Car Throttle

For General Motors, the sale of it's two European units, Saab and Opel, has been long and arduous. Magna International's purchase of Opel still hasn't been completed, but Koenigsegg's bid for Saab has going comparatively smooth so far. Koenigsegg's bid to purchase the brand just got a big boost with the announcement of a $599 loan for the company from the European Investment Bank. There were some reports that Koenigsegg's bid was meeting difficulties, but this loan should ensure the deal is completed. However there are still a number of approvals that have to be obtained from the Swedish government and European Union authorities. So, don't get too excited yet. Another interesting development that has occurred through this is China's Beijing Auto investment into Koenigsegg as a means

The Saab 9-5 has been a long time coming and with the current car lingering for years, the new model can't come soon enough. A lot has happened since the original car debuted - GM going through bankruptcy, a change in ownership. As expected, Saab has drawn out the introduction of the 9-5 for maximum coverage. James recently covered their release of specifications for the 9-5. When the original 9-5 debuted it was competitive with other luxury stalwarts in the class like the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Can the new one do the same thing? We'll see, for now all we can do is speculate. Saab has made a new PDF brochure about the 9-5 that puts all the information we've seen about the car

While the Saab 9-5 has awaited a redesign (over a decade), the world has passed it by. While an impressive vehicle at launch, the current Saab 9-5 has understandably not wore well with age. The new 9-5 will perhaps be the critical vehicle for Saab's near term success. The sale to Saab to Koenigsegg from General Motors has nearly been finalized pending some funding deals, and the 9-5 will be the first vehicle to launch under new ownership. Can the new company make Saab a success? If product were the only thing that had to do with Saab's future success, I'd prospects with the 9-5 are looking pretty good. The 9-5 wears new but still recognizable Saab themes that were shown prominently on the Aero X Concept

The Saab 9-5 is coming, the Saab 9-5 is coming! Yes, the car that everyone has been waiting on forever The 9-5 hasn't been competitive for years and it's high time for a change. The new 9-5 is that change, and it will be launched under new ownership. The GM-Koenigsegg deal has been pretty much finalized, I hope it all works out. With most important launches like the new 9-5, the manufacturer wants to keep everything under wraps until the very end. Unfortunately for Saab it didn't work out quite like that. In July the first leak came of a Saab-produced CGI. Then, Autozeitung and Autobild, not to be outdone, followed with full-on high-resolution images. Embargo breaking at it's finest! Now Saab has put up a counter

The new Saab 9-5 has been a long time coming, with Saab enthusiasts eagerly awaiting bits of news and images on the car. Spy shots, renderings - I've covered them all. Saab is a company that has always been different than the usual, having a dedicated core of loyal buyers. Poor management has let the brand languish though, and the new 9-5 was been developed to put Saab back on the map again. German magazine Autozeitung opened the floodgates for Saab 9-5 information when it broke the 9-5 embargo in it's latest issue. Autobild followed with it's release of images and now Auto Motor Sport follows yet again with the first high-resolution images. When the Autobild released the images, I said I'd let you know when high-resolution images came out, and here they

With all the talk about the new Saab 9-5 and the importance it is for the struggling automaker, we've seen a lot of renderings and spy shots of the car. Recently a CGI produced by Saab for promotional materials (it's standard fare for automakers) got leaked on the internet. Needless to say, interest is high. And why wouldn't it be? The current Saab 9-5 has soldiered on without a major redesign since the car debuted in the Spring of 1998 for the 1999 model year. That's a long time, especially for a mid-size sedan like the 9-5 that's supposed to do battle with the 5-Series, E-Class, etc. The 9-5 gives us the best look at what Saab wants to be - let's take a look.

With Saab ready to launch new models like the 9-4X and 9-5 Sedan, now seems like a perfect time for a committed new owner to take over and truly develop the brand to it's full potential. In addition, Saab has gotten bankruptcy funding from the Swedish government to the tune of $3.23 billion, in order to see the new models through to launch. With the company posting a loss of $340 million in 2008, that should keep them afloat for a while. The numbers actually aren't that bad (better then I expected) and I think with good product a new owner could turn things around relatively quickly. So Saturn's going to The Penske Group, Opel to Manga International, Hummer to a Chinese heavy-equipment manufacturer and now Saab to Koenigsegg. Swedish Television

Whether they like it or not, GM is the position where it most likely has to sell the Saab brand for need of cash. I'm sure if they had their way, they'd let the brand just go bankrupt, especially considering yesterday's comments. The Saab buyer process is continuing, with a report claiming just 3 buyers (really 2) are left in the running to purchase the brand. Reports on how many bidders were interested of the brand have varied wildly. I've heard 20, I've heard a dozen, I've heard six. You never really do know for sure!  A German bank, Chinese automaker Geely and ever-present Fiat are the rumored final bidders. The Göteborgs Tidning, a Swedish newspaper, is the author of this latest report. I'm much more

The whole GM-Saab debacle has proven to be a mess for both parties, with GM losing lots of money over it's course of ownership and Saab being on the receiving end of brand mismanagement (to put it nicely!). With that mismanagement in mind, here's some news that if true would be incredibly outrageous, if not surprising. I posted recently on the new Saab 9-5, of which Saab continues to work on. Seeing what I have on the car and hearing the good things leaked out, I'm really looking forward to it's release. Not GM! Swedish magazine Expressen is reporting that a source close to the company is concerned that the upcoming 9-5 replacement will overshadow the Opel Insignia. GM engineers and CEO Fritz Henderson realize that the car is a better vehicle

Even with all the turmoil surrounding the brand's future and it's buyer uncertain, work still continues at Saab on the next-generation models of it's most core products. The next-generation 9-5 can't come soon enough; the current, aging 9-5 has been in need of a replacement for years. Saab is managing a smart campaign for the 9-5's launch, with a prolonged spy shot release revealing the car bit by bit. It has helped to garner a lot of attention for the new model, something the brand desperately needs right now. I really like what I'm seeing too! The car looks unique, with a profile that will stand out among the sea of mid-size sedans. It will be a further evolution of Saab's corporate look. No doubt, the new 9-5