What Lies Ahead in Saab’s Future?

Saab is in trouble. With mounting debts and limited capital investment, the Swedish company is a prime candidate to go the way of the dinosaurs. The troubled automaker has not built a single vehicle since the 1st of April, and a much touted deal with China’s Hawtai Motor Group has fallen through. They did however sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with another Chinese company called Pang Da Automobile Trade Co. Ltd, earlier this week, but we will have to wait and see if the deal goes through.

In light of this, I’ve thought up four plausible (though unlikely) scenarios for Saab. These range from the hugely cynical all the way to the brazenly optimistic. After all, isn’t it better than Saab has some future rather than no future at all? Without further ado, here are your options:

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Poll: What’s Your Favourite Toyota FT-86 Concept?

Toyota’s FT-86 sports coupe has to be one of the most hotly anticipated cars of the last ten years. A sporty, lightweight, front-engined and rear-wheel-drive spiritual successor to the legendary AE86, brought to you by the same company that built the Celica, MR2 and Supra? Yes, please!

So far, we’ve had three iterations of the “AE86 Nouveau”. First, there’s the original, scene stealing Toyota FT-86 Concept from the2009 Tokyo Motor Show. Then there’s the much derided FT-86 II Concept from Geneva 2011. And lastly, there’s the Ferrari-emulating Scion FR-S that took the 2011 New York Auto Show by storm.

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Poll: Should GM give in and call the Volt a hybrid?

Apart from the humorous articles and the plethora of eBay finds we come up with, Carscoop’s bread and butter is automotive news straight from the manufacturer. And as such, we read a lot of press releases. In all the ones I’ve read, General Motors refuses to call the Chevrolet Volt a hybrid. It’s a range extended electric vehicle.

I speculate that it might have something to do with hybrids being uncool (so sayeth GM CEO Dan Akerson) or to avoid comparisons with that other hybrid. You know, the one made by the world’s other biggest car manufacturer.

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Poll: Should GM give in and call the Volt a hybrid?

Apart from the humorous articles and the plethora of eBay finds we come up with, Carscoop’s bread and butter is automotive news straight from the manufacturer. And as such, we read a lot of press releases. In all the ones I’ve read, General Motors refuses to call the Chevrolet Volt a hybrid. It’s a range extended electric vehicle.

I speculate that it might have something to do with hybrids being uncool (so sayeth GM CEO Dan Akerson) or to avoid comparisons with that other hybrid. You know, the one made by the world’s other biggest car manufacturer.

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Poll: Should Fiat Cut Loose Alfa Romeo and/or Sell it to Volkswagen?

Like Saab and countless other brands before, Alfa Romeo is at a tipping point. The famed Italian automaker, which once stunned the world with its gorgeous styling and motorsport victories, is now losing an estimate €200 million (US$265 million) per annum. It’s hard to believe that the company that brought us cars like the GTA, the Spider and the 158/159 Alfetta could be reduced to such a sad state of affairs.

Sergio Marchionne, the unwavering CEO of Fiat and its subsidiaries, is determined to turn the ailing automaker around. Meanwhile, Volkswagen is sniffing around for more brands and smells a potential winner in the Milanese company.

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Poll: Should Fiat Cut Loose Alfa Romeo and/or Sell it to Volkswagen?

Like Saab and countless other brands before, Alfa Romeo is at a tipping point. The famed Italian automaker, which once stunned the world with its gorgeous styling and motorsport victories, is now losing an estimate €200 million (US$265 million) per annum. It’s hard to believe that the company that brought us cars like the GTA, the Spider and the 158/159 Alfetta could be reduced to such a sad state of affairs.

Sergio Marchionne, the unwavering CEO of Fiat and its subsidiaries, is determined to turn the ailing automaker around. Meanwhile, Volkswagen is sniffing around for more brands and smells a potential winner in the Milanese company.

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My Top 10 Cars of All-Time - U.S.A.

In the past I’ve covered my picks for the best cars of the 1980s and ‘90s. Now it’s time for my Top 10 cars of All-Time, whereby I pit country against country. Our six contenders are the U.S.A., Britain, Japan, Germany, Italy and France. Will you side with American muscle or French flair? Can Japanese perfection trump Italian passion? Or do you choose German engineering over British ingenuity? Whatever you choose, you’re in for one helluva ride. So, let’s count down my Top 10 Cars of All-Time.

Today’s contender is...the U.S.A.

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My Top 10 Cars of All-Time - U.S.A.

In the past I’ve covered my picks for the best cars of the 1980s and ‘90s. Now it’s time for my Top 10 cars of All-Time, whereby I pit country against country. Our six contenders are the U.S.A., Britain, Japan, Germany, Italy and France. Will you side with American muscle or French flair? Can Japanese perfection trump Italian passion? Or do you choose German engineering over British ingenuity? Whatever you choose, you’re in for one helluva ride. So, let’s count down my Top 10 Cars of All-Time.

Today’s contender is...the U.S.A.

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