Auto car sports

The BMW Group and Saab-owner Spyker Cars N.V. have come to an agreement for the use of the German automaker's petrol engines in Saab's vehicles from 2012 onwards. The long-rumored deal, which will ultimately help Saab further reduce its reliance on previous owner General Motors, currently the firm's only supplier of gasoline powerplants, was signed on Wednesday by Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, and the CEO of Saab Automobile, JanÅke Jonsson, in Trollhättan in Sweden. Under the agreement, BMW will supply Saab with 4-cylinder 1.6 liter turbocharged petrol engines, which will incorporate the Bavarian automaker's fuel-saving and emissions -cutting stop-start and regenerative braking tech. Saab said the engines will be adapted to meet the firm's specific requirements. "We look forward to integrating this technology into our next-generation vehicles in a true Saab way," said Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson. Though the two automak...

The next generation of Saab models may very well be powered by BMW engines if negotiations between the two automakers are successful. Following widespread media speculations on the matter, Spyker N.V., the parent company of the Swedish carmaker confirmed talks with BMW. Here's the official statement: "Spyker Cars N.V. ("the Group"), a holding company that owns subsidiaries which produce and sell premium automobiles under the Saab and Spyker brands, has noted recent press speculation about the possible supply relationship with BMW. The Group confirms that talks are ongoing and will give further details once a final agreement has been reached." A report from Bloomberg citing an unnamed person with direct knowledge of the matter said the first Saab to benefit from the proposed deal would be the next 9-3 model, due for release in 2012. According to the source, Saab will make use of a new 222-horsepower that BMW is developing and has not yet been introduced in any o...

Courtesy of SaabsUnited, the people who provided pics of the nice but ill-proportioned 9-5 Coupe rendering ( see here ) we recently showed you, here is a look at a second possible 9-5 variant . It's a computer generated image for a large, 4-seater convertible that could compete with the Audi A5 Cabrio in the future world of what-ifs. Using a traditional soft top and nicely-equipped with a turbo-six and all-wheel drive, this car could be a wonderful option for families looking to buy into the Swedish design scene and who also want a unique mid-size convertible that comfortably seats four. Even better is the potential for Spyker to move itself down-range a bit and receive its own coachbuilt version of the car (and maybe even the 9-4X crossover). What say you, dear readers? Is this 9-5 'vert an interesting niche vehicle for the Swedish niche brand, or is it simply a waste of time to hope for this? By Phil Alex Source: SaabsUnited , Via: Autoblog.nl

Along with presentation of the tweaked 2011MY 9-3 , Saab today also announced that it is broadening the appeal of the freshly launched 9-5 sedan with the introduction of three new engine options, including a 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol, a 2.0-liter turbo diesel and a 2.0-liter turbo BioPower flex-fuel unit, which double the size of the premium saloon's powertrain menu. The new 2.0-liter TTiD two-stage turbo diesel engine produces 190HP and 400Nm (295 lb-ft) from 1,750 rpm, and can be specified with XWD, making it the first Saab diesel model to be offered with the Swedish firm's all-wheel-drive system. Saab said the diesel-powered 9-5 accelerates from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in under nine seconds, while returning a projected combined cycle fuel consumption of 6.0 lt/100 km (39.2mpg US or 47.1 mpg UK) and CO2 emissions of 159 g/km. The 9-5's gasoline line-up is extended by the addition of a smaller displacement 1.6-liter turbocharged four-banger churning out 180HP and 230Nm (...