Aero

-S W E D E- Ricky Reilich's Saab 9-3 aero from MATIC on Vimeo.

Frosty the Snowman

Two interesting photos appeared today on facebook. Summer is coming slower than normal, but inevitably. Not everywhere. Location: Grimsel Pass, Switzerland.

 Photo credit: Mika Nieminen, Tampere, Finland. Thanks for agreeing with posting your photos.

The hirsched NEVS 9-3 Aero

Nevs has presented a Hirsch version of the Saab 9-3 MY14. Aero. The Hirsch upgrade will be offered to customers when considering or ordering the new 9-3. The package contains software performance upgrade to 275HP / 420 Nm, a diffusor, a rear spoiler and leather door handles. According to the swedish press announcement, the price for this is 23.900 SEK (about 2645 EUR). There is no word about other Hirsch interior parts in the press release.

If these parts were bought in the previous 9-3 times from Hirsch, the sum of them would be about 2200 EUR. But they are sold out and we have not to forget, the new performance upgrade is done from a 2.0 liter V4 instead of the former 2.8 V6. As far as i know, there is a different system as Trionic, but this was never confirmed.

Here the numbers: 

 ...and this is the performance curve: 

When comparing to the 2.8 Hirsch upgrade (275HP / 400 Nm), this new software looks on paper to bring 20 Nm more torque in about the same rpms. This is the original Hirsch curve (sorry not to have a larger picture):

This is actually not bad at all. Hirsch got a little bigger numbers from a 2.0T than originally from a 2.8T. Knowing Hirsch as a conservative tuner, they definitely know what they do. Hirsch originally tuned the 2.0T liter to 240HP / 350 Nm.

Regarding the urban fuel consumption 11.2 l/100 km it is much more realistic than the original 16.1 l/100 (2.8T) which is way too much against the reality. It comes very close to the fuel consumption of my convertible 2.8T Hirsch. And for such a power in petrol, the consumption is ok. Thinking about swedish roads with 110kmh maximum speed, it might be even lower.

The new hirsched NEVS Saab 9-3 MY14 will be presented on 29.5.2014 at Maptun meeting in Örebro. I hope the Maptun guys will also bring something to the table. Maybe the missing interior parts? Or an alternative chiptuning? Let's see, I am sure, there will come reports from the meeting soon. Also of the drivers feeling.


In the not so good current situation of the stopped (again) production, this is a nice move to show that things are going forward anyway.

Cross fingers Saab! Ehhh... NEVS.

Sources: Saabsunited, Saabcars.com, Hirsch Performance.

Electric Saab behind the corner?

Teknikens Värld reports, that the production of the electric Saab should start in the second quarter. For Ttela Mattias Bergman confirmed, that the production is is only a few weeks ahead and that the press of the bodies already started.

He adds: "it's not a revolution, rather an evolution" as an answer to the question how it will look like. No tailpipe, minor interior changes and no sound. It will be the first test fleet.

At this stage it is unimportant, if anyone here in Europe likes electric cars or electric Saabs. Important is, if the electric Saabs will be liked in China. Saab survival depends on this. From this point of view, this is a good news.

If we, the fans, can live with that in mind, is a complete different story.

NEVS started to produce new Saabs

Here they are. Today NEVS started to produce new 9-3's. According to the official press release, it's a 9-3 Aero Sedan, the engine is a 2-liter turbo with 220hp. The production starts at a very modest rate, about 10 cars in a week and will be increased later.

The initial focus of NEVS with Saabs is China, but next week NEVS also starts to sell first car to Sweden. The price tag starts at 279000 SEK (about 31.000 €) for a manual Aero. That's not exactly cheap, but one has to consider this is an Aero and anyway it's about 10% cheaper than a Griffin Aero 2012.

NEVS says, it is focused on electric cars. The electric Saab will be launched in spring 2014. Saabsunited claims, that also around 2014 should come a SportCombi, X and convertible chassis. It's unknown if with combustion or electric engine or both. Qingdao, the chinese city and a partial owner of NEVS has placed an order for 200 electric Saabs, which have to be delivered in spring 2014.

Well what we see here is basically a Griffin. According to many previous information it should have reworked front part to comply with EU pedestrian control regulations, new stereo and a couple of other things 200 new parts (source: saabblog.net). We already can see a bit reworked seats. In comparison with the first pre-production Saab it has different wheels - the turbine wheels. And a new logo on the hood as well in the wheels (I want them!:) ).

There was a press conference today so there will come a bit more information out later today or in the next days. Hopely :) Let's see what the future brings, hopely this resurrection of Saab works well. 

Photography

From time to time extra high quality Saab photos appears online. There are not many people which can do such a gorgeous pictures. This time it's Adrian Burt, a swedish photographer. You can see more on his website.

There are not only Saabs and not only cars, but many things, most of them very eye catchy. Most of them are photos, such as the picture above, but the site contains also CGIs such as the one below.

Really nice. 

 Source : Adrian Burt

Pre-production NEVS SAAB 9-3 is here

First pre-production Saab from NEVS. Photo credit : SaabsUnited

Today the first pre-production car was rolling out from the production belt in Trollhattan. From the outside it looks like a 9-3 Griffin, except the Saab logo on the bonnet, which is black and without the Griffin.

You can see a lot more photos here at SaabsUnited. 

If the Saab is indeed full GM-free, it should have many different parts than the Griffin. But this is not the production model. NEVS stated several times, that the new Saab will be a slightly facelifted 9-3.

A valid point brought Saabblog.net, namely if showing this Saab in the time of IAA Frankfurt is a good timing.

A pre-production car lies between the prototype (mule) and real production car. It's intended for testing purposes, to find errors and leaks on the car as well as on the production belt before it goes into the real production. 

Back to the roots

It's always great to have some photos hidden somewhere in the darker side of the harddisk. Just for coming back after months or years, to enjoy them. This is one of them.

Technically far from ideal but still it has a lot of atmosphere. A good friend of mine, Eva, a photographer shot it. Just as an experiment. It was a cold March, it's on the parking place on the hill above the village Hainburg an der Donau in Austria. A photo flash is used as light source and some games with shutter times, appertures, ISO and things. This is what left. I like it.

It's already a timestamp from the saabish era. 

The custom numberplates

The numberplates are a category by itself. It can help a car looking good. The different numberplates is one of my obsessions and I especially love the yellow background in the Netherlands and Luxembourg. For example look at this c900 convertible.

Here in Slovakia, you can buy for ~330 € another text for it. You have to keep the abbreviation for the city (BA/BL is for Bratislava) and than you have five letters of your own text. For a Saab such as BA-AERO1 etc.

In the neighbouring Hungary besides other things you can buy a different sized frame.On my recent short trip to Budapest I've seen a couple of them. One of them was on a Saab 9-3 Aero and it looked really good.

In order to keep the number private I've manipulated a bit the letters and numbers. Without some numbers it wouldn't be that nice.

Life is not a spectator sport

A likeable little commercial for the 9-3