Car Moon

Industrial design student Eric Leong, who we first heard about with the 2015 Toyota Prius study, has taken two famous brands, Sweden’s Saab and Switzerland’s Nestlé and melded them. The result is the Saab Nespresso Concept, a four-seat sport coupe with some clever design touches. Outwardly it looks like a cross between the 2008 Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept and Toyota’s FT-86 Concept of 2009, but it’s on the detail side of things were Leong’s idea really shines. Read more »

We've already brought you the news on Saab's PhoeniX concept that's built on the underpinnings of the next 9-3 series and is on display at the Geneva Motor Show, but the Swedes have just released a video with the firm's new Design Director Jason Castriota giving us a tour of the 2+2 coupe.

In the video after the break, Castriota explains the PhoeniX's bespoke design features and its significance for the future of Saab product design starting off with the next generation of the 9-3 which is scheduled for release in 2012.

The highlight of Saab's booth at the Geneva show is undoubtedly the PhoeniX concept car that previews design features and technologies that will be used by future Saab models. Based on the platform that will underpin the next-generation Saab 9-3, the PhoeniX was penned under the supervision of the firm's new design boss, Jason Castriota. According to Saab, it introduces an "aeromotional” design, which the company describes as the "the visual evocation of the aerodynamic design principles".

The sports coupe features dramatic details such as the rear-lateral winglets reminding of Saab's aeronautical roots and the jet canopy-inspired glasshouse. The front includes a new interpretation of the brand's signature three-port grille which is likely to be seen on future models, as well as the muscular hood.

When Saab first revealed its plans to debut a new concept model at the Geneva Salon a couple of weeks ago, the Swedish company did not release any details whatsoever about the study. And while Saab is still keeping its cards close to its chest, we managed to find out that the study is called the Phoenix and that it's a sports car concept equipped with a turbocharged petrol-electric hybrid powertrain. The Phoenix is the work of Saab's new design boss of former Bertone fame, Jason Castriota, and its main purpose is to preview the brand's next styling direction.

The rapidly approaching Geneva Motor Show is turning out to be a birthing room for Saab as the Swedish company is planning to launch two world premieres including the 9-5 SportCombi along with the unveiling of the modestly updated 9-3 Griffin range and the limited production 9-3 Convertible Independence Edition.

First teased on the Swedish firm's website last week, Saab today confirmed that one of the world premieres will be a never-before seen concept model conceived by a team under new design director, Jason Castriota, who is best known for his work at Pininfarina and for a short stint at Bertone where he penned the Corvette-based Mantide.

A little over a year ago, Saab's future was very much in doubt. GM was looking for a buyer for the Swedish brand and even contemplated closing down the Trollhattan plant. On the other hand, investors weren't exactly anxious to put their money on what they thought was a sinking ship. But, on the 23rd of February 2010, Saab's fate took a surprising turn for the better as GM sold the company to Spyker Cars, saving thousands of jobs and decades of tradition.

To celebrate the first anniversary from the sale, Saab will throw a massive party on February 23, 2011, turning its factory in Trollhattan into an entertainment arena. All 3,800 employees will have the day off and will be joined by dealers, suppliers, VIPs and media in celebrating Saab's rebirth as an independent carmaker.

For Saab, 2011 will be a crucial year, one that could make or break the company’s success. In a statement made in January, Chairman Victor Mullen said he's confident that the automaker will be able to pick up momentum and achieve the projected sales volume of 80,000 units. But for that the Swedes need new models and it seems that they’ll deliver.

According to a press invitation sent out today, aside from the already confirmed and teased 2011 9-5 Sportcombi, Saab's Geneva Motor Show stand will host the premiere of a brand new concept model and either facelifted or special edition versions of the 9-3 range.

Earlier this year, Swedish automaker Saab was saved from the scrapheap by Spyker and a loan from the European Investment Bank. In spite of this, nothing much has changed. The stylish new 9-5 has gone on sale overseas, with the 9-4X crossover following in Q2 2011. And the aging 9-3 trundles on, blissfully unaware that anything has happened.

Korean design student Youngho Jong is looking towards Saab’s future with his 2025 Advanced Warning System Vehicle concept: a rakish, four-door saloon with coupe-like styling. And no headroom, by the looks of it, but that’s a forgivable oversight. More interesting to us, however, is how he used his knowledge of nature and human psychology to come up with a vehicle that isn’t just smart, it’s downright sinister.

Courtesy of SaabsUnited, the people who provided pics of the nice but ill-proportioned 9-5 Coupe rendering (see here) we recently showed you, here is a look at a second possible 9-5 variant. It's a computer generated image for a large, 4-seater convertible that could compete with the Audi A5 Cabrio in the future world of what-ifs.

This month's Paris International Motor Show will host the world premiere of Saab's first ever EV, the 9-3 ePower. Based on the SportWagon variant of the current 9-3, the prototype model will lead to a test fleet of 70 vehicles that will participate in field trials in Sweden early next year.

And yes, we have another design proposal for a future Saab model. This one is a compact sports coupe named Bóreas after the god of the north wind and bringer of winter in Greek mythology, and it's the work of Spanish designer, Jorge Martí Vidal. There's no info from the designer's behalf, but we could easily picture it as a modern day replacement to the Saab Sonnet. More pictures and a video after the break.

Even though a coupe version of the new 9-5 saloon isn't among the Swedish automaker's top priorities, the idea has been circulating around Saab enthusiasts for a while. This here photoshop of a 9-5 Coupe was crafted by a reader of the 'Saabsunited' website. Technically speaking, the artist's rendition is quite good, but style-wise, the 9-5 Coupe doesn't quite make the cut. It could be improved though with a few tweaks here and there including a longer set of doors and larger alloy wheels. Make sure you tell us what you think in the comments section below.

What you see pictured here is a conceptual study for a B-segment SAAB hatchback model named 91 that was created by young Italian designer Fabio Ferrante with the help of an online community called "Saab 91 Petition and Support Group" - or at least that's what we understand.

The Saab enthusiast group, which can be found on Facebook, sprung up before the tie-up between Saab and Spyker N.V. with the goal of developing through an open collaboration similar to the Open Source movement a small hatchback model that could potentially save the company.

That may sound like wishful thinking, but the group is taking the project seriously. In an interview with Virtualcar, Ferrante said the group hopes that the final outcome can inspire the styling and overall character of the small hatch SAAB has reportedly been looking into lately (read more about that in our report here).

One of the first things that came to the minds of many Saab enthusiasts after the completion of the long-winded sale of the Swedish automaker to Spyker was the possibility of a supercar based on the underpinnings of a Spyker model.

Of course, we're pretty sure that the creation of a supercar is (rightfully) not among the top priorities of the people who manage the newly formed SAAB Spyker Automobiles, as there are much more important issues to take care of at the time being.

Nevertheless, independent designer Eduard Gray took it upon himself to digitally visualize a conceptual mid-engined Saab supercar that would make use of Spyker hardware.

Even if Saab remained under the umbrella of General Motors, we seriously doubt that there would ever be a rebadged, remasked -call it whatever suits your fancy- Saab version of the Chevy Volt. Maybe in a perfect world Saab could have built a Volt spin-off with an entirely different body but with the Opel Ampera covering the European market, a remasked Saab wouldn't make much sense. Still, it's interesting to see an artist's take on a fictional proposal for a Saab Volt. Created by photoshop wiz Theophilus Chin, the rendered Swedish Volt has been baptized for apparent reasons 'Elektrisk'.

More often than not, we think that the American automobile industry may have been in a much better state if only the people who are actually engaged in the creation of cars had a say in the decision making. This conceptual proposal for a Chevrolet Volt-based Saab coupe from Mayeul Walser, a 4th year Car Design student in Creapole-Esdi, is a good example. You may or may not like the design, but the idea of an aggressively styled hybrid Saab coupe is more than engaging.

Revealed ahead of its Paris show debut, the 9-X Air concept previews Saab's upcoming 9-1 premium hatch that will rival the likes of the Audi A3, BMW 1-Series and Volvo C30. Equipped with a fabric top that automatically folds in three sections behind the rear seats, the 9-X Air is powered by a 200 HP 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that runs on E85 biofuel and is matted to a hybrid electric motor. Hit the jump to check out the first official video of the 9-X Air that includes an interview with GM Europe’s Vice President of Design, Mark Adams or click here for more details and a high-res image gallery. -Continued

Set to make its global premiere at the Paris Motorshow in October, the Saab 9-X Air Concept is the convertible version of the 3door 9-X BioHybrid that was revealed at the Geneva Show in March. And despite its name, this concept is not just a lot of hot air as the Swedish firm intends to use the 9-X models as a base for their forthcoming 9-1 premium hatch that will rival the BMW 1-Series, Volvo C30 and Audi A3. Essentially, the 9-X Air is giving us an idea of what a convertible version of the 9-1 could look like. -Continued

The most unique feature on the 9-X Air is the clever roof system that Saab calls the ‘Canopy Top’. The flat-folding fabric top was developed from a Targa roof principle, hence the prominent C-pillars, or as Saab calls them, buttresses, that provide the rear mounting for the Canopy Top.

The fully automatic fabric top folds into three small sections under a rear tonneau cover in the trunk deck. The rear screen between the buttresses retracts automatically into the underside of the raised tonneau cover to allow stowage of the Canopy Top. The screen then moves back into position to provide a complete glass surround for the cabin in open-top mode.

This ‘surround glass’ feature, together with an active wind deflector on top of the windshield header rail, essentially create a ‘wraparound’ wind deflector net, promising to cut turbulence for all four passengers.

As you may have noticed in the photos, the 9-X doesn’t actually have a boot opening. And indeed, Saab’s designers have replaced the traditional boot with a storage compartment, big (or rather small) enough to accommodate two golf bags, that slides out from underneath the rear light bar.

Inside, the 9-X Air boasts a futuristic design with a row of five display screens illuminated in green 3-D graphics that we probably won’t see going into production for another decade or so, but hey, what did you expect from a concept car.

As with its three-door sibling, the 9-X Air Concept is equipped with a hybrid powertrain that comprises a 200HP 1.4-litre turbocharged biofuel (85% bioethanol - 15% petrol) engine matted to a dual-clutch six-speed semi-automatic transmission and an electric motor with a lithium-ion battery pack. According to the Swedes, the 9-X Air can sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 231 km/h or 143 mph.

Finally, Saab says it has projected an average fuel consumption on gasoline of 5.0 lt/100 km (57 US MPG) and 119 g CO2/km while on E85, CO2 emissions are projected to be even lower, at just 107 g/km, with estimated fuel consumption of 6.5 lt/100 km (36.2 US MPG).