Saab 9-7x Aero is now on site.
SaabUSA have now posted the 9-7x Aero on to their website.
There’s a brief run-down plus some printables and the usual chance to subscribe for more info.
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6.0 Litre V8..
as un-Saab as u can get
Was there a press release for this hidden amongst the AUDI ones at AutoBlog?
Chassis developed at the German Nurburgring Race Course
yeah right
Nordschleife …
Yeah Right ?
Damned Right !
It was a dismantled chassis without any saab-design clues, to misinform those Nürburgring-photographers.
Chasing around the track, people thought being it an caterham.
Proof can be seen here:
http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=3676462945856394179&q=caterham+nurburgring&total=26&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
The only way to recognize it as a 9-7X Aero was steering position, rather high for a super seven. (The camera was mounted very close to the righthandside of the drivers helmet).
Enjoy those 8 minutes.
Hey Swade - they just put the new 9-3 front and center on the Saab Usa site too.
Wilfried, obviously the Aero has the power-on-demand system as it runs on four cylinders only ?
If only those Porsches and M3’s hadn’t ruined the lap time…
They let the public pay to drive the Nurburgring, right? How do they deal with the litigation risks?
California is such a car culture I could see some rich investor building a huge track like that out in the desert somewhere or something and making a fortune charging members of the public to drive their cars on it (and car companies to use it for new vehicle development), but I think it would be open for maybe 5 minutes before the owner received his first lawsuit, signed waivers or not.
I’ve never cared for suvs , yet I really like the 9-7x. There is something giddy and fun about a big heavy box hauling ass (literally) at more “jet like” acceleration speeds than any of the purpose built Saabs.
My gripes are that the turbine wheels from the 9-7x Aero concept are m.i.a. and the perfect turbo engine for the Aero already exists but was mothballed by GM.
GM built an inline 6cyl 400 hp twin turbo in late 2001 and tested it in a modded Trailblazer, then shelved it. They deduced (correctly) the original GMT360 variants weren’t upscale enough to justify the $47k sticker of a low volume high performance model with a specially prepared hi-output turbo engine, reinforced transmission, unique awd set up, and a carefully tuned and lowered handling suspension. Hmm imagine if…..
Hey NY3, I remember reading about that twin-turbo engine and upgraded GMT360 platform years ago and wondering why such a pricey package would be created for Chevy of all things.
When 9-7x came out I speculated GM would dust off the 400horsepower turbo for the Aero and get the $45 to 50k money.
The turbo was wrong for lesser GMT360, yet perfect for SAAB. Not sure what happened there. 3 years later we get a late to the party Aero with the 6.0 V-8(sigh)
ps. The turbine rims you mention are from the DUB Aero SEMA concept. They nicely evoke the Aero X donks.
Hey I found the 400 hp twin-turbo inline 6 article from 2002
http://www.trucktrend.com/roadtests/performance/163_0208_2002_chevrolet_trailblazer_twin_turbo/
now this would be the right way to power an Aero 9-7
1985 Gripen, planning a visit to the Nürburgring ?
Then first check these sites for usefull information:
http://nurburgring.de/
(fansite with loads of info and many links)
http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/
(Ben Lovejoy’s site with very usefull info, a very serious warning and many tips concerning safety, road-behaviour, the way to get there etc.)
http://nuerburgring.gosign.de/
(official Nürburgring-site)
Bless me Father Saab, for I have sinned. There is a 9-7x Aero in my driveway … and, Holy Mother of God, it’s a troll with an attitude.
Great tuning job, Saab! My wife was headed for a GMC Acadia. Ugh. Glad the 9-7x Aero performance and content are outstanding. Stayed with the Saab brand. It holds curves with comparatively little body roll for a SUV platform. Winding out the engine is postively awe-inspiring. Totally not Saab … but hey, neither was a V6 in a 9-3.
mitch - What’s wrong with the Acadia?
Not that it wasn’t a good choice.
“mitch - What’s wrong with the Acadia?”
an awful interior, for one.
“mitch - What’s wrong with the Acadia?”
Per my wife(!), floaty-boaty handling and too much body roll. Blind spots at the important points making it difficult to park.
I don’t see what’s wrong with the Acadia’s interior, personally, but that’s just me.
I guess having a truck-based SUV or a unibody CUV is a matter of preference.
Not that I think you made the wrong choice or anything, I’d take a 9-7x Aero over an Acadia 10 times out of 10