SubaruKid37

its kinda nice, but there is not a Saab badge on it in sight, so maybe they sold the designs off? or maybe it was only as a once off, that sometimes happens...

Koenigseggs Rock

seems a bit like a cross of loads of cars or the other way round smart roadster style lights and a bit of small lotus was one of my first thoughts
whats happening with production is it happening or are they keeping quiet because they dont want any1 to know if its going into production

pacman

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Mopar68

is it just me, or does that thing look like a cross between a little murcielago roadster and a little gallardo?

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CarRocker

Is it just me or does it look like they blended loads of designs to get the design of this car. I can see Lambo's in there, but also alot other cars.

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Ryyni

This car is a Saab only in a sense that the engine, powertrain and parts of chassis is supplied by Saab.

If I remember correctly, this prototype car was designed in Finland as a joint venture of Valmet automotive factory, University of industrial arts in Helsinki, and an automotive engineering line in a polytechnic school in Helsinki. I got to know the car a bit during my own studies in the UIAH.

The chassis is made entirely out of aluminum, and the body panels are made of some lightweight fibre-sandwich material. The suspension is fully adjustable as are most of the parts. It is a prototype as well as an opportunity to study car chassis and suspension.

Needless to say, this car is very light and with the turbo engine it rocks! I saw it in action and it burns the rearwheel rubber like there's no tomorrow. Despite it's funny looks, as a driving experience it is said to be excellent.

jimkk29

To be honest, I even like the looks of it. It's not over the edge and has a styling that is cool to my eye. It also has a bare bones interior, which helps with the driving experience. I would like to see it going into production.

PS: I'm surprised that Saab presented such a prototype... Saab is a conservative company, styling-wise.

Malin

It’s a nice car but I where wrong .it is like Ryyni says the car is made by students at the University of industrial arts in Helsinki, and SAAB did help them with some parts

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Ryyni

jimkk29, you call Saabs conservatively styled cars? Saabs have always looked very unlike any other car on the market, and that boldness has been very refreshing. There are only so many ways to design a good-looking body for a car, and managing to stand out from the rest is respectable.

Some one here said the Raceabout is a mix of different styles, but take a look at the rear end of the new Saturn Sky. Just the same as the rear end of Raceabout. There are only so many ways to design a car...

By the way here's a dedicated page for Raceabout with videos and other stuff
http://www.raceabout.fi/

Cheers.

jimkk29

I do agree that Saabs have a unique styling which makes them stand out, and personally I like them.
But that doesn't mean that their styling is not conservative. The youngest person I've seen driving a Saab is like 60.

Ryyni

Are you talking about styling or image now? I actually think Saab has suffered as a company because their styling is comparatively radical. Saab isn't easy on the eye and that has shown in sales in my opinion. Which is a shame because they are technically excellent and reliable cars.

If you want a "conservatively" styled car buy a Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW(actually BMW is trying to get radical with the new styling which is good), Volvo... What connects these cars? They're all expensive, so young people can't favour them. Saabs are pricey because their selling volumes are pretty low compared to other makers.

But these styling issues are just a matter of taste... I just wanted a little discussion

SubaruKid37

um, can I stop you there.
I work in a Saab dealer, and now that the Saabs use the same engines as Vauxhall/Opel, the reliability has dropped. The oil filters are the same as those used in the vauxhall corsa's, and all components like that are made in germany, only a few air filters, and individual Saab components are manufactured in Sweden now. The engines are a mix of old Saab technology and GM power, which makes for an unhealthy mix.

Sure, the new 9-3 Sport saloon is very nice, and the 9-5 Aero is a good car, there are better cars on the market. I used to beleive Saab's were old mans cars (like Jim said), but having spent more time with them, I like them, much more than say Vauxhall or Toyota Avensis' etc. And I think the styling is very nice, nothing saying 'look at me' or anything, the latest designs are the best, and now they are using nice wheels, rather than the strange things they had before, they are much nicer. And on a final note, the interior, its very plain, which is nice, but just shows why the price is lower too for the car. I bet that in a BMW or Audi, the info display doesnt stop working every couple of years? I think that info displays are one of the most common parts booked out onto cars for replacement of parts!

But I must add, that in the last few months there have been very few major issues where I work, and the cars are doing good, so maybe, the GM goblins have been slaughtered now, and the engines are better again

Ryyni

Subarukid, you propably guessed my impression of Saabs is from the time the company still wasn't sold to Ford. But for the current situation, what can you expect... Vauxhalls/Opels are notoriously unreliable cars. I'd never buy myself one. Same thing happened to Nissans after the company merged with Renault. Nissans used to be built almost bulletproof, but now they're ridden with all kinds of electrical failures... very typical to french cars. That's the downside of parts-sharing.

But back to Saabs. They have always been technically advanced cars, especially on engine technology. Saab was the first to use turbo throughout the whole range of models. Saab is currently developing a variable-compression engine, and I'm very curious to see how it turns out. At least the specs they've released are quite impressive. 140bhp per litre, so that's 225bhp and 225lb ft from a 1,6 litre engine! The engine will be very small and compact, with a 34mpg average consumption. Not too bad!

jimkk29

I was referring to styling. All those other cars you mentioned are not as conservatively styled as Saab, IMO. I repeat, I only see old men driving Saabs. They do not appeal to younger people, and not because of the price.

Once again, don't get me wrong, I like Saabs.