GM: We can't afford Saab.
01-13-2009, 09:33 AM
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01-13-2009, 10:20 AM
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01-13-2009, 10:34 AM
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Saabs are nice cars, but overpriced. Maybe even way overpriced.
I mean, why would I buy a 9-3, if for the same money I could get an A4, 1/3 series or C-class? Plus, I think Saab has lost alot of the off-beat funkiness which made it's core buyers so loyal.
I mean, why would I buy a 9-3, if for the same money I could get an A4, 1/3 series or C-class? Plus, I think Saab has lost alot of the off-beat funkiness which made it's core buyers so loyal.
01-13-2009, 10:57 AM
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All that Saab means to me these days are well performing, comfy, European used cars. Why do I say used? These ****** are so friggen cheap, they're a steal used. I cannot imagine buying a new Saab, knowing full well how cheap they are used.
2 years ago, I took a 700 mile beach vacation with an '05 Saab 9-5 Arc...220hp IIRC 5 speed. I had a blast with it. I got 28 MPG driving it like it was a red-headed stepchild. At the same time, I was sitting in that car, with 28k miles, 2 years old, for $14,000. How could I not love a car like that for that money?
Compare it to comparable new cars at $35k on a new car lot, and I'd have run from it. Saab needs to be handed back to the Swedes, and let them deal with it. I agree...sell them turbo Ecotecs, and spin the company off. Take people who's lives depend on Saab, and let them run the show. Saab was obviously profitable, by itself, for a long time.
01-13-2009, 11:03 AM
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Lutz also confirmed that GM's Swedish subsidiary had never made a profit, but had cost its parent company up to 800 million dollars a year since it was acquired.
...
"The fact that we all liked Saabs has meant that we have indulged it," said Lutz.
...
"The fact that we all liked Saabs has meant that we have indulged it," said Lutz.
. Wasting company and shareholder money on hugely unprofitable pet projects, while their mainstream products languish for lack of funds. I don't think there's a person alive who ever thought GM could make money buying Saab, so where's the duty to the shareholders? How much better could the last-gen Malibu or Impala have been made with an extra $800m per year in development money? And meanwhile, GM sells off all its non-core, profitable subsidiaries (e.g. Allison, Hughes, EDS, GM Defense) to fund crap like this ... think how nice it would be to have those non-core businesses right now to help offset the downturn in the auto biz.
01-13-2009, 11:20 AM
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Say what you may about Saab.
Saab has much to admire regarding their turbocharging tech and steadfast hammering away on turbos being viable.
Turbocharging is an avenue that will be important in the present and near future.
IMHO, Saab put turbos on the viability "map".
Turbos are absolutely going to be a part in the automotive futurescape for a lot of manufacturers.
Saab has much to admire regarding their turbocharging tech and steadfast hammering away on turbos being viable.
Turbocharging is an avenue that will be important in the present and near future.
IMHO, Saab put turbos on the viability "map".
Turbos are absolutely going to be a part in the automotive futurescape for a lot of manufacturers.
01-13-2009, 11:41 AM
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Say what you may about Saab.
Saab has much to admire regarding their turbocharging tech and steadfast hammering away on turbos being viable.
Turbocharging is an avenue that will be important in the present and near future.
IMHO, Saab put turbos on the viability "map".
Turbos are absolutely going to be a part in the automotive futurescape for a lot of manufacturers.
Saab has much to admire regarding their turbocharging tech and steadfast hammering away on turbos being viable.
Turbocharging is an avenue that will be important in the present and near future.
IMHO, Saab put turbos on the viability "map".
Turbos are absolutely going to be a part in the automotive futurescape for a lot of manufacturers.
01-13-2009, 03:15 PM
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Long standing Turbo viability in gasoling powered road cars is Saab territory from 1978 through to today.
01-14-2009, 12:37 AM
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Originally Posted by Bob Lutz Aug 7, 2007
Last week, in his GM FastLane blog, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz confessed that although "in my younger days I was never what you would call a Saab enthusiast," he is now a champion for the Swedish brand. "We in senior management are convinced that Saab is a jewel in the GM crown, and we're determined to ensure its success," he wrote.
"So while I've read a number of comments on this blog questioning the future of Saab, let me say that it belongs in the GM family and we plan on keeping it there," Lutz added.
"So while I've read a number of comments on this blog questioning the future of Saab, let me say that it belongs in the GM family and we plan on keeping it there," Lutz added.
01-14-2009, 08:07 AM
#15
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Maybe the list prices are similar, but the actual off-the-lot price will be much, much cheaper for the Saab.