IMO abandoning the small car and going BMW bashing was the worst mistake Saab ever made. Sure, the results were good such as 9000 but the competition in that market was just too hard. Being cheap, robust and well-built, the 96 had a solid fanbase and it was always the backbone of the business for Saab and had it been replaced by a proper successor - no late 80's financial troubles, no GM, no bankruptcy. Just good old Saabs, built like a tank.
i love old minis. but saabs are so cool. the two popper made then cool. i saw one once, at a vintage race.. a sonnet hardtop, purple i think. and it sounded like a moped. i kept waiting for my freinds moped to come into view, nto a funny looking saab coupe.
i started rallycross in a underpowered fwd toyota, and let me tell you.. few things are harder than making a slow car go fast, especially on traction limited surface.. you learn to never brake.
split windshield! sweet, you know you are old school with a split windscreen. the 3 cyl 2 poppers were not bad cars, for the period and the engine size, whlie small, it was a nimble and tuff little thing. like the dkw it was motored by, neat cars. i really like the 3=6 dkw too. pretty pretty car.
@tkaminsk I don't know where you get your info, but Koenigsegg has never owned any part of Saab. They were in the process of buying it outright, but backed out, and have had nothing to do with Saab design. The current 9-5 is still based on the GM platform; it was already almost completed when GM hit the skids. It was still "engineered in Europe" by Saab, using the GM platform. The upcoming 9-3 is indeed all new.
@miserablerottensmurf Have you ever tried the new 9-5?I did, and i also tried the 5-serie,the E-Klasse and the A6, and i do not unterstand how people can say this car is a crap.Germans cars are far too overrated,and they look sooo ugly and boring compared to this one .
@miserablerottensmurf Saab use the fourth generation Haldex system (VW is apparently doing something similar with Haldex now for the next Audi Quattro). There's a nice wikipedia entry describing it. Saab's rear limited slip differential can transfer 85% of the engine's power to any of the rear wheels. I have tested the FWD Vector without DriveSense, and it was quite good. But my XWD Aero w/DriveSense is better. It eats sharp corners for breakfast.
@miserablerottensmurf which configuration of the 9-5 have you been driving?!? The 2.0T handles like a dream. Quiet, yet powerful. It comes with a very sophisticated AWD system and is probably the safest vehicle you can find on any road. Admittedly, the dashboard fascia is a bit boring (it was supposed to be nicer, but the subcontracter went bust), but as a driver you're not looking at that anyway. The 9-5 provides the driver with an extremely nice environment.
@miserablerottensmurf ...wrong the 95 was engineered from the ground up by Saab/Spyker/Koneigsiegg engineers in Rotterdam, Gotenburg and Oslo. Spyker and Koneigsiegg own Saab, and GM has refused to sell the frams that the GM Saab was built on. The car is 100% engineered in Europe. They gave it major facelift yes but it will be worth it. The 93 is slated for 2012 and will be completely reengineered. There is talk that a 97 is coming back for late 2012 as well that will be from Gotenburg SWE.
Ok, that makes since. And the 9-5 had was supposed to be a bigger number than the 9000, because that was car to replace the 9000, but 90,000 didn't sound good so the 9-5 is actually 9^5 which equals 59,049 which is bigger than 9000 to signify that it was the replacement . That's what I heard, but the story isn't the same for the 9-3.
Hi there Fuz
if not stoke not a 850monty
Check out fish outa water by me and the OG jay tick
13 years ago
"Dorky looking"???? If by dorky he means sexy, then yeah. What a tool.
I have a 2stroke SAAB
I loved my 96's and everywhere I went in my Sonnets, people thought they were Ferraris.
3:23 epic spring seats !!!
Saab 96, the best car ever produced. Other comments are useless...
0:33 Is he next to Derwent water?
1994 ?
what, no mention of the Sonnet series? Decades later they were still destroying the competition in slalom races.
Not bad for an old man.
"bolasjé"
IMO abandoning the small car and going BMW bashing was the worst mistake Saab ever made. Sure, the results were good such as 9000 but the competition in that market was just too hard. Being cheap, robust and well-built, the 96 had a solid fanbase and it was always the backbone of the business for Saab and had it been replaced by a proper successor - no late 80's financial troubles, no GM, no bankruptcy. Just good old Saabs, built like a tank.
PwrTorch You are absolutley right. I was Saab mechanic i Sweden in the -90's. I mourn Saab.
at least they could've been taken over by volvo, which was looking for a small affordable car around that era.
The Swenglish is strong with this one.
Yäs, väry fantastisk.
i am a illicit solicitor. with a love of german cars. even though saab is swedish,, and dead.
i love old minis. but saabs are so cool. the two popper made then cool. i saw one once, at a vintage race.. a sonnet hardtop, purple i think. and it sounded like a moped. i kept waiting for my freinds moped to come into view, nto a funny looking saab coupe.
i started rallycross in a underpowered fwd toyota, and let me tell you.. few things are harder than making a slow car go fast, especially on traction limited surface.. you learn to never brake.
That's why the hand brake
Tartken Karen on the roof
i have been upside down be4. it was funny
split windshield! sweet, you know you are old school with a split windscreen. the 3 cyl 2 poppers were not bad cars, for the period and the engine size, whlie small, it was a nimble and tuff little thing. like the dkw it was motored by, neat cars. i really like the 3=6 dkw too. pretty pretty car.
the mini did not come till later.. and while i love minis, the 2 poppers are great. i would not want any other saab.. just s 3 cyl two popper.
why go common with a bug, when you cna have a saab 2 popper fwd. great car, bug chaser, but you could have fwd in 1948. great stuff.
fantastisk roadhållning XD
lill sunqen man hör att han är svensk XD
Det där är svensk brytning :)
xfiles theme ay the end HAHA
I love my SAAB
here and theere
going and going and going and going going going and going and going and going going going and going and going and going going
early cars 2 cyl.
R.I.P Saab <3
my saab 93 v6 turbo kicks any golfs or bmw's arse!!!
im pretty sure that was a tadpole
akti bolajee? XD HAHAHA!
if it was stup enough xDDD Haha
"Roadhållning"
svenska äroplän acti boloyay? XD
@tkaminsk I don't know where you get your info, but Koenigsegg has never owned any part of Saab. They were in the process of buying it outright, but backed out, and have had nothing to do with Saab design. The current 9-5 is still based on the GM platform; it was already almost completed when GM hit the skids. It was still "engineered in Europe" by Saab, using the GM platform. The upcoming 9-3 is indeed all new.
@afgr173 Yeah.. the yanks really fucked up SAAB. From here it can only get better.
I friggin love these old Top Gear episodes!! They're very informative. Quentin is a great host too.
@miserablerottensmurf Have you ever tried the new 9-5?I did, and i also tried the 5-serie,the E-Klasse and the A6, and i do not unterstand how people can say this car is a crap.Germans cars are far too overrated,and they look sooo ugly and boring compared to this one .
I have two modern Saabs and I love them to bits especially the Aero 95 but I would love a 1950s or 60s Saab the shape is terrific
a sound that made you wet your pants, aparently even for the drivers.
@miserablerottensmurf Saab use the fourth generation Haldex system (VW is apparently doing something similar with Haldex now for the next Audi Quattro). There's a nice wikipedia entry describing it. Saab's rear limited slip differential can transfer 85% of the engine's power to any of the rear wheels. I have tested the FWD Vector without DriveSense, and it was quite good. But my XWD Aero w/DriveSense is better. It eats sharp corners for breakfast.
@miserablerottensmurf which configuration of the 9-5 have you been driving?!? The 2.0T handles like a dream. Quiet, yet powerful. It comes with a very sophisticated AWD system and is probably the safest vehicle you can find on any road. Admittedly, the dashboard fascia is a bit boring (it was supposed to be nicer, but the subcontracter went bust), but as a driver you're not looking at that anyway. The 9-5 provides the driver with an extremely nice environment.
@miserablerottensmurf ...wrong the 95 was engineered from the ground up by Saab/Spyker/Koneigsiegg engineers in Rotterdam, Gotenburg and Oslo. Spyker and Koneigsiegg own Saab, and GM has refused to sell the frams that the GM Saab was built on. The car is 100% engineered in Europe. They gave it major facelift yes but it will be worth it. The 93 is slated for 2012 and will be completely reengineered. There is talk that a 97 is coming back for late 2012 as well that will be from Gotenburg SWE.
hey do you live in uk? and do you work on a oil rig? if you do you might know my dad.
"Svenske Aeroplan Akti Bologe". Lol.
carlsson on the roof...
great vid.. thanks man..
Ok, that makes since. And the 9-5 had was supposed to be a bigger number than the 9000, because that was car to replace the 9000, but 90,000 didn't sound good so the 9-5 is actually 9^5 which equals 59,049 which is bigger than 9000 to signify that it was the replacement . That's what I heard, but the story isn't the same for the 9-3.