Saab's new Aero X concept "harnesses the power of Saab's aviation and Scandinavian roots to make a unique statement in performance car design", said the GM subsidiary. The aim is to show the future direction of and inspire future designs by Saab, which remains proud of its aviation roots. Powered entirely by bioethanol and made of carbon-fibre, it's unusual all right.
This dynamic two-seater sports coupé breaks with automotive design convention both outside and inside: there are neither doors nor windscreen pillars. Instead, the Saab Aero X adopts a cockpit canopy, aircraft-style. It offers the Aero X pilot 180-degree vision, and also facilitates entry and exit from its low-slung cabin.
Thrust for the all-wheel drive Saab Aero X also comes from a green, bioethanol-fuelled, twin-turbo V6 that kicks out 400bhp.
With weight-saving carbon fibre bodywork, a lightweight powertrain, electronically-controlled suspension and all-wheel drive, computer simulations anticipate zero to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds and a top speed limited to 155 mph.
Inside, the Saab Aero X's cockpit completely eliminates conventional dials and buttons. Instead, Saab has applied techniques derived from Swedish glass and precision instrument making, displaying data on glass-like acrylic 'clear zones' in graphic 3D images.
All exterior and interior lighting is by LED, which Saab reckoned "has given the design team new freedoms to exploit the compact packaging benefits of a technology that will be featured increasingly in future Saab products."
The Aero X is still supposed to be practical and includes a useful twin storage facility, with a conventional hatch opening and sliding drawer underneath.
"This study shows how the strength of the Saab brand heritage can inspire bold, innovative design," said GM's European design chief Bryan Nesbitt. "As we move forward with new Saab product, we will remain focused on carefully cultivating this brand equity in the context of Scandinavian design values."
"This concept shows the exciting possibilities that are open to us as we evolve a more progressive design language for the Saab brand," said Saab boss Jan Åke Jonsson. "Our designers, engineers and marketers in Sweden are ideally placed to nurture and communicate the unique DNA of the Saab brand. Their work will ensure that future product proposals express core qualities, such as progressive design, sporty performance and emotional functionality, in a way that is specific to Saab."
The Saab Aero X is the latest in a series of concepts from Saab, each aimed at accentuating different brand qualities. These include the 'four-dimensional' 9X (IAA Frankfurt 2001), the 9-3X Cross-over Coupé (Detroit 2002) and the 9-3 Sport Hatch (IAA Frankfurt 2003).
This, and parent GM's cash-strapped condition, make it almost inevitable that the Aero X will never reach production.
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