Comments on: Saab’s independent dreams

By: ctm

ctm — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:51:29 +0000

Kurt W. Krauss,

Yeah, the 99 never got stuck. It was like driving a tank through the snow. I remember putting on the studded tires in December every year. All of a sudden it was like having power steering on the 99. And then in March when they came off, the steering was twice as heavy again and I almost went off the road the first few corners…

By: Kurt W. Krauss

Kurt W. Krauss — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:22:08 +0000

CTM – thanks on the tires. Years ago, I ran Hakkapeliittas on my 99s and never got stuck. There was something about that unassisted steering and engine/transmission right over the front wheels (probably 60/40 weight distribution) combined with those snows which made those Saabs unstoppable. I am getting the same feeling from these new Gislaved/Conti tires. Of course the 9-5 is easier to steer!

By: ctm

ctm — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:20:29 +0000

Kurt W. Krauss,

Good choice on the Gislaved. They always get top marks together with Nokian for winter tires. Continental bought and later (in 2002 I think) closed the Gislaved factory, but still use the brand name and the know-how they got.

By: BaRa

BaRa — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 07:55:55 +0000

@Richo: It’s not much, but Saab’s overhead is smaller than GM’s. For starters, they don’t have private jet planes

By: Richo

Richo — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:35:44 +0000

That’s only 5 bil AUD… to prop up the entire auto manufacturing sector in Sweden…. doesn’t seem like much.

By: Kurt W. Krauss

Kurt W. Krauss — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:13:33 +0000

Well, I have to believe that this is a game of chicken and whoever blinks first loses. I really don’t believe that the Swedish government is going to allow either Saab or Volvo to slip away. GM is playing a game – but Lutz does not seem to be helping things, for sure.
On an unrelated note, I bought new snow tires for my 9-5 Combi over the weekend from my friends from Reinersen Motors and what a difference those Gislaved Nordic 5s make!! Who needs XWD? Just kidding, but they do make quite a difference over the Goodyear snows that I bought used last year.

By: MitchbSC

MitchbSC — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:11:34 +0000

Will Saab get their power train engineering resources restored? Or, will GM spin Saab eviscerated of their capability to execute on leading edge technology?

By: Robin M

Robin M — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:46:57 +0000

Karen, I saw the same model 9-3 in “Bed Time Stories” the other week, driven by a the hotel manager.

By: Andy Rupert

Andy Rupert — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:40:38 +0000

This gets more and more interesting…

By: swade

swade — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:23:34 +0000

Kurt, that’s what Dagens Nhyeter said. There’s been plenty of press activity, but no announcement via a press conference. No guarantee that there will be either as this is a long process, but the amount of dialog and disclosure to the press has been encouraging.