Saab = ?
Some of you might know that I’ve got an Alfa Romeo 33 in addition to my 1985 Saab 900 16V. Whilst I’ll always keep a Saab in the garage, I’m now cycling through a number of cars on a list of vehicles that I’d like to own some time during my driving life.
The Alfa was the first of those and I’m currently saving up for the car that will replace the Alfa. My problem is that the car I’m looking at came in both a turbocharged and a non-turbo form over it’s lifetime. There are variants of each that deliver similar power and torque. The only things I’ve decided on are a maximum age and a few exterior/interior color preferences. The turbo/non-turbo issue has me completely lost. But being who I am I’m inevitably drawn to the Turbo.
It was whilst I was considering this that I started thinking about the fact that to me, the one quintessential element that sums up Saab for me is Turbo. Just as I cant imagine not having a Saab in my driveway at all tmes, I can’t imagine not having a turbocharged car.
I know that plenty of manufacturers use them now. in fact, there’s barely a manufacturer nowadays that doesn’t do a turbocharged model but I con honestly say that I’m not drawn to any of them. To me, Saab is Turbo and Turbo is Saab.
It was the incredible comfort and the turbo performance of the Saab 9000 I took my first Saab-ride in, way back in the early 1990s, that really got me interested in the brand and it’s been turbocharged performance that’s kept me interested ever since.
The favourites amongst my own Saab vehicles over the years have been my Viggen (again, comfort and turbo performance) and my old 1979 Saab 99 Turbo (turbo performance, yes. comfort - not so much).
I’ve only owned one non-turbocharged Saab and that was the first one I ever bought, before I really understood the brand. That one I loved for it’s individuality, the fact that it was so unlike any other car I’d ever seen or even considered owning.
Now, with six or seven turbocharged Saabs having passed through my hands, I could rarely consider not having a turbocharged car in the driveway.
There’s a lot of other characteristics that Saab are really stong in. Safety, for sure. Design, definitely. Comfort, absolutely. And let’s not forget that Saab have their own brand pillars like responsible performance, etc.
But for me, Saab is Turbo.
You?
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And by the way, the most distinctive Saab, in my opinon, were the 99T and the C900. Both had turbo badges stuck proudly on their flanks and rear end.
I don’t know why Saab don’t do that today. They should own the turbo identity arena, a point we’ve discussed at length here before.
Bring back the turbo badge!!!
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For me Saab = Different
My childhood friend took over the family 95 when he got the driver’s license, and in the late 80s this was kinda different. Other kids drove around in beat up Toyotas, Fords etc with big stereos, we used to fly (he drove fast) around in a 95 with a big stereo. Different.
Style!
Considering the fact that the two Saabs that I’ve spent the most amount of time in are non-turbos, I’d say that a turbo is a nice addition, but not a requirement. (The two turbos I had were trouble actually…) I’ve always thought that “Saab” meant too many things to describe in one word, and should actually be a verb itself.
My first SAAB was a 78 99 Combi with 3 doors. Beige outside, beige inside. My next one was an 82 900 Combi with 5 doors. White outside, light blue inside. Then came my favorite an 86 900 Combi 3 doors with Turbo (175 hk)! White outside, burgundy inside. SAABs color combinations was really special back then. I had a short spell in a Honda Accord (company car in Dubai), but soon swopped to an 88/89 9000 CC Turbo (5 doors). Light green metallic paint and beige interior. Moving to Denmark for 6 months I had an Audi 100 Wagon as a company car. Back in my home country Norway, I got a second hand 90 SAAB 9000 CC, this time without turbo. Red with beige seats. A couple of years later I got a second hand 94 9000 CC 2.3 without turbo. Bluegrey metallic with dark grey seats. This was swopped to a brand new 97 9000 CS Turbo Special Edition (last of the 9000 production). Dark blue metallic with special black leather seats. I now have a 2002 9-5 SportsWagon 2.0 turbo with BSR stage II. Silver metallic with black leather seats. Great car and with BSR it really goes! I just sold my second car, a 96 900 2.3 Combi 5 doors. Red metallic with beige seats.
Turbo is certainly linked to SAAB and having owned SAABs with and without turbo, I will never buy one without one again. Different is also a word that covers a lot of SAABs values. To me different is first of all colors, outside and inside. SAAB has really had some very special and unique colors in the 70’s and 80’s. Having had so many Combis I suppose VERSATILITY has been the most prevailing point for me an my SAABs. Once smitten by the 78 99 CC, there was no going back to a sedan.
With that, Mag-X, you’re now going to have to used the verb Saab in a sentence, please…….
I like to see it as Saab stands for cars where good engineering is the “replacement for displacement”.
I agree with Ken H about the word “different”. When I was kid in Sweden, the world was Volvo. Period. Then there was Saab, and it was just different. A little bit mystic and hard to understand, but generally just different.
But I think Turbo is the word. It’s not just about the Turbo itself. It signals fun to drive, environmentally friendly, advanced technology, safety… Basically all that is absolutely right today.
SAAB has always built safe and reliable cars. So for me the brand stands for reliability and safety.
Swade, you mentioned the viggen… How’s it going with the reparations? Will it drive again?
Just curious:)
“I love Saabing to work”
“I Saabed pass him”
“Can’t beat the feeling of Saabing”
mailr - There is no replacement for displacement. That does not mean, however, that displacement is the be-all, end-all. It just means there’s no other way to get that punch-in-the-gut power.
Let me show off how young and uneloquent I am:
Saab = awesome.
It’s been a while since I was in an English class. Scratch the verb thing. The word I was looking for is “adjective.”
Saab= Familymember
A Saab is always “our Saab” and not “our car”.
Multifunctionality.
CAMIRA
Oh, who’s a funny boy, then?
Turbo!
it is a term that Saab has to use more ! . I want the Turbo-logo on the grill again:)
Couldn’t resist
I couldn’t use Swedish Camira
I’d say Intelligent… Maybe there’s a more obvious adjective to depict what I’m trying to say, but that’s what just came out of my mind.
Because everything Saab comes from a careful analysis of what’s practical, functional, durable, appropriate, definitive and ideal, in a very human and long lived way (we still love our 900s, for instance, for what made them a great car is still true).
Hence the special design, the unique technology, the ergonomics… and the Turbo!!! I think all of this is a product of that approach to a car’s design and engineering.
We have Turbos because Saab understood a long long time ago it was the best way to make an explosion engine, just the same way Saab found that the hatch was obviously the most functional shape, etc.. …And what the rest of the industry was doing didn’t matter at all.
I love that!
I know most of you will hate this but;
Saab = Quirky
I agree with ctm that Volvo was considered the cool brand in Sweden. Yes, SAAB is turbo. To me it’s also rally. Freezing in the cold Swedish winter night in the sixties with my father and a thermos of hot chocolate, there was nothing like the sound of a 2-stroke. You could hear it’s high pitch scream miles away. Many times putting Volvo PV, Mercedes, Minis etc. to shame.
I would like to see the Viggen to be repeated without the sophistication of the Turbo X. Raw power that puts a silly grin on your face
Saab = understatement
Don’t forget: SAAB, the only moose impact tested car in the world.
It really saves lives: The Herald of Randolph, VT
(Thanks to Ryan at Saabhistory for this one).
To me, Saab= safety, style, reliability, individuality. especially the convertible. It does it all…
Agree with Saab=different and Saab=intelligent.
For me, Saab = Realistic. As in the “right” size, efficient turbocharging, not overly fussy to drive or own, etc. It sounds dull, but it’s really quite revolutionary in a car.
Wild luxury
I’ve always thought owning a Saab expressed individuality.
SAAB = Swedish
When I lived in Sweden, Swedes were a little too modest to express any unique or superior cultural values, but coming from the States and having been to places like England, Germany and Italy, Swedes and Swedish culture is definitely about following your own road, together. The people didn’t get up there when the glaciers retreated by taking the weak or common path. In Sweden “praktisk” (practical) is a complement and then there is the absolute requirement of “sakerhet” in everything (a blend of safety and security). Go shopping for sweaters in different countries and you will see what I mean. You won’t find a lousy, flimsy, useless, cheap, overpriced, or garish sweater in Sweden. So Swedish values are practicality, value for the money, durability, quality, safety, security, comfort and understatement in a world with freezing cold, dirt roads, and long drives. They also have this very intentional thing about Design.
When the big rains come to Los Angeles, the TV likes to show people trying cross flooded intersections and getting stuck as their engines drown. Then the people inside panic and the real entertainment begins. (This is why you need an SUV when you live in Beverly Hills). A SAAB 900 will make it across even when only trucks seem to be able to. There is just something about how they are made to get you through whatever life throws at you.
Saab’s literature from the ’80’s stated that “A Saab is a concept. Other cars are just cars“. They stressed that while other makes may have some of the features that make Saabs unique, Saabs represented the perfect balance of four key attributes. Below is a quote from a classic 900 brochure:
“The principle guiding the development and design of the Saab 900 line is that the form must be governed by the functional requirements. Every detail of the car demonstrates that we have been faithful to this principle. Saab cars have always been based on the same fundamental philosophy, to which they owe their high standard of road-holding, comfort, safety and practicality“.
Saab was ahead of it’s time and should embrace this philosophy once again! GM’s mainstreaming of Saab’s product lineup was a deathblow to Saab’s identity. Saab always had the right product strategy, it just needed to get the word out!!
Well said MarkS. The trouble is that in Michigan, those four key attributes sound boring. Who wants that when you can have a Carrol Shelby Mustang Cobra or a Firebird Trans-Am. Two fascinating GM management studies on these values are the team for the 1997 Malibu and the first Saturn.
Add me to the “Different” crowd
I grew up in a Volvo family, and while I lusted after some of the R models the only ones that really appealed to me were the stick shift cars, and in the states that meant just the S60R and V70R, which were brand new and out of my pricerange. When it came time to look for a car to replace my old high school Volvo I started looking at some of the German brands, especially Audi and BMW. I liked the sheer technology and engineering prowess of the A6 4.2’s and 2.7T’s that I was considering, and I loved the speed and handling of the 540i’s that I checked out. All I had known of Saab was some lukewarm car and driver reviews and an incident during my childhood where a NG900 convertible spontaneously combusted right next to us at a dealer lot.
Then, at Swedish car day in 06 or so, my friend, an S60R owner told me to check out some of the Saabs, especially the 9-5’s and Viggens. What I’ll never forget is seeing that row of 9-5 Aeros with their clamshell hoods up, showing off their 4-cylinder engines and their sweeping bodylines. I also fell in love with the interior, the wraparound dash had more soul than either of the Germans, and it was also filled with many little Saab-touches that I’d never seen in another car. Little things like the thin seatbacks, the sparse-looking doors, the swiveling map light and the built in weatherband function on the radio along with the other stuff like the sid, the turbo gauge and night panel.
The car was just oozing with personality, and I was really drawn to the idea of a car that was on par with the 540i performance-wise, but achieved that performance with a 2.3 liter 4-banger driving the front wheels. I hate to drop the “Q” bomb but if that isn’t quirky, I don’t know what is, but I think “different” suits the cars just as well.
Swade,
Wild guess here, but it seems you are looking at 944’s. In that case, make sure you have the car fully vetted by an experienced Porsche mechanic.
One of the reasons why they are cheap is that they can cost so much to fix. Turbos can go off like hand grenades and will cost as much as a new car to right.
As my mechanic says “the reason you don’t see any old Porsches that are in good shape is that the people who can afford to maintain them can also afford to buy new ones every three years.”
I personally think you should get either an original 944 (with the old-style dash), or a late S2/968.
BTW, you will find any non-turbo 944 slow compared to your Viggen, and extremely heavy compared to your Alfa.
As for your original question, what makes a Saab a Saab is the thoroughness of its design. Most of my favourite Saab features only became apparent after I had owned the car for a while, like body panels that don’t rust easily and a heater that can keep your feet warm (as opposed to just your legs).
Saab = singular
SAAB = Balance
Saab provides seemingly contradictory things, without compromise in perfect balance (performance AND fuel economy (turbo), cool AND understated, practical/safe AND stylish, unique AND user friendly).
I think I heard somewhere that Saabs are also born from jets
SAAB = Individualism
Best regards!
Saab = Individual
I know this is more than one word but it is in the spirit:
SAAB = Self-confident enough to flip off the “in crowd” because what they offer really doesn’t matter.
DIFFERENT.
Saab = Thought-through
I know that’s technically two words, but it’s the impression that hits me every time I get back into one from another car - And it applies to every Saab I’ve driven.
Oh and if you’re looking at what I hope you’re looking at, go for the XR6 turbo, hands down. You can’t make 600rwhp on a stock engine with the XR8 now can you?
SAAB.
For me SAAB = SAAB, the word itself conjures up so much, even years before I owned one. I like what ctm said above, “A little bit mystic and hard to understand, but generally just different.” Yeah, something like that.
It’s one of those things, you get SAAB or you don’t. To quote Clarkson, “The result of all this haphazard marketing is that, today (1998? ) the cars are almost completely image-free. And that, I suspect, is where their appeal lies.”
LOL @ Alex. Ute of course.
Actually, Alex. Bernard was right. I’m looking at a 944. And yeah, Bernard, I’m trying to talk myself into an S2, though the turbo keeps calling me….
I still have lots to save so plenty of time to decide. They’re not cheap here. A decent S2 wil set you back between $20K and $25K. Turbos a bit less.
944’s are alot of fun to work on, if you’re looking to track the car the S2 will be lighter and just as fast stock, while the turbo has the potential to reach supercar levels of performance if you’re looking to play with it. The block is an early open-deck aluminum design turbo’s start to eat headgaskets with anything more than ~270 hp and the coffee-can pistons on the S2’s can eat away at the cylinder bores and it’s a nikasil block so you can’t hone or rebore them so unless you want to sleeve the block you need a new engine. At least the engine is much easier to pull when you don’t have the turbo’s backwards plumbing to deal with.
I had a friend who was big into 944’s and when he was playing with turbos he always had a parts car handy because they are just that tough to keep running. I also helped him fix up a S2 with a dead engine and that was more reliable once it ran, but they’re both definitely up there with V12 jags on the reliability scale. Luckily they’re also just as rewarding to drive.
Svenska Aeroplan AB
I’m surprised it took 43 comments for anybody to bother to check wikipedia, I mean, I didn’t actually know either, anyway I can now enlighten you all so, Swade, “The results are in amigo. What’s left to ponder?”
SAAB=LIFESAVER
I wouldn’t be on this earth today if it wasn’t for my “old 95 wagon” I owned in the late 70’s. She was the reason I have been faithful to the SAAB brand after all these years. As the ad says…It will give it’s life to save yours! All so true.
SAAB = TORQUE
Love 258 lb-ft at 2000 RPM from the V6 in my AERO. Always a reason to smile.
Aussielars.. “I agree with ctm that Volvo was considered the cool brand in Sweden”
? Wrong.. Volvo has never been considered as the Cool brand in Sweden.. It was THE brand in Sweden. Saab was/is considered as the cooler of the two but Volvo has taken first place since long because of their larger cars and their Wagons..
/Tom-Uppsala Sweden
saab = center console ignition?
Swade, what is the next car you’re talking about? It’s bugging me.
James, see about six comments above this one.
Saab = eccentric for me
944. It starts with the right digit.
911 seems so much more Porsche to me. The older ones are retro cool. One of my neighbors has a 1970-something 911. Much noisier and slower than the more recent ones, but still a great car.
(You really should get a 900 ‘vert. I’m just sayin’.)
Swade, perhaps you should expand your Saab family instead? A 99GLi coupe, a 99T, a 900 SPG (sorry, I mean Aero), another 900 Aero, a 900 convertible, a Vig, etc. So many possibilities!!!!
Hmmm I didn’t really mean that a Volvo brick is a cool car. But my 96 V4 was not considered as cool as a hotted up Amazon or a brick in the seventies.
Have to agree with Swade, its gotta be TURBO!
Swade,
That kind of money would buy you an early Boxster around here, not sure about Australia.
One of the fastest cars I ever drove was a 944 Turbo that had been chipped. That car was just insane. It unfortunately blew its engine a few months after I drove it.
I would recommend that you look at early 944’s. They are slow, but the handling is great. Avoid any car that’s been modified. Porsche owners love to tinker with their cars, and they usually make them worse. If you find that you like the 944, then start looking for an S2 or 968. No sense tying-up $25K in an S2 just to find out that a 9-3 hatch is faster, more fun to drive, more reliable, more practical and more economical. You will.
SAAB = safe, practical, turbocharged fun!
2000 Aero 9-5 manual w/nordic s3
Swade wrote:
“Bring back the turbo badge!!!”
I did. :)))
Saab = opera
Let me explain C900 5 door C post window. The windows are there purely for stlye as you could never really see anythng out of it when looking back anyway. It was one of those Saab thinks that was missed on the NG900 etc along with the clamshell bonnet (two words I know) and the centre console ignition key location (%!!) -which thankfully they eventually brought back.
SAAB = individual thinking.
Sorry two words; make it SAAB = individualism.
SAAB = GM
Saab it´s defently owning Turbo with the turbo gage in car. Also bring back the “turbo” in front grill..
Saab= Turbo and saftey
Saab = Unique
Simple, really. Show me another car company with such a unique history, philosophy and cars.
Logical
SAAB = Distinct, Evident, Indisputable, Pronounced….All synonyms of OBVIOUS
SAAB is the obvious choice for safety, functionality, efficiency, reliability. And as for distinct, well classic SAAB’s have a indisputable silhouette. SAAB’s truly are iconic.
A little OT, but still. In the last Top Gear episode the star in a reasonably priced car was Kevin McCloud from Grand Designs. I remember him from one of the Saab Magazines a while ago, where he was featured with a 9-5 BioPower. He is probably the first one on Top Gear using the dreaded “Eco” word, and he got away with it. In style. Will not say more now, in case people want to see the show.