Konstantin sent these through via email. He just caught a custom matte black Saab 9-3 Aero on the streets of Moscow.
It looks like it’s just a little unfinished at the moment with the mesh from the front grille missing. Note also the custom paint on the original Saab wheels (I like the silver outer rim) and the custom dual exhaust. I’ve not seen the black badge on the hood before, either.
I’ve not been a huge fan of matte finishes on cars in the past, but this actually looks pretty good. Very distinctive.
And Konstantin assures me that the Lambo in the background is representative of a typical Moscow street nowadays 
Click to enlarge….
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26 responses so far ↓
1 NineTwoX
// Aug 13, 2008 at 1:46 am
I like it.
2 Brian Mills
// Aug 13, 2008 at 2:11 am
Look at the logos. Look at the pipes…modified! Nice.
3 Kroum
// Aug 13, 2008 at 2:29 am
Nice! Also digging the tailpipes.
4 Jeff
// Aug 13, 2008 at 4:44 am
Eh, matte black and Euro-cars don’t mix, in my opinion. Unless it’s a 45-year-old gasser.
The worst, though, is matte black supercars. Yeah, jackass, your Gallardo is STEALTHY now.
5 TimJ
// Aug 13, 2008 at 7:33 am
Wow!! :O
6 NineTwoX
// Aug 13, 2008 at 7:38 am
I don’t know why manufacturer’s don’t offer matte black as a colour choice.
7 turbin
// Aug 13, 2008 at 8:15 am
Nice, beautifully executed. Like the black tri-hammer wheels too. Also the custom badges off ebay. Judging by the great exhaust this 2.8 has been worked a bit too.
8 edusaab
// Aug 13, 2008 at 8:37 am
the exhausts look a like the Hirsch ones from the TrollR 9-5 and similar.
regards
9 2-don
// Aug 13, 2008 at 8:47 am
His parking sensors are missing!
10 Andy Rupert
// Aug 13, 2008 at 10:13 am
I thought communism was “a socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership of the means of production and property in general” (Wikipedia). How does a communist citizens get away with owning a Lamborghini?
11 Tim in Denver
// Aug 13, 2008 at 10:17 am
Andy - friend,
who says he (or they, for that matter) are communists?
That was so ’80’s’…
12 swade
// Aug 13, 2008 at 10:41 am
Whilst the government may not be a shining light in terms of transperancy and democracy (Putin’s always going to get his way) Russia’s had a fairly free market economy for some time now. That’s why it’s Europe’s biggest growth area for car sales (including Lambos by the looks of things).
13 zippy
// Aug 13, 2008 at 11:25 am
Owner is obviously a white trash ex-Pinko!
14 rogan2915
// Aug 13, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Hate to say it but I’m not a big fan. Chalk boards scare me enough in school… now I’ll have nightmares of them being on my favorite car!
15 Burbs
// Aug 13, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I’m not convinced the color works on this version. I’d like to see this type of job done on an ‘08 version of the 9-3. I just think the more angular look of it would suit the matte finish better. Nice tailpipe mod though, which for some reason reminds me of that on some recent 911’s…
16 Konstantin
// Aug 13, 2008 at 3:04 pm
I guess the owner dismatled the front grille intentionally (as well as the parking sensors and a few interior parts that seemed to have nothing to do with the painting job). He either wanted to reduce the overall weight or to make the car look aggressive (inside, too!). Looks like a skull.
17 mo
// Aug 13, 2008 at 3:25 pm
i think it looks awesome
18 rogan2915
// Aug 13, 2008 at 3:30 pm
If he took that stuff off to reduce weight, he probably did more damage in aerodynamics than he gained from the lighter weight. Seriously that stuff ways maybe two pounds.
-Rogan
19 Matt
// Aug 13, 2008 at 5:26 pm
@Burbs
Agree with you there. The pre-facelift 9-3s are too rounded to pull off the matte black look. Got to have a lot of angles to make it look good IMHO - like the Brabus Bullit black arrow, that’s one evil looking car in matte black. The Turbo X would really suit a matte black finish, that or Monte Carlo yellow…
20 93Aero
// Aug 13, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Maybe it’s just me, but with the missing bits and all … I think this looks like just a base coat or primer
21 Andy Rupert
// Aug 13, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Tim and Swade, thanks for the correction. I wrote without thinking. It’s good to see the changes have affected the daily choices of the people that live in Russia.
22 Jeff
// Aug 14, 2008 at 10:17 am
93Aero - That’s the point.
I really don’t think it works on this car. It works on hot rods and old Chevelles. Not Saabs.
23 Hawkeye
// Aug 15, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Well, at least the colour matches the unpainted door handles and the bumper strips. Maybe that’s where he got the inclination.
A lot of enthusiasts are thinking about painting the bumper strips and the door handles to match there duco. In a twisted way I can understand what he has done in reverse.
He’s definitely a creative thinker. WOW! You got to love a Saab owner!
24 trogg
// Aug 16, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Isuzu Asia had a run of Panther SUV’s in matte colors metallic red, electric blue, gold, grey and black. I have to admit the first time I saw it I thought it was a defective clear coat. Looked great but harder to keep looking nice than gloss black. The areas that got burnished by the winds looked more glossy after a few months.
25 XfreakX
// Aug 16, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Looks good and I’d love to have my X in this black finish !!!
The parking sensors are still there but you have to look good….
26 Dippen
// Aug 18, 2008 at 9:02 am
Does anyone know how the market is for SAAB cars in eastern Europe and Russia?