Saab 9-X Air uncovered
Jalopnik’s got the goods and it turns out Boon94’s prediction of a few days ago wasn’t that far off the mark.
The embargo date is apparently later this week; Saab were going to pre-empt the Paris show by releasing details early. I’m not sure where Jalop’s got this stuff from as it looks like scanned images, but all’s well that shows early.
I’m sure we’ll get some better quality stuff through soon now.
Well, it’s certainly interesting, like all Saab concepts.
There’s precious little information about it over at Jalopnik so we’ll have to wait for more to come through in order to find out what sort of mechanism closes the top of the vehicle. I’d suggest that in order to keep it’s sleek profile, though, there might be something sliding up from the back (just my idea, though).
The interior looks just the same as the 9-X, though I’m sure the press release will promote a few new gadgets they’ve added in.
Interesting times.
Now, the challenge is for Saab to take this car and its 9-X sibling right into the board rooms of GM Europe and demand they get built. Otherwise, it’s all just pissing in the wind.
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Thanks to Turbin for the heads-up.
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Now that I like.
No worries Swade, good work being online and posting so quickly, synchronicity.
Saved pics in case Jalopnik pulls them, but I doubt it as the horse has well and truly bolted.
looks good, but again we can say that all we want but we need something to get built.
Interesting… Can’t wait till more pics surface! The backend appears too heavy imo.
This is a great idea and one that hopefully makes it to production. I love the idea, design and styling of this car.
I just hope I see it come to fruition before my 11 year old graduates high school.
We’ve seen great concepts come our way since 2001 without a true new model being introduced.
Speculation is interesting. Product makes a brand. Styling and dynamics sell cars. To get rid of all the red ink Saab needs these well thought out concepts to hit the showroom floors. Time to giddy-up GM.
Can I get an Amen!
Looks good to me, and very different to everything else out there.
Imagine that the high rear end will provide for a less windy cabin, but why that 2nd seat row?
Is it a softtop we are seeing?
One of the pictures show the roof up, it sits proud of the windows but looks like it is still a soft top. It looks like it must work similar to the BMW 6 series convetible where the rear window is seperate to the roof. It look well designed, the sleek look works well with encorporating the rear roll bars into the design of the car.
Am I the only one thinking there something completely wrong with that perspective? As if a side shot was photoshoped into perspective distortion and pasted onto that grass-and-road image?
I like it. The “tail fin” is a nice touch.
BaRa, I think the image is a scanned page is from a booklet.
that one hot car, looking at the roof line looks like its a really fast sleak car.
now get something like it near production please!!
Some of those angles do not make the car look good. The one with the roof up just doesn’t inspire at all, I guess the picture quality probably isn’t helping.
Just as the Bio-Hybrid had me questioning whether it was beautiful or not, this is having the same effect.
Roll those windows down and we got Quasimodo…
As a concept it’s fair enough, but if Saab needs to get something good into production soon.
If it’s an official image, then the driver sits in a very strange position. Normally, the head should be back against the headrest. Look’s like it just photoshopped there.
Oh, and another thing. Are the only one headrest in the pic above? If the other one is hid behind the one that can be seen, the the position of those are totally weird considering the car is seen from an angle.
up periscope. how do you see behind you? rear view camera “mirror”?
x2 on the potential quasimodo with the windows down…
anyway can’t wait to see more!
I think I can see a rear view mirror in one of the pics, but not in the other ones…
I like it a lot! It looks very fresh and innovative. Just like Saabs should look like.
About the cameras that replace the rear view mirror. This feature isn’t as futuristic as one might think. Porsche just said that they’ll soon get rid of the rear view mirrors and replace them with cameras!
As for the roof mechanism, remember the CRX “Del Sol”?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIk_tlGdGho
These pics are distorted because they are photos of posters, taken from an angle. I guess things will be clearer when we see the official and original pics.
Reminds me of a late 1970s Lamborghini - a Uracco- perhaps - or an early Guigario.
Anyway, whats the point of it, we need a new small Saab SOON!
http://www.aftonbladet.se/bil/article3327531.ab more pics
Very interesting car. Unfortunately those pics are not of the best quality, though they tell a lot what it´s going to be. Boon94 was spot on!
GM, built something for customers too. Concepts we´ve seen already and truly loved them..
Somehow I still feel like those pics are modified from other pics. Not the real car…
Real pictures:
http://www.aftonbladet.se/bil/article3327531.ab
The car looks great, but to be honest I am getting tired of all these Saab concepts…..
We need real cars and we need them now. The 9 - 5 is too old and too uneconomical, the 9 -3 is getting face lifts, boob jobs etc to keep it going and thats it for “real” cars.
The Germans are introducing new models, serious revamps, better engines every 2 years etc and where is Saab ????
Please Saab, if anyone is listening…stop bullshitting…and do something real !!
That one´s not in my taste.. That´s for sure. Maybe some more pictures could turn me around.
Looks like a beautiful gem, a worthy opposant for the A3 & 1-series and the forthcoming babybenz http://www.autobild.de/artikel/vorschau-mercedes-benz-clr_779455.html.
Ken H is right about quasimodo driving with the windows down. The elegant line will be completely distorted.
At first look, headroom in backseats doesn’t look that much.
Inspiration is surely not coming only from the air. It shares some design clues with the Riva St.-Tropez speedboat from the ’70s. http://www.the-knot.com/
The concept looks nice and refreshing. But gm/saab needs to take a further step.
I wish they will present 2 things in Paris, next to this concept car a preproduction model and the announcement to really produce the 9XBH, or whatever it will be called.
Considering the 2 years between 9-3 SportHatch concept and the production model, it is a bit early for that.
But hey 2006, wasn’t that the year of the Aero-X … ?
The clock is ticking.
Time for a small serie of this über-saab ?
Looks good to me. I’m in Nigel’s camp on the “we need some real cars” thing.
what about these pics?? http://www.autobild.de/artikel/erlkoenig-bildergalerie-teil-76_782576.html
the higher the quality, the better it looks - with a really nice backend! Check it out
what about these pics?? http://www.autobild.de/artikel/erlkoenig-bildergalerie-teil-76_782576.html
the higher the quality, the better it looks - with a really nice backend! Check it out!
yet again… new pictures http://www.autobild.de/artikel/erlkoenig-bildergalerie-teil-76_782576.html
nice rear view
… it’s a so called canopy top - more like a targa top. The big C-pillars make it possible to be it more or less a “slider”
sorry, it’s underneath the BMW - in the further galleries… wonder why AutoBild has’em first??
Thanks rayman146! No it looks better to me.
http://www.autobild.de/artikel/paris-studie-saab-9-x-air-concept_782489.html
the story about this 4,43m Convertible Revolution as they wrote… lots of wider Bluetooth integration inside. They have some interesting tidbits about the trunk - which actually rolls out to give space for 2 golfbags, before rolling back again. The roof will be made in 3 pieces and collapses this way - the rear windows surr down while closing and comebag again, giving it a more glasshouse inspired look that make s for great views all around the car and helps the drivers visibility! 1.4l engine as we know it with li-ion battery and some stuff BMW already has ou there working…
http://www.autobild.de/artikel/paris-studie-saab-9-x-air-concept_782489.html
the story about this 4,43m Convertible Revolution as they wrote… lots of wider Bluetooth integration inside. They have some interesting tidbits about the trunk - which actually rolls out to give space for 2 golfbags, before rolling back again. The roof will be made in 3 pieces and collapses this way - the rear windows surr down while closing and come back again, giving it a more glasshouse inspired look that make s for great views all around the car and helps the drivers visibility! 1.4l engine as we know it with li-ion battery and some stuff BMW already has ou there working…
Looks cool to me:)
thanks for the updates rayman146:)
And here is the Swedish version of the 9-X Air uncovered:
http://www.automotorsport.se/news/15599/officiell-nästa-saab-9-3-cabriolet/
It basically says that this will be the new 9-3 cabriolet that probably will be on the market in 2011.
The Concept shares the rear suspension with the current 9-3 and the front suspension with some Opel. The engine is a 1,4 Litre turbocharged ethanol converted engine that produces about 200 hp with E85 and 170 hp with gasoline. The fuelage is about 5 litres/ 100 km, while driving on gasoline and about 6,5 litres with E85.
Anthony Lo estimates that the new cabriolet mechanism saves at least 100 kg, but still is suitable for allyear using, which also is a great thing! He also states that Saab has left the conceptual stage of this car and are almost ready building the first in a series of prototypes..
Great life for Saab ahead!!
:)
I WANNA SE 9-5 PICS!!!!!!
another pic from Aftonbladet:
http://gfx.aftonbladet.se/multimedia/dynamic/00733/saab-hemlig-cab_733971a.jpg
and few more from Dagens Industri (klick on “starta bildspelet”):
http://di.se/Nyheter/?page=/Avdelningar/Artikel.aspx%3FArticleID%3D20089\16\301058%26sectionid%3DEttan
another one from aftonbladet: http://gfx.aftonbladet.se/multimedia/dynamic/00733/saab-hemlig-cab_733971a.jpg