http://www.saabs.org/9x/01088C.jpg
http://www.saabs.org/9x/01090C.jpg
http://www.saabs.org/9x/01107C.jpg
http://www.saabs.org/9x/01114C.jpg
http://www.saabs.org/9x/01115C.jpg
http://www.saabs.org/9x/01116C.jpg
http://www.saabs.org/9x/01117C.jpg
http://www.saabs.org/9x/01123C.jpg
http://www.saabs.org/9x/01124C.jpg
http://www.saabs.org/9x/01125C.jpg
http://www.saabs.org/9x/01194C.jpg

Strange glowing, dinky car though

I like the 3d ones better than the shots of the real thing for some reason. Why can't I get a job doing 3d visualizations of Saabs? haha.

Dave

Funny,I thought Saab had been bought by GM,not Audi,or judging by the trim BMW,just another jelly mould motor,probably just as well I shall never afford one.

Is the rear part of the roof an option? as in some of the pics it doesn't have one http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif no good for me the kids would get wet when it rains

The interior will be toned down for the finished article, they always are. As long as the exterior remains as it is. And 300bhp from that V6 twin turbo, not 280 as I've seen on some sites.

I reckon Abbott, Hirsch and their ilk will be eyeing up an easy 400bhp tune package for that baby.

Chaps - don't confuse the two concepts - the 9X and the 9-3X that came out within a few months of each other - the 9X had the removeable roof panels and the 300BHP V6, whereas the 9-3X has two long glass panels in the roof, but a fixed rear, and a 280BHP V6.....

Originally posted by Redleicester (H):
Chaps - don't confuse the two concepts - the 9X and the 9-3X that came out within a few months of each other - the 9X had the removeable roof panels and the 300BHP V6, whereas the 9-3X has two long glass panels in the roof, but a fixed rear, and a 280BHP V6.....[/b]Well you just solved a little mystery for me- i didn't know the difference between the two. Or i thought i had just lost my mind and there was only one car, but it was being called two names. Thanks.

Dave

It's growing on me. Very very slowly.

Can't work out what they are doing with the headlights though - first pic, they look ok, sort of, then third pic they look at bit weird, and that spoils the front end for me. I'm not overly fond of the recessed design of the headlights at all - makes the front end too fussy.

Wifey likes it though. "Ooooh yessss" she says. (And it's not often she says that outside of the bedroom )

(or inside it, strangely enough! )
Simon

Lose the roof though, and make it booted where the rear portion of the back end of the roof lives, turning it into a soft-top with a boot, and it would be a killer cabrio.

(if they brought the headlights forward an inch or two and made them flush with the front of the Saab grill of course!)

Simon

(Sign of madness apparently, talking to yourself)

Despite my dislike of the lighting at the moment, I suspect it would have to change somewhat to meet current regs - indicators, indicator repeaters etc, so perhaps my reservations are unfounded.

Simon

Dave, the 9X was shown at the Frankfurt show late last year, with 20-inch wheels, the removeable top sections, and a 14-inch TFT colour display for navigation/climate/stereo controls. The 3.0V6 HOT Turbo was tuned to produce 300BHP and 400NM of torque. It also introduced the Saab version of BMW's I-Drive system (before the 7-series even came out) where controls on-screen were activated and selected by a knob on the centre of the console.

The 9-3X appeared at the Detroit show early this year, and had a redesigned roof section (to meet rollover protection regulations) and a new interior with a rather more modest theme. This included a departure away from green lighting to VWesque blue shades. The Saab I-Drive thing was still present, though in a more limited form, and the engine was the same 3.0V6 but this time with a light pressure turbo, still producing 400NM of torque, but only (only!) 280BHP. The car also rode on 18-inch wheels with 15-inch brake discs and 4-pot Brembo callipers.

If you ask your dealer nicely, they have brochures of the 9-3X which has more info. Now why would a manufacturer produces two such similar concepts - one blatantly a pipe-dream and one closer to reality, and then take the step of producing a preview brochure if they weren't thinking seriously of building the thing....

Here's to hoping!

If you ask your dealer nicely, they have brochures of the 9-3X *[/b]You can download e-brochures for either car - identical to the hard copy you'd get from your dealer from Saab's official site (http://www.saab.co.uk)

Which tends to back up Red's theory. Also, the pics in the Saab in the news posting are in Saab's Spring Saabnews (out since March/April), along with an article about driving the 9-x

Thanks, Redleicester (H)- now i totally get it. So they kind of ARE the same car, but the 9-3x is just a more evolved version.

Since Simon shared his views on it, i'll share mine. I did not like the look of this car at first, but it's growing on me as well. My main problem with it as well is the fibre optic headlights or whatever they are. Maybe it's me just resisting getting used to something other than a glassy reflective surface that seems like it should be there. Did that sentence even make sense? haha.

Dave

In essence you're right Dave, the only odd thing is, that Saab have never actually admitted that they're essentially an evolutionary pair.

Yet doesn't it strike you as odd that the only things that have really changed between the two, are purely functional and practical so as to make the second car a more viable and marketable vehicle? Sabb go goodness only knows how many years without a concept and then bring out two within six months? Somthing smells fishy! Think about it - smaller wheels, safer roof structure, practical cabin.... In moving from the 9X to the 9-3X they have gonbe from first concept to practically a pre-production model.

The only exception that proves the rule (!) is that the 9X was branded a "Sports coupe" and the 9-3X a "Cross-over coupe"..... silly lot.

However, the real spanner in the works is Bertone. Yes, the styling house. Yes, responsible for the irreprably dull Astra Coupe. Why? Well they produced a Saab concept this year too - and it has disappeared into obscurity behiond the 9X and 9-3X. (and no bad thing - it was hideous!)

However, back in 1996, Bertone produced a concept for Opel/Vauxhall which at the time they declared that Bertone and GM were more inclined to badge as a Saab, but picked Opel instead....

Take a look at this - look familiar? http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif
http://www.impulseproductions.co.uk/Images/Bertone%201996%20Slalom%20Coupe%20f3q.jpg
It's a funny old world....

Yep, that car is definitely familiar. Can't quite place it though. haha.

Maybe it's just because we don't get Vauxhalls here, or because the BTCC is my favorite racing league (besides WRC, of course...) but i actually like the Astra. I'm sure if i saw them every single day i'd be bored of them.

This one is my favorite of them all though- the Triple 8 Astra 888:

http://www.grasmere.co.uk/888/frontside.jpg

Looks like a nice car to me, but i'm sure it's much more exciting than a regular old Astra Coupe. haha.

Dave

The bit I like about the 9-3x pictures is the way, from the rear view, you can see the front nearside wheel through the "exhaust pipe". Very convincing.

No I keep looking at it and have to admit it isn't even growing on me slightly
I see that they have designed the boot to be a landing strip for model aircraft- handy I suppose if your into that sort of thing

this is what is great about the design. It is so quirky that the masses do not like it - just like Saabs years ago

It's a shame that this page takes sooo long to load .

Anyhow, what I like about the 9-X are the practical features a concept car has been able to portray. The SAAB design house might not have had the budgets of the Big Boys over the years, but that has not reduced their common sense. The problem has been the ability of just a view to be able to understand SAAB and buy one of their cars. But practicallity has been an important word in the SAAB vocabulary.

The 9-X continues that tradition of practicallity, whilst not distorting the alternative thinking process of the designers.
And for once it's not just the fanatic SAABer who has come to recognise many of the new-wave-thinking behind the concept of the 9-X.

There haven't been that many concept cars with that many practical features the buying public won't balk against if released without heavy modification. The Contach springs to mind.

Let's hope that the new 9-3 can deliver what we expect from the 9-X, and have discovered in all other SAABs beforehand: SAAB through and through, and still practical.