Regarding the SAAB 9-3 ... Is it "The SAAB Way"?

Hi everyone. I have grown to really like the 9-3 SS and consider it to be a really good design ... The "weight" is right ... It sits on the road right and it looks overall a very attractive car. Certain colours lift it more than others, but any colour is good, really.

But ... Yes, there's always a "but" with me :)

I have noticed a styling faux pas which I cannot ignore and it really drives me to distraction when I see a 9-3 SS. I'm talking about that silly piece of trim behind the windows on the rear door. Take a look here:

See it? That 1" tatty bit of plastic the serves no purpose whatsoever, than to attract the eye and the comment "what a silly design". It's almost as pointless as that 1" piece of side stripe that sits behind the rear doors on the 9-3, NG900 and (erm, yes) C900; more so.

I can see that it neatens out the line of the rear windows and, yes, on a black car it practically disappears, but on, say, a red car it does not. In fact, it stands out and ... yes, looks silly. By this point, I'm sure you're thinking that I should get a life, or at least just ignore it, but I can't. Sorry! If it was not there at, all, I could live with an abrupt window line. If it was wider, I could stick a logo on it ... Wider still, perhaps a little window could be sited there, like the NG900.

Of course, to finish the car off, it neatens the line and is pleasing to the eye if you look at the car as a whole. But why not just make the door that shape? No, really, why not make the door that shape, rather than making the door an abrupt shape and then filling in the line with a silly, tatty piece of pointless plastic? Why?

Okay, so ... Is it "The SAAB Way"? If it is there by actual design; by engineering reason, then I could live with it. Does anyone care to enlighten me as to the design rationale, or are we all a bunch of 1" tatty plastic trim haters who have not yet vented? What say you guys?

Paul

Reply to
Paul Halliday
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I never noticed that before you mentioned it, so it's not a big deal. It may have some aerodynamic function to reduce the wind noise. I'm more put off by the way the boot (trunk) lid appears to cut into the bumper, this is a typical GM style feature, giving away the relationship to Opel/Vauxhall cars.

Reply to
Johannes

Reply to
Craig M. Bobchin

Yes, you may be right. I think I first noticed it on VW and found it visually irritating, then it spread to other cars. The intention may be to give an impression of 'craftsmanship', to show how the car clicks together. But it could also be simple rationalization, to integrate the rear bumper (which is useless in any case) with the entire rear panel bar the trunk lid. There is no modern car that matches the rear bumpers of a 9000 (or 900C), I know from experience.

Reply to
Johannes

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