Next Saab 9-3 coupe will be nearly identical to Phoenix concept
Paul Horrell of Top Gear Magazine heads to New York to drive the Saab Phoenix concept car and learns that aside from minor changes, this will be the shape of the new 9-3 coupe.
Noteworthy quotes:
–> “Something real? Huh? A concept with scissor doors and wings like the handles of a shopping bag? “Look, even couture clothes have to fit a real human body. And this car fits a real platform. The crash structure is real, and the drivetrain, and the cooling. The packaging is real. Real people can fit inside.” Indeed they can – it’s quite accommodating in there, and you can even see out. It really does feel driveable.”
–> “Suddenly, as if remembering the rules of some PR script, he back-pedals a little. “It’s not the next 9-3 and I didn’t want this to be Photoshopped onto magazine covers as that.” OK, but a few minutes later, I’m with Saab’s chairman Victor Muller who can’t resist getting out his smartphone and showing me an image of a 9-3 coupe he’s had Castriota design. It’s basically the PhoeniX without the wings and the lower-body layering, and it really does look like a car to give the TT and RCZ pause.”
–> “Anyway, Castriota says the whole nose section of the 9-3 replacement will look just like what’son the PhoeniX. The swept-back wheel-arch modelling too. And since the PhoeniX uses Saab’s new platform, the relationship of wheels to bumper is right, including the shortened but more effective front crash structure, so Saabs won’t look as nose-heavy. “
Jason Castriota also designed the Maserati GranTurismo and Ferrari 599.
You can expect the production steering wheel to be round.
–> “Even if you don’t take your car advice from to a load of intoxicated barflies, take it from TopGear. On the strength of this car, new Saabs do deserve to see the light of day.”
Is there hope for the trolls in Trollhattan? Read on for details (its one of those annoying slide show articles):
http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/phoenix-2011
Did the owners win the 200 million pot in Idaho Powerball? Otherwise I don’t know how they’ll have the money to ever build it.
Chinese money.