Hi Steve,
So you really do have a 9-3 SportCombi? I was under the impression that you got out of Saabs and decided on an Alfa(?). Also, you are going to work for Volvo? Cheers, my friend.
Roger
PS I’d like to share with you a post I made to SU:
I believe that Saab made a long standing critical mistake when it insisted on ignoring the Audi Quattro. Audi released the original Quattro to European customers in late 1980, making it both the first car to feature Audi’s Quattro permanent four-wheel drive system (hence its name), and the first to mate four-wheel drive with a turbocharged engine. That sounds like it would be referring to something Saab would do. But, no, Saab insisted that AWD added unneeded excess weight, mechanical drag, and complexity, even though the robust turbocharged power had to be reduced electronically in first and second gears. AWD was needed to get the power to the ground and to keep Saab competitive in the marketplace. Being that Saab had consistently beat the competitors (i.e., Audi, BMW, Volvo), taking action to stay that way was crucial. Saab refused to build market AWD. That, my Saab friends and fellow enthusiasts, was a critical nail in Saab’s coffin. How very sad to hear those words. With all the engineering accomplishments and innovations Saab had made, I find it hard to believe that the engineers were against it. I would be surprised if they didn’t have AWD ready to go. So what was the stumbling block? Was it socialists intervening politically? I think so.
This article was written by Pete, my occasional co-contributor. He has a 9-3 SportCombi and has had other Saabs as well. We still have our 9000 here at home. No invitations or plans to work at Volvo.
AWD – socialist political interference? Absolutely not. Saab did do development work on AWD and I believe there are a few prototype 9000′s around in the museum. My guess is that the system either simply wasn’t good/refined enough to release to market (that happens sometimes, even with Saab development) or they didn’t see it as viable with the numbers they sell.
I agree with you that it’s a shame they didn’t get it out there sooner. It would have been a great thing.
Hi Steve,
So you really do have a 9-3 SportCombi? I was under the impression that you got out of Saabs and decided on an Alfa(?). Also, you are going to work for Volvo? Cheers, my friend.
Roger
PS I’d like to share with you a post I made to SU:
I believe that Saab made a long standing critical mistake when it insisted on ignoring the Audi Quattro. Audi released the original Quattro to European customers in late 1980, making it both the first car to feature Audi’s Quattro permanent four-wheel drive system (hence its name), and the first to mate four-wheel drive with a turbocharged engine. That sounds like it would be referring to something Saab would do. But, no, Saab insisted that AWD added unneeded excess weight, mechanical drag, and complexity, even though the robust turbocharged power had to be reduced electronically in first and second gears. AWD was needed to get the power to the ground and to keep Saab competitive in the marketplace. Being that Saab had consistently beat the competitors (i.e., Audi, BMW, Volvo), taking action to stay that way was crucial. Saab refused to build market AWD. That, my Saab friends and fellow enthusiasts, was a critical nail in Saab’s coffin. How very sad to hear those words. With all the engineering accomplishments and innovations Saab had made, I find it hard to believe that the engineers were against it. I would be surprised if they didn’t have AWD ready to go. So what was the stumbling block? Was it socialists intervening politically? I think so.
Roger,
This article was written by Pete, my occasional co-contributor. He has a 9-3 SportCombi and has had other Saabs as well. We still have our 9000 here at home. No invitations or plans to work at Volvo.
AWD – socialist political interference? Absolutely not. Saab did do development work on AWD and I believe there are a few prototype 9000′s around in the museum. My guess is that the system either simply wasn’t good/refined enough to release to market (that happens sometimes, even with Saab development) or they didn’t see it as viable with the numbers they sell.
I agree with you that it’s a shame they didn’t get it out there sooner. It would have been a great thing.