Trollhattan Saab has changed!
The site you're viewing now is the original Trollhattan Saab weblog, though it's now an archive only and no new material is posted here. As of February 2009, all new material is posted at our new site - Saabs United.
Please join us at Saabs United and get your daily Saab fix from Saab sources all around the world.
News on the vacation front:
Yesterday, we did what anyone would do on a cold, windy, raining summer’s day in the Fraser Valley – we went to a waterslide park! The day was cut short when a tree blew over and took out the power to the entire Cultus Lake area, meaning many of the slides were shut down. That tree also held us up as we left, as it fell across the road and it was an hour wait before the power company got a truck out there to cut it up, remove it and restore power.
Fun, fun, fun!!
We saw one Saab 9-3 convertible on the trip home, taking our tally to 17 Saab sightings so far.
——
I’ve written to Saab Canada to see if they have a press vehicle available on the west coast for next week’s Pacific Northwest meetup. Hopefully they can make something available. It’d be much more appropriate than rocking up to the Ikea carpark in my brother-in-law’s Ford Explorer!
——
Negotiations have commenced in Trollhattan for the closing down of some of the shifts there due to falling demand, primarily in the US market. It seems that for the foreseeable future, workers in Trollhattan will have a little less to do, though their losses may be offset by bringing some outsourcd work back in-house.
The new 9-4x and 9-5 will help Saab as a company, though they won’t help Trollhattan too much as they’ll be made in Mexico and Germany, respectively. Trollhattan needs some added interest in the 9-3, and quick.
Thanks to the various Swedes who sent this story through!
——
I have a feeling that when we see the convertible car concept based on the 9-X in Paris later this year, it’ll be a hardtop convertible. I’m just guessing, but I think the trend towards hardtops can’t be ignored.
CAR Magazine are speculating on a new Audi hardtop coupe/convertible and their artist’s rendering is the first time I’ve seen a hardtop that looks good with the top up. Most of the hardtops look out of proportion to me, a result of the different geometry that a hardtop requires.
Personally, I think if a car’s a convertible then it should look like a convertible, and that means a soft top. Modern soft tops are quiet, well insulated and they look fantastic. With a five star safety rating such as that held by the 9-3 convertible, they don’t lose out in strength or science, either.
Pop-up headlights were a trend once, too.
——
If anyone needs clarification about my stance on Cadillac, here it is.
A 500hp luxury sport sedan that has true performance and luxury characteristics sounds like what a Cadillac should be. That’d be the 2009 CTS-V. I still think they’re as ugly as a bashed crab, but that’s my own personal opinion. The fact is, the thing drives like a luxury car when required and goes like stink when you give it some welly.
A four cylinder Cadillac like the one they’re proposing for 2010 is not in keeping with a clear Cadillac brand image, and it treads well-and-truly on Saab’s territory in GM’s upper echelon marketplace. There’s just no good reason for it whatsoever.
If Saab and Caddy are to cross over, it should be in the 6-cylinder area, which would represent an upper end of the Saab demographic and a base for Cadillac.
I can’t see why this is so difficult.
——
This is Motor Authority’s take on the 2010 Saab 9-5. For a bigger version of this image, click here.
——
Elkparts have a couple of new Saab watches in stock, which are going to be limited editions.
The first is a new take on the Saab 99 Turbo watch. I’ve got one of the original ones, which was an exact replica of the car’s turbo guage. This one’s just a little different and an attractive piece.
Click here for the Elkparts page for this watch.
–
The second is a watch based on the 1965 Saab Sport. This is a really good classic design based on instruments in the two stroke Saab Sport. It’s made in stainless steel and water resistant to 5 atmospheres.
Click here for the Elkparts page for this watch.
——
13 responses so far ↓
1 edusaab
// Aug 31, 2008 at 6:12 am
That CC from Audi, its a total fake. Technically the closest thing to that idea is a Lincoln Continental or the Mercedes Benz Ocean Drive, or the Concept of the Megane CC 4 door made by Heuliez. Take a look at the Merc, soft top, use of composite materials, heavy wheight car and based on a S600. The need of a complex structure for that matter it do quite unprofitable if you don’t sell it at high price, like the idea of the Ocean Drive.
Then the rear pilar, only that part in the design of the picture doesn’t fit to the boot, and for this reason in the Merc they use the soft top, and then the weight distribution, imagine all that stuff in the boot, in this case all the sports car in its convertible versions use soft tops. Finally in the Concept from heuliez that is the most similar thing to that the rear pilar its very thin, for space reason and then the structural reinforcements they use.
regards
2 Paul Humpage
// Aug 31, 2008 at 8:32 am
The Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe does without a metal roof. I think a Saab convertible can do without too.
3 albert
// Aug 31, 2008 at 8:46 am
No hardtop convertible on this planet looks good!! (not even an Astra and that is one of the better examples).
The smaller they are the worse they look.
So @SAAB: do not ever try one!!
4 zippy
// Aug 31, 2008 at 9:16 am
I will be in Geneva on 11 March for a closer look at the new 9-5.
5 mo
// Aug 31, 2008 at 11:41 am
i thought the new convertibles by saab would be totally different than anything in the industry. i remember seeing that around here, anyone else remember?
6 joemama
// Aug 31, 2008 at 1:50 pm
The 9-5 mockup looks fantastic! The best part is how the turn signal lights match the light pipes on the front headlights . Very clean.
7 Mag-X
// Aug 31, 2008 at 2:15 pm
OMG $143.21 for a watch! My wallet just ran off and went into hiding.
8 MarkoA
// Aug 31, 2008 at 10:42 pm
9-5 looks a bit dull compared to the scetch we so the other day. It´s very sad to hear Trollhattan is cutting production. I heard that every friday they´ll have a day off, or something. 9-3X can´t come quick enough. XWD came in too late. Most of the reviews blame 9-3 for it´s age allready and XWD doesn´t help it on that. I know I´m being pessimistic, but to me it seems that 9-3X will be a straight copy of the idea from Volvo XC70/ Audi Allroad. They´ll add some cladding and chrome bits here and there. I don´t think it´ll do any wonders even though I´m desperately waiting to see and test the car in person. My ideal car would be Saab 9-3 boosted by some Subaru Outback genes to make it really practical without loosing any of the Saabiness. Will 9-3X be the car?
I really don´t understand if they´re going to show 9-X Convert concept in Paris? Saab has showed too many concepts without making them production cars. Actually only two, 9-3SportHatch and 9-4X seem to end up production cars.
9 Bernard
// Sep 1, 2008 at 12:40 am
It looks like the 4 cylinder Cadillac will be a Holden with a Saab engine. It will, of course, compete with the Saab-with-a-Holden-engine that is the 9-3 Aero…
Small world, isn’t it?
10 Bernard
// Sep 1, 2008 at 2:13 am
Swade,
Speaking of Saab engines in other GM cars, you should arrange to test-drive the Chevy Cobalt SS. I would love to hear what you think of the 260 hp DI 2.0. Apparently it even says Saab on the short block.
11 Jeff
// Sep 1, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Don’t even remind me of this supposed four-banger Caddy…shades of Cimarron. *shudder
12 SaabKen
// Sep 2, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Bernard said: “Speaking of Saab engines in other GM cars, you should arrange to test-drive the Chevy Cobalt SS. I would love to hear what you think of the 260 hp DI 2.0. Apparently it even says Saab on the short block.”
Really, the block actually says “Saab” ?? Wonder if it’s a peaky engine.
I drove a friend’s WRX a few years ago and that thing was gutless under 3000 revs. And that was the 2.5T
Love SAAB’s turbocharging
13 James
// Sep 3, 2008 at 1:13 am
i haven’t driven a Cobalt (or HHR) SS, but I did drive a Solstice GXP – same 2.0 DI/T I4, 260bhp/260lb-ft etc etc, mounted longitudinally
i was not impressed. Maybe it’s the high kerb weight of the Solstice but it just didn’t FEEL like anywhere near 260 horses.
Whereas my dad’s old 9-3SS Aero ‘Vert 6M, which had the 210bhp 2.0T, felt like it had every horse it claimed to under the hood. That car was a hoot