Aikmanson
Torque Junkie
Have you guys heard about the new 9-1 set to be introduced into the Saab lineup? Found this on autocar and thought I would bring it here.
What do you guys think about this? Personally I am excited and am hoping this will bring a true sports car back to saab! I saw somewhere that Muller promises it will sell more than the Mini and compare with smaller Audi cars (in the US)
Spyker just finalized the paperwork for its purchase of Saab, but Spyker CEO Victor Muller already has ideas for his new Swedish brand. Muller says the company is working on a “super-cool” new small car, which may assume the 9-1 name.
For now, the possible 9-1 is internally coded as 92, and is reported to be at least three years away from production. If the car reaches assembly lines, it will likely be produced at Saab’s plant in Trollhattan, Sweden, and is supposed to have a shape reminiscent of the original teardrop Saabs from the 1950s. This design concept fits in perfectly with Muller’s comments about how he intends to use Saab’s heritage to his advantage -- but is a departure from the small Saab concepts built under GM’s auspices.
The “92” will be heavily based on major components supplied by a partner. Muller would not reveal the identity of this partner, but an Opel partnership seems likely as the two companies already share many components and also have a previous relationship through GM. There are also rumors that the acquisition deal included a contract for Opel to supply Saab with Corsa body parts.
Saab’s future small car is part of Muller’s plans for a four-model lineup. The new 9-5 and 9-4x, which both go on sale later this year, will be joined by a new 9-3 in 2012. The “92” appears to be Muller’s pet project, as he tells Autocar he “works with Saab designers every day,” and carries the latest renderings with him on business trips.
With a four-model lineup, Muller hopes to boost sales over 100,000 units annually. In 2008 Saab sold 95,000 cars, but sales collapsed to only 40,000 units in 2009.
Source: Autocar
What do you guys think about this? Personally I am excited and am hoping this will bring a true sports car back to saab! I saw somewhere that Muller promises it will sell more than the Mini and compare with smaller Audi cars (in the US)