Comments on: Sunday Snippets

By: Brandys

Brandys — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:40:15 +0000

Thank you very much for including my review of the Lynx Yellow Saab 9-3 convertible. As the editor for http://www.AskPatty.com, I review dozens of vehicles each year for their family friendliness, and this is one of the few vehicles that I mourned after returning!

By: 900TurboSE

900TurboSE — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:24:30 +0000

So what if Saab is sold? What does that do to all the existing GM warranties? It’s certainly another reason, the warranty coverage, why Saab’s are appealing. Sure they could be sold, but what does that do to the new current owners? I’m very, very tempted to purchase a 93 Aero with the XWD, knowing the discounts will be very good, but I would hate to purchase a car with no means of service available while still under warranty. Thoughts…..

By: MarkoA

MarkoA — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 13:36:38 +0000

I just read a story of Opel Insignia. It really worries me. It was designed from a scratch. No already available parts were used, everything is specially designed for Insignia. Then in the end of a story was mentioned that the new 9-5 will be built from those Opel components. I know, it might be a good car. But is it going to be closer to Opel? More than 9-3?? Holy crap!

By: Bernard

Bernard — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 13:05:03 +0000

GM has already put Saab’s R&D capabilities on ice. As far as anyone can tell, the 9-4x will be a Cadillac with a different grille, tail lights and trim package. The 9-5 will be the same thing, except based on an Opel. At this point, we would all be happy if GM found some spare change under the couch cushions in Trollhattan so that Saab can bend some sheet metal and make a 9-1 out of the next Astra.

I am hopeful that things will get better in the medium term, but Farago’s statements are a pretty fair descritpion of the last 6 years at Saab. My hope is that GM will eventually be forced to promote some non-US executives to decision-making positions.

The Blackbird concept reminds me of the Plymouth Prowler. Any design student worth his/her salt would rather be associated with Saab than Plymouth, so that’s why the Saab branding was added.

It is somewhat unfortunate that the concept doesn’t pay tribute to Saab’s design philosophy

By: Tompa

Tompa — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:41:38 +0000

Saab´s demise.. Hardly. Yepp, GM may not hold on to Saab, but Saab will not die with that. Some company will buy it bacause it has a name, herritage, tech etc.
I wish people would stop painting everything in black.
My wish is that the Fiat group buy Saab and rapidly launch the GMNG9-5 and 9-4X and then make a 91 from the basis of the MiTo, a new 9-3 from the Saab cooperated Brera base (Might be to heavy?) and a Aero-X Halo car from 8C but with an E85 6 cylinder.
No? But.. I realy believe that GM will hold on to Saab

—–
That design kid has seen Joseph Kosinskis beautiful work with the Saab Blackbird video and held on to a cool name.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 03:35:21 +0000

I have a love/hate relationship with design. Sometimes, I love it. Usually, I hate what’s considered “good design,” because my ideas about good design seem to be completely at odds with the design world. I think good design means striking the perfect balance between practicality and aesthetics. The design world seems to think it’s either entirely practicality or entirely aesthetics, and anything in the middle is bad design.

They’re worse than art people sometimes.

This concept is impractical and kind of ugly.

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:42:38 +0000

While I don’t want to believe it, I also wouldn’t be surprised. Saab’s buyer loyalty numbers are terrible and GM’s starved the brand of anything resembling competitive products.

Given the current economic climate, I have a hard time seeing too many Saab dealerships survive until even the NG9-5 and 9-4X get here so the brand’s effectively dying as we speak, no matter how good the NG9-5 and 9-4X might be.

By: ctm

ctm — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:28:38 +0000

Even a blind hen…

By: eggsngrits

eggsngrits — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:44:36 +0000

Mr. Farago has been so right before