Saab History

The Rocky Mountain Saab Club (RMSC) will be hosting the 2009 Saab Owners Convention and are well on their way to planning this event, 2-years in advance just like they did 10 years ago with the 1999 Saab Owners Convention.

This will be an event that we should all look forward to. The RMSC is quite a devoted and organized group of individuals that were responsible for the “http://www.rockymtnsaabclub.com/SOC09/index.html

2009 Saab Owners Convention

For those who have attended past Saab Owners Conventions, you also know how much fun it can be to visit new destinations alongside others who share your appreciation and enthusiasm!

For many reasons, we like to think of Colorado as the “Saab Capital of the West”. For decades Saab has enjoyed strong sales in the region thanks to the car’s exceptionally strong performance in snow and high altitude. Where large displacement, high-dollar über-coupes gasp for air, turbo charged Saabs more closely resemble their aeronautical counterparts. And, as the Saab Owners Convention is a true motoring event at heart, Colorado is host to 25 National Scenic Byways as well as dozens of other breathtaking drives that could equally qualify. For those able, the 2009 event will again conclude with “Saabs Run the Rockies”, a 5-day road rally that will travel many of these spectacular routes and will tour four National Parks.

In 1999, the Saab Owners Convention hosted in Keystone, CO attracted some of the highest attendance figures ever. Without detracting too much from this year’s convention, we see big potential for an even greater turnout in ‘09. Planning is well under way. With the enthusiastic membership of the RMSC and strong, local business support, we look forward to a memorable week uniquely Colorado and quintessentially Saab. Mark your calendar and stay tuned!

What: 2009 Saab Owners Convention

Where: Copper Mountain Resort, Frisco, Colorado

When: August 13-16th, 2009

Growing up around the Seacoast area, Saabs never seemed to get the respect and admiration from the press that one would see as befitting of such a magnificent marque. I would be so excited to see some press about a new Saab in the newspaper, only to be disappointed by buzzwords like “quirky” or “torque steer”. Over time, I became jaded and just stopped reading the automotive section all together.

So the other morning, Ryan was by my place for a quick visit and saw the Portsmouth Herald on my kitchen table. Well sure enough, there was the picture you see above with a great article by Gerry Miles, a local correspondent for Seacoast Media Group. Gerry, a Saab enthusiast in his own right, had this to say in a quick email to Saab History about his own Saab history:

“…I’ve owned 2 Saabs, a 900S 4-door and 900S hatchback. I miss them both, notchy gearbox and all. The 900s Hatch lost its drivers window during a winter storm on a trip to LL Bean and the passengers in the back got buffeted with brisk air. We borrowed some cardboard in Maine and blocked the driver’s window. The local dealership laughed like hell when I told him how I went to put the window down at the York Toll’s and the window stuck and then twisted on an angle and sank slowly before I could grab it. I appreciated the heated seat like heck then!”

And now, without further ado, here is Gerry’s take on the tantalizing Turbo-X:

Turbo X goes back in time to Saab’s future: “Black is back”

ANDOVER, Mass. – In a nod to the past with a keen eye on the present, Saab Cars USA showed off its latest, and greatest, way to fight the snow since they standardized heated front seats here last week with a national press introduction.

Cross Wheel Drive, or XWD for acronym aficionados, is the best adaptation of front and all-wheel-drive in a tidy package produced for the limited edition retro version of the old Saab s now found in the a retro version of the classic black 1985 Saab 900 SPG. Saab, which made its international intro of the vehicle last fall at the New England International Auto Show in Boston , returned to the northeast because 40 percent of its stateside sales are derived from the six-state region and the firm was headquartered in Orange , Conn. , for 37 years.

Saab historical fans may know, or know of former CEO Ralph Millet displaying the first Saab at the New York Auto Show where the car was meant only to generate interest as a static display. It drew so much interest than when a man pressed him on the price, he hesitated, walked away for a bit, came back with a price and thus the first Saab was sold in the USA .

Imagine a new 9-3, swathed in deep rich black paint and matching black interior – like the black 99 and 900 Turbos – and you’ll find the retro turbo boost gauge on the right side of the instrument panel, in its white/yellow/red curved stripe, all the better to show how much of the 295 foot-pounds of torque at 2,150 rpm are churning through the turbo-powered four-cylinder mill to generate a peak of 280 horsepower from the 2.8-liter V-6 engine.

Sitting behind the wheel of the fastest Saab ever produced – yes, it’s quicker than the torque-steer ridden Viggen that wore out tires and nerves wrestling the steering wheel – zooming up to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, it’s every bit a Saab, swift and sedate.

Driving up to the test site from Boston , we zipped through Storrow Drive , up the Big Dig ramps and onto 93 North where the expansion joints every 25 yards or so gave the suspension a real world test that even a marketing guru had not experienced but likened to the cement roads of Detroit . It was there that we surmised the Turbo X, which crossed the suspension joints but didn’t jar our fillings loose, had passed its first real world suspension test.

At the test site, we discovered just how good the car was – especially for its given mission – staying planted in slippery conditions.

With sand spread on a parking lot, I first pushed the automatic Turbo X through a slalom and then hammered the apex of a corner, trying to push the rear end out of control. No dice.

Just when the sand flew and the back end started to feel a tad light and slide, with my foot still on the gas, the X corrected and moved out towards the next set of cones.

The magic comes from a proprietary fourth generation Haldex unit that mates to either the auto or 6-speed manual transmission. What happens next is an alphabet soup of techno wizardry but it works all the time and at high speeds in dry-land zipping through cones or repeated passes through the sand in the apex of the sweeper.

First, consider that XWD can send up to 100 percent of the power to either the front or rear wheels if needed. Under normal conditions, expect no more than 10 percent to be sent to the rear wheels. Then, consider that the cross-over features allows up to 40 percent of the torque to switch to the rear wheel with the most grip.

“If you had two front wheels on ice, say, and one in wet snow and one wheel on gravel or something with better grip than the other three,” described Saab engineer Tommy Sundin, “this XWD would get you out. It’s as simple as that.”

What sounds simple is really a neat interaction of new systems. Chiefly there’s a version of electronic limited slip differential called eLSD. It also works in dry or wet weather to help cross deeper than expected puddles or with cornering aggressively.

How it works

When you select a gear, the PTU (Power Take-off Unit), which transmits power through the prop shaft to the rear axle and the RDM (Rear Drive Module, which includes a TTD (Torque Transfer Device) and the eLSD (electronic limited slip differential).

At the gear selection, the systems synergize whereas previous systems needed to detect any wheel slippage before engaging the backside. This also means one will no longer find the snowflake symbol atop the auto gear shift. Pressing this button on past models in winter started the vehicle in third gear to prevent wheel slip at takeoff.
Underway, the TTD , RDM and eLSD “talk” back and forth – literally – depending upon traction or lack thereof for sure-footed driving.

Torque between the axles is handled by the TTD, depending upon “slip.” The RDM and eLSD perform similar functions by laterally and in concert with the ABS/ESP programs that monitor yaw ratio, steering angle, speed and other factors.

Retro-fit

Sundin explained that getting the systems to fit underneath, without becoming bulky was a trick that was mastered. Just six tiny brackets were needed to hang the Haldex. The gas tank was modified, but is still a one-piece unit with a sending unit to keep pressure taut and steady.

The rear suspension got reworked and has a self-leveling feature Sundin said was necessary, as is a big anti-roll bar.

Why they did it

Saab, according to marketing guru Roger McCormack, is hoping to become more of a premium niche player and a graphic showed that it’s all new money for parent firm General Motors. Saab released a starting price last fall of $ 42,510; the SportCombi wagon is priced at $43,310 according to trollhattensaab.net.

The move to all-wheel-drive, along with most of the premium import segment, was a natural, especially after the failed experiment with the 9-2X Saab-aru variant from Subaru.

Of the 2,000 Turbo X’s produced, a limited number that may well establish it as a “Classic Cult Car” too, but 600 are to be sold stateside and it’s estimated that half of that allotment is already sold.
As the only premium European brand in the GM family, XWD gives Saab another quiver in its all-weather versatility perception and reality. XWD will migrate to the 9.3 2.0t and the 9.3 Aero this fall and the rest of the Swedish portfolio, including the 9.4 that was shown off in Detroit this winter.

Exclusivity

The Saab Turbo X will be limited to 2,000 production units worldwide. Known market allocations are as follows:
US - 600 units
UK - 500 units
SWEDEN - 175 units
CANADA - 125
SWITZERLAND - 120
GERMANY - 90
AUSTRALIA - 30
FRANCE - 50

Model: 9-3 Turbo X
Body style / driveline:
Sport Sedan : 4-door, 5-passenger, all-wheel drive;
SportCombi: 5-door, 5-passenger, all-wheel drive
EPA vehicle class: premium compact sport sedan and sport wagon
Engine:
Type: 2.8L V-6-cylinder high-output turbo
Displacement: 170 cu. in.
Horsepower: 280 @ 5500 rpm
Acceleration 0-60: 5.4 seconds
Chassis/Suspension
Front: MacPherson struts, gas shock absorbers, anti-roll bar, hydroformed sub-frame
Rear: independent, 4-link (including toe-link), coil springs, self-leveling shock absorbers, anti-roll bar, sub-frame, Re-Axs rear-wheel steering system
Steering type: power-assisted rack and pinion
Brakes
Type: 4-wheel disc, hydraulic, dual-circuit with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), mechanical brake assist (MBA), vacuum booster, anti-lock braking system (ABS), traction control system (TCS) and electronic stability program (ESP), ventilated front discs and rear discs
Rotor diameter x thickness
front: 13.6 x 1.18 in.
rear: 11.5 x 0.8 in.
Wheels and Tires
Wheel size and type (in): 18 x 7.5-inch alloy
Tires: P235/45 R18

Photo Credits: Saab History

I must say that while I spent most of my time at the Saab stand througout the 2008 NAIAS in order to maximize the experience, the Scandinavian influence was clearly present. This presence communicated through the semi-transparent ice-block inspired flooring to the electronic displays integrated into curved partitions was unlike any other automobile manufacturer’s showcase and clearly got people’s attention.

This being said, I also must admit that the consistency was clearly also apparent from Saab Automobile’s global marketing department and I wonder if this will be showcased even more in the North American market like it was here at the 2008 North American International Auto Show.

This consistency from the global brand image to the North American brand image in my opinion should also continue in not only the auto show events like this one, but also the advertising area as well. I believe that much like this stand, the “Born From jets” campaign in the United States can be continued as a more subtle tagline while elaborating on the brand pillars such as Safety, Efficiency, Performance, Design, Practicality, and individuality in a more “intelligent” way.

Having the opportunity to meet with Saab Automobile USA’s new advertising & marketing company, McCann-Erickson briefly, I did get the idea that this was the direction that the new campaign would be heading. I hope that with more input from the Saab community, we can seriously provide some input into ensuring that this new advertising campaign is bulletproof.

Consistency & Communication while Connecting to the Community of perspective Saab owners both new and existing are Critical in this new opportunity for Saab Automobile USA’s advertising campaign.

The 2001 Saab Owners Convention took place at Vero Beach, Florida between July 12th and 15th.

If you have any other material that should be included in the 2001 Saab Owners Convention posting here, please contact Saab History for that material to be added.

I am currently looking for the official “group photograph“, and any video footage to include in this posting. A thank you to Rich Chuma for providing the official brochure below.

This convention is also listed on the Saab Convention Archive here on Saab History.

SAAB CARS USA, INC.
For Immediate Release

SAAB CONVERTIBLES. SUN AND FUN TO HIGHLIGHT ANNUAL OWNERS’ CONVENTION IN VERO BEACH. JULY 12-15

Norcross, GA - Each year, hundreds of Saab enthusiasts gather for a celebration of Saab spirit, camaraderie and automotive innovation at the national Saab Owners’ Convention.

This year, owners are invited to gather in Vero Beach, Florida July 12 - 15 for the national convention, themed to celebrate 15 years of the Saab convertible.

The Saab convertible was introduced in 1986, and the first production of 400 vehicles for the U.S. market sold so quickly that many prospective buyers did not even realize that sales had begun. The 1987 model was sold out on preorders before production began. In Europe, one out of every three buyers of a convertible in the premium segment chooses a Saab 9-3. In the U.S., one out of every five Saabs sold in 2000 was a convertible.

‘’What better place to celebrate the Saab convertible than on the sunny beaches of Florida’s said Jay Campana, dealer principal at Saab of Vero Beach and convention committee member. ‘’The community of Vero Beach welcomes the opportunity to host Saab owners and their families for this annual event.”

The convention is being organized and hosted by a collective effort from Saab Cars USA, regional dealers, and a committee of volunteers from various Saab Owners’ Clubs around the U.S. Several corporate partners are supporting the event through sponsorships - Castrol, Garrett Turbochargers, Pirelli Tires, harman/kardon, CAT Logistics, and Interstate Batteries.

Convention activities include a mixture of traditional events such as educational and technical seminars, scenic road rally, and the opportunity to test-drive the latest Saab models, along with outdoor recreational offerings for the entire family. One highlight is the Concours de Saab, where owners display hundreds of carefully maintained vintage and current model Saabs, competing for awards.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet several VIP guests at this year’s convention. Honorary guests will include defending Pikes Peak champion and European Rallycross driver, Per Eklund - along with his winning Pikes Peak Saab Viggen, legendary rally driver Erik Carlsson, Saab Cars USA president Dan Chasins, former Saab Cars USA president