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Just got back today. We had a good group - very diverse, all good people and all good (fast) drivers. Everyone had a great time and we learned a lot. Plus, we only destroyed two of the school's cars, so all in all it was a nice weekend.
Dan Chasins was at the dinner, along with several other Saab dignitaries - he is a very personable man, and seems to be a Saab guy at heart. I had a really good talk with him, and he had some good things to say about Saab's future. And while he holds up well under interogation, he did give some pretty straightforward answers to most of my questions:
AWD - across the board. Saab still doesn't believe AWD is better than FWD per se, but they understand what the market wants. He pointed out that Audi has 90% penetration with AWD.
SUV - don't expect to see a true SUV from Saab. He pointed out the popularity of crossover vehicles (CrossCountry, AllRoad) but seemed to indicate Saab would produce something different than either a true SUV or a crossover like Volvo or Audi's.
New 9-3 - no direct comment on the hatch. He did say, however, that Saab understands the importance of versatility across the line. By the way, he drives a beautiful '90 SPG and a 9000 Aero, and he pointed out how much he and his wife love the utility of the hatchbacks.
Other new designs - the first new design to come from Michael Mauer will be a concept vehicle for next year's auto shows - either a 2 seater or a crossover vehicle. However - he said not to expect a production 2-seater from Saab anytime in the near future. The first production vehicle from Mauer will be the new 9-3 convertible, not the new 9-5 as previously thought. I asked if the 9-3 convertible would have a completely different body style than the coupe/sedan, but got no definite answer.
Also, he indicated to some others that Saab was sort of in a holding pattern with regard to their relationship with GM, new products, etc. Seems their trying to get some more money from the general. I didn't hear that directly.
While I took everything he said with a grain of salt, I felt a lot better about the future of Saab and about their new products after our talk. Hope this answers some questions and puts some fears to rest.
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