UPDATED
Any budding spyshot interpreters out there?
A local Trollhattan resident who I’ll keep nameless spotted this Opel-clad mule at the Overby shopping mall yesterday, just outside metro Trollhattan. Definitely an ill-fitting skin there.
So who knows stuff about mules? Anything we can tell from this, or just too much Vectra there to look at?
UPDATE
Upon seeing the comments, our photographer has offered the following extra info via email:
The interior in the mule was stock Vectra except for a bunch of cables for connecting computers and measuring equipment in the front passenger seat.
Didn’t bother to look underneath the car since the XWD has already been unveiled and is no longer a secret….
Click to enlarge….
The photographer should have crawled in under the car for some shots of suspension and drivetrain…
Same mule as Car caught some months ago….all I can tell is that the width is obviously somewhat more than Vectra, as you’d hope for the new 9-5. Beyond that, who know?
All I wish was that Saab would use a different ‘mule’ – this makes it far too easy for the ignorant motoring press and the naysayers to claim the new 9-5 will simply be a ‘re-skinnedVecta’. Could they not dress up the mechanicals in something a bit more exotic?
Is there Saab rear headrests, or does Opel have similar design? I wish the photographer would´ve taken some pics of the interior as well.
A wider stance. Good.
I hope the handling and holding is a big improvement on the older one.
Those headrests at the rear are Saabs, not Opels.
Saab told the press they now have global engineering responsibility for all GM transverse engine 4WD cars – so this may actually be an Opel, not a Saab…
A “mule ” is simply a test vehicle and may not and often not represent a new body shape . Mules are used for engine and transmission set ups suspension and braking and general chassis dynamics, they are a test chassis that allows the engineers to try different configurations. FBOO,s first built one off’s are the pre production hand mades where tooling is developed fand tested for assembly
Its the new Lamborghini Murcialago.
Aeroo is spot on.
I’ve worked in Milford and Romeo Michigan (which GM and Ford have their proving grounds at respectively), and see test mules all the time. Mostly they are heavily camouflaged with standard interiors that have testing and calibration equipment (wires) all over the place.
Mules are used for calibration and testing of Chassis, engine, transmission, electronics, tooling, reliability. They may have several mules dedicated to different tests, IE. one for chassis tuning, one for engine & transmission etc.
Judging from the wheels Id say its an EPII chassis mule (look like Saab wheels to me).
I too, just like mark_belfast, I wish it was further camouflaged to keep the press from saying its a re-badged Vectra….
Sorry wilfried, but those are stock Vectra read headrests. The other horse in my stable is a MY04 Vectra CDXi (GTS to you wero folks) and they’re identical.
The Insignia mule seen two years ago had the same headrests, so it’s probably Opel stuff.
http://www.autorevue.cz/Obrazky/2006/04duben/vectra/05.jpg
This might be a modified Insignia mule to test Saab stuff, or other GM stuff. Shouldn’t the new 9-5 be way beyond mules now?
It could be anything. For a next 9-5 the wheelbase doesn’t quite look long enough but the stance says it’s a 4×4 – maybe.
This might well be Saabs first hybrid, as a mule is a hybrid of a horse and a donkey…
On a platform, parameters such a wheelbase can vary some depending on the type of car the platfrom is used.
Exactly, ctm, but if you’re testing something specifically for 9-5 (such as suspension setup) , then you want the correct wheelbase, don’t you think ?
Looks like the rear bumper has been moved backwards, and yet the rear wheel is still almost touching it it’s so far back in the wheel arch. Looks like quite a bit longer wheelbase than a Vectra to me. How much longer are we expecting the 9-5 to be?
I’d guess 9-5 should have a 2850-2900 mm wheelbase while Vectra has a 2700 wb.
It’s difficult to judge the change from the bumper but it looks as if the rear door-to-wheel distance has increased maybe 50-100 mm.
If this is supposed to be the epsilon2, it could be the short version as in Opel Insignia (and in coming 9-3 ?).
Anyway, does it matter…
This looks alot like the Saturn Aura sold here inthe states, take a look and compare.
Hank,
That’s because the Saturn Aura is styled to get the US audience used to Opel styling elements. Saturn will mostly be re-badged Opels (like Vauxhall in UK and Holden in Australia).
The mule has sheet metal from the current Opel Vectra:
http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/images/opel-vectra-06-1.JPG
These mules have been circling Trollhattan for the past 1,5 years now or more. It´s been a topic at iSaab.net since then. So no news for us Swedes there..
But it is the 9-5..
I saw to Vectra some weeks ago in Trollhättan. It looked like this. Badly didn’t couldn’t I take any photo. I wonder why they not is in the north of Sweden right now and testing. Think I should take a trip to the factory soon.
Very interesting…..
Is there anyway that someone could track that number plate? that would give us a better idea aobut what it was about. Hoepfully it is the new 9-5 and as tompa says if they’ve been around for a year and a half then it would seem it would be on track if the insignia is nearly ready for launch and that was two years ago.
2009.5/2010 model year then?
the first two letters are for russelsheim (DA) but I havent got any further than that I’m afraid
Simon A may have it right, apparently opel uses different rear headrests in the saloon/GTS and in the estate (‘caravan’) version.
It took me a Vauxhal to confirm that, all other headrests I could find on a picture are in estates.
http://www1.autozeitung.de/online/render.php?render=31037&size=
http://www.netcarshow.com/vauxhall/2006-vectra_vxr/
But jumping to conclusions from such an aspect is a bit premature.
vectra/insignia-tests are being done in Sweden as you can see on those picts in German Magazines (snowy conditions, wooden clad buildings & swedish flag in background). The interior here looks very opel, not saab. The overal shape has nothing to do with the current vectra.
http://www1.autozeitung.de/online/render.php?render=0108539
http://www1.autozeitung.de/online/render.php?render=108595&size=
On the possibility of FWD/AWD/RWD I can’t find info at the moment, I guess Opel is not going fr the AWD, except maybe with their biggest motorisation.
In august last year there was talk about a bigger Opel with RWD on basis of a Holden:
http://www1.autozeitung.de/online/index.php?render=69081
Concerning the DA & GG plates:
Number plate: DA
Place: Darmstadt-Dieburg
Land: Hessen/Germany
Number plate: DA
Place: Groß-Gerau
Land: Hessen/Germany
The first two letters are for Darmstadt.. Not Russelsheim as previously noted. It is nothing more then a Opel Test Bed Vehicle… Has nothing to do with Saab.. Registered to General Motors Europe..
ok.. just to clarify, they are for Darmstadt I was unaware of that but that’s the area of registration that Russelsheim is in, and as it has been said, Saab are moving somethings to Russelsheim, so maybe it has something to do with that.. Could just be a general powertrain mule for GM …. who knows really?
DA= Darmstadt : ok i got that
but…
DI= hmmm…. DIRECT INJECTION?? :] im happy all of a sudden!