This is the final live entry for Trollhattan Saab. For the record, it’s entry #5,431 and there have been 50,962 comments thus far in the life of this blog.

Whilst this is the end of the road for Trollhattan Saab (yes, city of Trollhattan, you can have your Google rank back soon!) it is NOT the end of our collective journey with Saab blogging.

Please bookmark www.saabsunited.com – TS’s little baby and successor.

Trollhattan Saab will still exist indefinitely an archive, but from this post onwards, all new posts will be published at Saabs United.

I will give TS a week or so as it is, so that you can finish your conversations in comments here. As of next weekend the front page of Trollhattan Saab will automatically redirect visitors to Saabs United.

The reasons for the change are many but hopefully only noticeable to me. Your experience should be largely the same as it has been here at TS. There’s a nice fat welcome post over at SU that explains nearly everything (I’ve left the meaning of life to others).

I’d like to take a moment to welcome a new sponsor to Trollhattan Saab and Saabs United – MobilForum from Dresden, in Germany.

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MobilForum are a top tier dealership specialising in Hummer, Cadillac, Corvette and most importantly for readers at this website – Saab. In fact, with the specialised knowledge they’ve accumulated over the years they are the top tier dealership for premium brands in Saxony, Germany.

Mobilforum provide their customers with a balanced mix of experience and innovation when it comes to Saab and GM’s other premium brands. They know their products and their customers. They know that these drivers want their cars to express their individuality, placing a particular emphasis on reliability and superior ride.

Whether it’s the subtly-practical Saab 9-3 Sport Combi or the expressive and powerful Corvette Z06 – customers will receive a full buying and ownership experience from the staff at Mobilforum.

Its their specialised knowledge and creativity that leads them to look for integrated solutions for their customers, like the all-in-one Kenwood audio and commuinications system I publicised at Trollhattan Saab recently. Shortly we’ll hear from a pretty happy TS reader in Singapore who just installed this system in his Turbo X, supplied by Mobilforum.

I want to thank MobilForum for their support of SaabsUnited and wish them well in their mission: to promote Saab in one of the toughest European markets there is, in Germany.

I hope all who are in their region (and beyond) check out their offerings and give them your support where you can.

It’s certainly a busy weekend over at Auto Motor and Sport.

Yesterday it was naked 9-3x photos and today it’s more photos of the Saab 9-5 in winter testing northern Sweden. This vehicle is the one that’s actually registered as being a Holden, but don’t let that throw you off. It’s got a 180hp diesel and an automatic transmission.

There are six photos in all, and they’re all tree times the size of this one (or is that nine times the size? I get confused sometimes).

They’re all available over at Auto Motor and Sport.

Photoshop experts, feel free to do your thing……

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This has sort of become a bit of an Australia-watch segment in the last few weeks. Sorry if it bores some, but mainland Australia is going through some dangerous times.

Richo, our former-Viggen-owning mate was at Philip Island in Victoria indulging in his new brand:

And the temperature at one point in the afternoon:

That’s seriously hot. I hope the Bimmers didn’t melt in the sun.

Melbourne (the capital city in Victoria) had it’s hottest day on record today and fires are sweeping across the state. There have been many, many homes destroyed and 14 confirmed deaths so far with a fear the number might go as high as 40.

Serious business.

500km away in Tasmania it’s like another world. We had rain this morning and a top in the mid-high 20s.

Last week I posed the question as to what the diesel offerings will be with the new upcoming Saab 9-3x.

I’ve heard a little more on this issue since then and the answer appears to be both ‘yes’ and ‘no’, though perhaps not in the way many would like to hear.

The market I’ve heard from is within Europe. In that market, there will be both a 2WD and an XWD version of the Saab 9-3x.

The XWD version of the car will have the 2.0T gasoline engine, like the car in the photo, above.

The TTiD engine will be made available in the 9-3x, but according to the information I’ve received, the TTiD version will have a 2WD setup.

It seems the issues fitting XWD and the TTiD engine together are still in play.

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Here they are.

Daytime shots. Proper wheels. No falling snow and no disguises. The Saab 9-3x in all its glory.

I really, REALLY like the look of this vehicle. It’s a subtle change, but a great one.

The Saab 9-3x is due to make its official public debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month (March 2009). I hope it gets a really good showing.

There are more photos over at Auto Motor and Sport, and they’re HUGE!

Thanks Par!

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It’s a long weekend! Woohoo!

Automotive jobs here at TS include the removal exchange of my Monte Carlo’s woodgrain dashboard for the plain dash in one of Drew B’s cars. I’ll then be able to fit my new carbon fibre dash kit.

Website jobs here at TS include the changeover to the new website, which will take place some time tomorrow. I’ll redirect the TS homepage automatically so you’ll go straight there, but if you’d like a quick look around now, go and visit Saabs United.

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The drums of war are beating softly in the Swedish press.

Some of you may know that a GM board member named Percy Barnevik retired during the week. It was rather sudden and unexpected. Barnevik is Swedish and ctm tells me that the sudden nature of Barnevik’s departure has the Swedish motoring press wondering if Saab’s negotiations with the government are failing and Barnevik’s quit to avoid blame.

I don’t think this is true. The reason why is because this very train of through was posted on The Truth About Cars during the week as a “Wild Ass Rumour of the Day”. Those rumours have around a 2% success rate.

And aside from that, I think Saab’s doing OK with the government. It’s the market that’s kicking their backside.

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Swedish tuning company, BSR, recently announced a price reduction on it’s PPC tuning products. Not they’re going the next step and reducing the prices of their chip-tuned products as well.

PPC products plug-in to your car and download the new tuning information. Chip-tuned products require a new chip to be installed in your ECU. The Saab products affected by this price reduction include the Saab 900, 9000 and Trionic5 Saabs.

Hit the BSR website for more info.

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Another dealership selling Saabs closes, in Beaverton, Oregon.

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Look at what Dippen found:

MONTE CARLO, MONACO – FEBRUARY 01: Salvador Albinana and Jose Diaz-Tejeiro of Spain drive a Saab 96 V4 (1973) on the first stage from Monaco to Revest les Roches during the 12th Monte Carlo Historical Rally on February 1, 2009 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Over three hundred cars are entered in four different age categories, all having competed in at least one of the Monte Carlo rallies. The cars compete in sixteen stages over four days in the south-east region of France.

What a way to spend a week, huh?

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I’m going to be pretty tied up with driving lessons in the young fella’s new Subaru and putting the final polish on the new site.

Things may be slow around here as a result.

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In reponse to the global economic downturn, both Holden and Saab here in Australia are taking the knife to their corporate hospitality commitments.

This is big.

Saab’s involvement in horseracing in Australia is probably it’s biggest single marketing exercise. The Melbourne Cup is the biggest horserace in Australia and the final race available to qualify for The Cup is a race called the Saab Quality. It’s a huge event that sees my RSS feed full for two weeks with speculations about who’s going to run in “The Saab” etc.

Saab will also be cancelling their corporate hositality tent at the Melbourne Cup Carnival. They’ve been erecting this tent and hosting Melbourne’s movers and shakers for a number of years now. In November 2008 they moved back to the prestigious group of tents known as The Birdcage – the loftiest spot you can get.

Back in 2006 they changed their marquee every day of the four-day carnival to reflect a different season (to promote the four-seat, four-season Saab convertible). In 2007 they had a Saab Convertible encased in ice. This are big, costly events.

Saab will retain an affiliation with racing through being a vehicle sponsor for the Victorian Racing Club, but the days of copius amounts of free wine and cheese are over.

For Holden, the cuts go even deeper.

The biggest form of car racing here in Australia is the V8 Supercar series. It’s Holden vs Ford. One of the most storied rivalries in the country.

Holden will retain a factory team in the V8 Supercars, but they’re withdrawing all of their corporate hospitality at V8 Supercar race meetings, including the car race that stops the nation – Bathurst.

Saab’s situation here in Australia would be well known to you. They’re struggling in a big way.

Whay you mightn’t know is that Holden are also struggling. Holden are propped up by the fact that they make a large number of vehicles for overseas markets. These are primarily (maybe wholly) large RWD vehicles based on their prime seller here in Australia, the Commodore family sedan and wagon (and ute). Holden were going to supply the US with the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck, but that’s been cancelled. Their top selling car here in Australia, the Commodore, was recently beaten out for top spot in the sales charts by the Mazda 3 (and this after numerous beatings by the Toyota Corolla and HiLux).

For Holden, withdrawing in anyway from their main image-builder – V8 racing – is a big, big move.

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It just goes to show….all the fancy high-class marketing in the world won’t mean a think without a hot product.

Saab need those new products now.

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