BMW to supply engines to Saab
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![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
It's a million years old. It's finally been replaced now but it effectively lasted two generations when most cars are replaced after one. It competed with both the E39 and the E60 5 Series and given it wasn't even as good as the 5 Series that was around when it came out you can imagine how woefully out its depth it was in 2009!
[TW]Fox;17476974 said:
whats your point? it was still a good car and stupidly cheap second hand. I think if your in the market to buy a BMW your unlikely to be looking at a Saab tbh; but would I take a Saab over a Ford/Vauxhall, yeah probably...
We are discussing Saab. Part of this discussion is therefore logically going to focus on why the company has not enjoyed success for many years. It was almost wound up last year.
It made products few people wanted, and was aiming itself at the market for premium brand cars. Hopefully this will change, as losing car companies is not good whatever they are.
[TW]Fox;17477038 said:
That's a little unfair. SAAB had been used as a 'Premium' brand by GM for some time and they were apparently quite happy to put up with 40% absenteeism in the factories and not investing in new plant right up to the point where all the big US car companies almost went bust and had to go begging to the US government for handouts. Then they ditched it and it nearly folded.
SAAB was never a premium brand in the 1950's, 1960's and most of the 1970's. They were, at best, a VW or Audi competitor (and that was before VW and Audi got pretensions).
But when they strapped a turbo onto half an aging Triumph Stag engine they started selling to 'professionals' eg. doctors, dentists, university professors etc. and they were people who previously would have bought a BMW or a Mercedes.
Then they moved upmarket and were taken over by GM who cynically used the brand and the good seats to gloss over some fairly ropey cars.
I love SAABs. I grew up with them. I passed my test in a 96 V4 and I still race 96 V4's in historic rallies.
But basically, SAABs will never appeal to the sort of people drive BMWs. Nice people drive SAABs.
But basically, SAABs will never appeal to the sort of people drive BMWs. Nice people drive SAABs.
I had a 95 Aero and I loved it. The front wheels couldn't handle all the power but it was a lovely cruiser.
I'm also a big BMW fan and had a couple, so does that make me a weirdo?
I hope Spyker turns SAABs fortunes around, GM never looked like they knew what they were doing with it.
I'm also a big BMW fan and had a couple, so does that make me a weirdo?
Yes. I think it does.
Soldato
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Saab, ****ing aerodynamic, buy one, now, seriously.
But basically, SAABs will never appeal to the sort of people drive BMWs. Nice people drive SAABs.
Not true, I love SAABs! I learnt to drive in my dads 9000 Aero and he has never bought a car since that has compared to that. I now drive a BMW but I would buy a SAAB any day of the week if it appealed to what I am after at the moment (sadly they have no RWD or good handling options).
When I have the space I will def buy 9000 Aero for my collection.
Seriously? Never knew that. In what way?
It's all subjective at the end of the day.
I had a brief read of a group test the other day - I think it was What Car. That said the new 9-5 wasn't up to scratch against a 5 series, A6 and a Merc I think.
Yet, John Simister did a road test for Evo (which read very similar, if not the same to this one) in the Independant and he concluded:
I had a brief read of a group test the other day - I think it was What Car. That said the new 9-5 wasn't up to scratch against a 5 series, A6 and a Merc I think.
Yet, John Simister did a road test for Evo (which read very similar, if not the same to this one) in the Independant and he concluded:
In the late 1970's SAAB did a deal with FIAT to build Lancia Deltas in Sweden as SAAB 600's. Following on from that they did a deal in 1978 to develop a new shared platform car - SAAB 9000, FIAT Croma, Lancia Thema and Alfa Romeo 164 were all basically the same car with different engines and gearboxes.
If you look at the door outlines of each you can clearly see that they are all the same.
Each company did their own front and back but the centre of each car was the same.
The 9000 gradually morphed into the 9-5 which has only just been replaced and I think that does prove it was a fundamentally good car, although SAAB have a habit of keeping models on long after their sell-by dates (SAAB 96 V4 was still available 20 years after it was first introduced, and largely unaltered) and the SAAB 90 (a SAAB 99 with a SAAB 900 saloon rear) was still in production 18 years after the car it was based on was launched.
I think that absolutely hits the nail on the head - if you were making a rational choice, you'd not buy a SAAB 9-5 because it's clearly not as good as the competition (I'll admit BMW's are good, I just don't like them), but you want a SAAB because you want something a bit different.
When I couldn't get a 'different' exec anywhere else, I bought a Citroen C6. And then, God help me, I bought another one. And I rather miss it now.
Its no more fiat croma than lancia thema or alfa 164 they all developed it.
Anyway i think these new 9-5s will sell well, they are an alternative to the big Germans and even if they are not as good, they look a cut above the french / vauxhall and ford alternatives in my opinion.