to be able to restart production and secure a stable manufacturing operation. We are now working hard with our suppliers to nail down these plans, commit to a delivery schedule and start building the close to 11,000 cars that we currently have in our order books”.

Saab’s production came to a halt during April and May, resumed temporarily and finally stopped once again on June 8. During the past few weeks, however, the automaker managed to secure financing from three different sources, making it possible to start paying its workers again and negotiate with its suppliers.

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Saab 9-6: Subaru-Based Crossover Prototype Comes out of the Closet

Back in the corporate heydays of GM, before the Detroit automaker went bust, the General would re-badge just about anything it could get its hands on if it were to make a fast buck without breaking a sweat.

This lazy corporate mentality was not only limited to GM’s American products but it spread throughout the entire company. Saab and even Subaru were subjected to this crude process, which was mostly limited to swapping badges and grilles.

When GM controlled the fate of Saab and held a 20 percent share of Subaru, the Detroit company's executive gurus came up with the bright idea of re-badging Subaru models as higher-end Saabs and selling them for a premium.

The first product of the Saabaru project was the Saab 9-2x, which was nothing more than a Subaru Impreza hatchback with a different nose job and a re-trimmed interior. It was also the last production model of the sort as the following year, GM sold its Subaru’s shares back to the Japanese carmaker’s parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries.

But not before it finished a prototype named the Saab 9-6 that was built on the Subaru B9 Tribeca crossover. And even though most of us had heard about the 9-6, no one outside of Saab and GM had ever actually seen the crossover model, up until now, that is.

The Swedes decided that it was time for the prototype model to come out of the darkness and into the light of Saab’s museum in Trollhättan, Sweden.

Discovered and photographed by Steven Wade, the man we came to know as the founder of the Saabsunited website and who is now part of the Swedish firm’s social media team, the 9-6 is a typical product of GM’s re-badging process.

And by that we mean a Saab nose plus some minor changes to the exterior and interior trim.

Wade also mentioned on the company’s website that GM also developed a three-door prototype of the Saab 9-6, but its whereabouts remain unknown.

Source: Inside Saab via Worldcarfans

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New Saab 9-4X SUV Arrives in the US, First Model Delivered in Ohio

Saab is still trying to work through its problems, but the Swedish carmaker has some good news from the States. The first examples of the firm’s new crossover, the Cadillac SRX-based 9-4X, have just arrived at US showrooms.

“Our first vehicles are just hitting retailers and our first customer sale took place last weekend at Saab North Olmstead in Cleveland, Ohio” said President and COO of Saab Cars North America, Tim Colbeck.

The first US buyer of the 9-4X is Martin Reuben. “Before even driving it off the lot, I put my butt into the seat, looked around and bought it on the spot,” replied Martin. “So far everything I’ve discovered on this car is pure Saab – purposeful & well designed.” Saab has already 100 orders placed for its new SUV.

In the US, the 9-4X is offered with two V6 engines, a naturally-aspirated 3.0-liter with direct-injection producing 265HP and 223 lb-ft (302Nm), and a 2.8-liter unit with a twin-scroll turbocharger delivering 300HP and 295 lb-ft (400Nm).

Both V6 units are mated to six-speed automatic transmissions. The base 265HP V6 is available with front-wheel drive or Saab's XWD all-wheel drive system, while the 300HP version only with four-wheel drive.

The 9-4X is built alongside the Cadillac SRX at GM’s factory in Mexico.

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Coffee and Cars: Eric Leong’s Saab Nespresso Concept

Industrial design student Eric Leong, who we first heard about with the 2015 Toyota Prius study, has taken two famous brands, Sweden’s Saab and Switzerland’s Nestlé and melded them. The result is the Saab Nespresso Concept, a four-seat sport coupe with some clever design touches. Outwardly it looks like a cross between the 2008 Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept and Toyota’s FT-86 Concept of 2009, but it’s on the detail side of things were Leong’s idea really shines.

There are two slide-out storage “buckets” in place of a boot and two shallow, lidded trays for miscellaneous items. There’s also a handy pickup-like rear tray for more bulky items and solar panels on the roof and wheels that use back projection so owner’s can change the colour and style of their faux-alloys.

Sadly, the Saab Nespresso Concept doesn’t appear to dispense coffee. Nor is there any information on its powerplant or performance. Still, you can check out our full gallery and / or leave a comment below.

By Tristan Hankins

Designer: Eric Leong

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This is what Happens when a Limousine, Convertible and Yacht Meet

In today's highly competitive auto market, one would think there are no new niches left to explore. Well, it's pretty true, except for imaginative individuals like the crew from Sweden’s Gray Design, which also penned the Saab supercar. Enter the world of the Strand Craft Limousine Beach Cruiser, a vehicle that looks like a crossover between a limousine, a convertible and a yacht – yes, you read correctly, a yacht. Essentially a beach shuttle, the Stand Craft has been conceived for luxury hotel chains willing to offer their clients premium service. More specifically, to carry six passengers from the hotel to the nearest beach as fast and as comfortable as possible.
Crafted by luxury boat maker Strand Craft, the Limousine Beach Cruiser is designed for the sunny parts of the world. Its looks confirm it: the car (or should we say yacht?) features an opening canvas roof, chromed hubcaps and wooden inlays. It also sports an even more extravagant interior with Alcantara leather, brushed aluminum, chrome, a Breitling-made instrument panel and Swarowski crystals.
To keep the passengers entertained until they arrive at the beach, the Limousine Beach Cruiser is fitted with a 15-speaker Naim sound system that has a 1100 Watt amplifier to ensure the best audio quality even when the canvas roof is opened. Finally, the car is powered by a 6.0-liter Chevrolet V8 engine with 400 horsepower, enough to offer the car a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph). The eight-cylinder unit is linked to a Haldex-based all-wheel drive system.
There's no info on pricing, though if you don't own a luxury hotel you probably can't afford it.

By Dan Mihalascu

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