Saab Aero X Named 2006 Geneva "Best of Show"

[Variance]

Saab Aero X Concept Named 2006 Geneva "Best of Show" by AutoWeek Magazine

American premiere at 2006 New York International Auto Show next month

Detroit , Mich. -- The Saab Aero X concept car, which made its world debut at the Geneva Auto Show press days on February 28, has been named “Best of Show” by the editors of AutoWeek Magazine. Highly regarded by automotive enthusiasts throughout North America , AutoWeek is published by Detroit-based Crain Communications and is a sister magazine to Automotive News.

“We are extremely pleased by this important recognition from the expert editors of AutoWeek,” said Jay Spenchian, Saab Automobile USA general manager. “The way the Aero X was welcomed by the world’s press and the public in Geneva has exceeded our most optimistic expectations. No other product in Saab’s nearly 60-year history as an auto manufacturer has generated such massive and positive response as the Aero X. If anything, it demonstrates that the Saab brand has tremendous potential for further development in the future.”

The Aero X concept, which will make its North American debut at the New York International Auto Show press days on April 12, harnesses the power of Saab's aviation and Scandinavian roots to make a unique statement in performance car design. Conceived as a study to explore future design directions, its innovative features preview the development of an enhanced design language that will inspire future Saab products.

As one would expect from Saab, this dynamic two-seat sport coupe breaks with automotive design convention both outside and inside.

First, there are no doors…or windshield pillars. That's because the Saab Aero X adopts a cockpit canopy, just as you would see on a jet aircraft. It offers the Aero X pilot full 180 degree vision, and also facilitates entry and exit from its low-slung cabin.

Thrust for the all-wheel-drive Saab Aero X also comes from a powerplant with a difference. The 400 bhp, twin-turbo, BioPower V6 engine is fueled entirely by ethanol, a sustainable energy source that is kinder to the environment by cutting fossil CO2 emissions. The “green power” of this advanced engine gives new meaning to the phrase “performance with responsibility.”

Inside, the Saab Aero X's cockpit also adds a new dimension to clean Scandinavian interior design by completely eliminating conventional dials and buttons. Instead, Saab has applied techniques derived from Swedish glass and precision instrument making, displaying data on glass-like acrylic “clear zones” in graphic 3-D images.

All exterior and interior lighting is by LED (light-emitting diode), which has given the design team new freedom to exploit the compact packaging benefits of a technology that will be featured increasingly in future Saab products.

With weight-saving carbon fiber bodywork, a lightweight powertrain, electronically controlled suspension and all-wheel drive, the Saab Aero X is an exciting driver's car that promises a level of performance to match its looks. C omputer simulations anticipate zero to 60mph/100 kph in just 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph/250 kph (limited).

Despite being so tightly driver-focused, the Aero X still offers surprising practicality, again, a quality one expects to find in all Saab designs. That dramatically sculpted tail conceals a useful twin storage facility, with a conventional hatch opening and sliding drawer underneath.

"This study shows how the strength of the Saab brand heritage can inspire bold, innovative design," says Bryan Nesbitt, executive director, GM Design Europe. "As we move forward with new Saab products, we will remain focused on carefully cultivating this brand equity in the context of Scandinavian design values."

"This concept shows the exciting possibilities that are open to us as we evolve a more progressive design language for the brand," says Jan Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile's Managing Director. "Our designers, engineers and marketers in Sweden are ideally placed to nurture and communicate the unique DNA of the Saab brand. Their work will ensure that future product proposals express core qualities, such as progressive design, sporty performance and emotional functionality, in a way that is specific to Saab."

The Saab Aero X is the latest in a series of concepts from Saab, each accentuating different brand qualities. These include the “four-dimensional” 9X (IAA Frankfurt 2001), the 9-3X Cross-over Coupe (Detroit 2002) and the 9-3 Sport Hatch (IAA Frankfurt 2003).

Saab Aero X Background

From Aircraft to Automobiles

Saab's aviation roots go back almost 70 years to 1937, when Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aircraft Company Limited) was founded in the town of Trollhättan , 45 miles/70 km north of Gothenburg, where Saab cars are still built today on the site of the original aircraft factory.

The company supplied military aircraft to the Swedish Air Force and began diversifying into civil aviation in 1944 and the automotive business in 1947, when its first car, the Saab 92, was unveiled (Saab 91 was a light aircraft used for pilot training). The 92's streamlined, teardrop-shaped bodywork was clearly the work of aircraft engineers and radical for a small production car of the time, as was the use of wind tunnel testing during its design.

The adoption of front-wheel drive for sure-footed handling, excellent roadholding and efficient space utilization was also unconventional for the time -- more than a decade before the layout was to become popular in the rest of the auto industry.

Another innovative design from Saab's newly-created car division was the Sonett 1, a lightweight sports car for competition use, unveiled exactly 50 years ago this year. Its “monocoque” chassis was made from aviation-specification aluminum panels, instead of the usual arrangement of steel beams and tubes. Although common in aircraft construction, Saab was using this design six years before it was introduced to Grand Prix racing.

Today, more than 4 million cars and 4,000 aircraft later, Saab is one name and two companies. The car business, Saab Automobile AB, is now wholly owned by General Motors, the world's largest auto maker, and the Saab Group is a global leader in the application of advanced technologies, specializing in aerospace and defense systems.

Over the years, Saab cars have continued to incorporate aircraft-inspired design features, from wrap-around windshields and cockpit-like ergonomics to green instrument illumination and need-to-know information displays. And the innovative spirit of those early aircraft engineers, including their pioneering attention to safety, continues to be reflected in Saab's unconventional approach to car design.

Saab is a division of General Motors Corp. Saab Automobile USA is the importer and distributor of Saab 9-2X, 9-3, 9-5 cars and the 9-7X SUV for Saab Automobile AB, Sweden .

Link: http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet...n=2&docid=24093

[NOS2006]

Well, damn, this thing is AMAZING! It looks awesome, it's AWD, and it produces 400 HP on ethanol!

[Guest Josh]

How does "Built In The USA" sound?

[titan]

Awesome news. Buid it, Saab. I hope future products take styling ques from it.

[Clownzilla]

Well, since SAAB has not had a best of show for years (I don't think), this would be a good choice for a new SAAB two seater. Oh, and regardless of what everyone else is saying.................KEEP THE CANOPY!!!! I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO SALE YOUR SOUL TO THE DEVIL.................FIND A WAY TO KEEP THE CANOPY!!!!!!!

[Cadillacfan]

How does "Built In The USA" sound?

You're jumping the gun in saying that Josh! HAHA.. Just kidding

The idea of a Saab being built here is great. Especially if they want to export it to Europe.

I'm sure it would be priced competitively (with whatever it will compete with) and would offer better quality that the Europeans haven't been used to in a while.