Dissatisfied with the wheels?!
I think the wheels on the Turbo X are absolutely sensational. Let me say that from the outset. I might even look into whether some might be available separately - maybe they’ll look good on a Viggen?
I got an email today from a mate in Trollhattan. He feels a little differently about the wheels, which is fair enough. You can’t please everyone. When he expressed his dissatisfaction about them on Saab Turbo Club of Sweden forum, one of the guys there decided to help him out with a little BBS love via photoshop.
Here’s the original Turbo X with it’s new rolling glory:
And here’s the two renderings with BBS wheels slipped in under the wheel arches.
Nice photoshop work, but I think I’ll keep the originals. Kudos to the artist, who is unknown to me (but who’m I’ll happily mention if his name is supplied).
So what do you think?
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I like them all : - D
Especially the originals and the last ones….
Bu the originals on the Turbo X are unique…
THAT means something extra to me…..
And in 19″… hum….
They all look good - but the photoshopped versions look too after-market. I’d take the car with ony shoes though!
The originals are the best of those three. A brutal car should have only a few fat spokes.
O BOY do those BBS’s look HAWT, the last ones. Aren’t those the ones on Daveships 9-5? I’m usually not a huge fan of BBS style wheels, unless they’re similar to the RK’s ( came on the 9-5 aeros in 00 and 01 me thinks. ) but pics like this are really turning me around.
Are the Turbo-X wheels we see now 18 or 19 inch version?
BTW, I wonder what we should start calling the wheels? The X wheels? The x’s? Ima call them x wheels
No way I would switch from original to BBS.
Would only change to the new Inkas!
So are these the 19″ ones then? How does the 18″ wheel look? Is it the same design but smaller?
Kaz, the originals on the pic look more like 18 inchers to me…
Sorry but i don’t like the originals. To my eyes they look a little bit boring. They don’t really represent the power of the car i think. I would also go for BBS or Hirsch.
Personally, I think BBS’s generally look dumb. Too busy. Plus, I think the originals are the most awesome looking factory wheels I’ve seen in a long time.
I can’t believe everyone’s reaction.
I think they are pretty bad. It might just be the photo, but they don’t look symmetrical. But from the 3, the first one is the best.
…it could also be it’s either 5 spoke or nothing for me.
I think the ones in frankfurt are 19s, at least I remember seening the number on the tire on one of the photos.
I hope they’ll be better made as the last model special wheel - the butter soft like Radius-made Viggen rims.
But if they’ll be from Ronal like most of the current lineup it should be okey. Even better if made by one Ronal factory which is close, then I know a guy who has a friend from the city where the factory is, and he has friends working there and … maybe there will be a factory outlet sale
PS Yes, it has 235/40 ZR 19 Pzeros neros on one of the photos http://www.trollhattansaab.net/wp-content/DSCF1567.JPG
I checked AMS hires version and then I realized, the original picture has the wheel Photoshopped in first place. First it was the wheels were just a copy with different exposure. and then it hit me … the calipers are wrong.
BTW the wheels resemble a 90s magnetic tape reel to me … groovy
I would second the objection to the original wheels — they don’t look symmetrical to me. It could just be a lighting effect in the picture, but if that’s the way they look in the real world, I really don’t like them.
Why don’t we try the Turbo-X with the refreshed version of the INCAS?
http://www.trollhattansaab.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/saab-9-3-wheels-2008-4.JPG
Since the original 99 Turbo showcased at Frankfurt had the INCAS, why can’t Saab do that again?
HEYYY the up close picture in the gallery… the tire says 17 inch on it… somewhat look and tel me it says 19 or something, maybe my vision is going…
I think the stock wheels are pretty awful as well. I saw the wheels in the last pic on a red viggen for sale on eBay a while back. They looked really good on that car, which surprised me, because just looking at the wheels alone, I would also say that they are pretty busy. What is really nice about those last wheels is not evident from a pure profile shot.
Inca, Inca, Inca!
I prefer the rims shown in Frankfurt. However, the visible calipers in red don’t look bad at all.
The New INCAS for 2008 are 18″
I fully agree with Ebbot, and others. The new Incas would be my only other choice, the BBS rims make it look to BMW-ish.
I thought the new INCAS were made to be part of the Turbo-X, like they were with the first Turbo in 1977.
Does anyone have any other photos of the INCAS, spot on so someone could photoshop them into the Turbo-X for visual testing?
Here is the Turbo-X with the new INCAS.
I think it looks REALLY sharp. What are your opinions?
http://www.saabhistory.com/images/turbo-x_incas.jpg
Incas all the way.
I think the stock wheels look the best on that vehicle. The 9-3 doesn’t have much of a wheel gap between the body/tire from the factory which I think looks great. It gives the car a nice aggressive stance.
That car just looks so good from the factory, and given that it is limited edition – I would not change a thing on it.
Aftermarket wheels are interesting I suppose; however they generally give the car that ‘riced’ out tuner car look that I have never cared for.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_burner
I think it was a missed opportunity not to put the Aero X turbo wheels on it
Tedjs,
The INCAS are NOT aftermarket, they are Saab Original Accessory wheels.
http://www.saabsverige.com/main/SE/sv/accessories/10/0/0/T/4/result.shtml
the 3rd for me !
Perhaps it has not yet been updated - but the Saab Accessory site for the US does not list the Inca’s (or any of the new wheels) as available for purchase.
Greg, according to the options section of the US brochure, the Incas aren’t going to be offered there. Maybe they can be imported from Europe?
One way around that one. Find someone who is doing a European Delivery and ask them to put a set in the boot….:-D
They’re all good but the last are best.
Swade, don’t know about the roads in tassie but i couldn’t imagine driving around on these around Sydneys roads.
First, my vote is that the wheels on the Turbo-X at the show are the bee’s knees, or the mutts’ butts, or what have you. I think they’re awesome. How long have unique three-spoke wheels been a Saab signature? (I, for one, thought that it was sad when the 9-5 Aeros went to split 5-spokers.) I like this new (split) three-spoke design which has the charcoal/polished two-tone look. Much like the first 16″ wheels to come on 9000s (’91-’92 Turbos and ‘93 Aeros) as well as the ones on the C900 shown with the Turbo-X.
Secondly, why on God’s green earth doesn’t Saab USA have (a) a full selection of wheel options or (b) 19″ wheels at all. Why? I want one GOOD reason! If I ran a US Saab dealership, I’d try to import some options.
~Peter
Those wheels are awful but the car itself looks fabulous!
Swade,
The INCAS aren’t options, there is a difference between an OPTION and an ACCESSORY.
There are “FACTORY” wheels as well as “ACCESSORY” wheels.
Let’s check it out as soon as we see the new 2007-2008 Saab Accessories Catalog here in the U.S.A.
Well, the current U.S. version of the Saab Accessory website includes only one 18″ wheel, and that is for the 9-7x.
http://www.saab.com/main/US/en/accessories/10/0/0/T/5/result.shtml
I’m wondering if there isn’t some US specific reason why we don’t get the 18″ factory or accessory wheels.
Obviously it’s not a hard and fast rule, else U.S.-spec Black Turbo’s would not be getting their 18’s.
That’s true Why not the wheels of the Aero X and also why not the power of the Aero x ?
280hp is poor Vs the 420 of audi s4 and wmb M3 !
The Aero-X has a V6 under the hood, and so does the new Turbo-X.
If the motivation behind the Turbo X is to refer to the ‘78 Turbo why aren’t the new incas the stock wheels and not something that looks like it came off a Toyota Sienna?
http://www.toyota.com/byt/pub/media?id=25853600
Troggmeister,
I’m a little unsure whether I like the new wheels myself until I see them in person, but those Sienna wheels are butt-ugly - no comparison
What is a Sienna Wheel? You mean the aftermarket BBS ones pictured above?
must be the Sienna, then…
the turbo-x wheels would look better if the discs were ventilated. (why aren’t the discs ventilated?–it’s a high-performance car. etc.)
Saab9X,
You mean, Slotted as well as Cross-Drilled?
oh yeah, if we’re talking 18’s, the incas look dang good, but so would a set of 3-spoke double blades, or the 5-spoke high split.
SG,
yes, you nailed it!
Clearly the 19″ Turbo X are the masterpiece of masterpieces by Saab and ones that can go an any of the 9-x series despite the aging factor. I concur in full with Swade that on the Viggen these would absolutely look awesome. This car as is will be an absolute ripper of a model, The first BBS variation is probably the only one that in my books will be an acceptable option to the originals but I’ll leave it in its original form, no need to change anything (except for the ECU). I hope to be one of the owners of one of these vehicles if I can !!!
I have to say that I don’t like the wheels no matter how much I try to like them. They are just not logical to me. It seems as they are made to be different at any cost and I just don’t like that way of thinking.
But each to its own. We are all very different so is our taste in something.
It’s not an honest comparition:
the BBSs were photoshoped to a bigger diameter that the original ones: that’s a huge help.
And completely intencional, because the original ones were photoshoped too.
…and even if we don’t like the original wheels, they make perfect SAAB sense, with their SAABistic triangular simmetry.
I love the aggressiveness of the new 9-3 design and the Turbo X just adds to it but those wheels are really hideous. They don’t do this car justice and come across very boring. They should have fitted the turbine style wheel from the Aero X and cabriolet concept with the same metallic color. That would have given the car a nice wide stance and fill out those large wheel wells. The sportcombi looks alot better for some reason with these odd wheels.
To me those wheels look perfect. And also, replacing them with aftermarket ones is a sin! Just like 900 Aero. You should only use 3 spoke aero rims, though there´s few different designs of them. And I really do think that they look way much better in person. There´s some playing with the tone of colour to resemble of a three spoke design.
I´m not sure wether i like the rims or not. Fact is, that they look similiar to those from (interesting for Swade)Alfa Romeo:
http://www.147virtualclub.it/photo/faq/cerchio_SS17.jpg
I like the wheels, too. Different without being ricey. They fit.