Saab and GM vectra

Keith Gatford wrote: :: What is the story? GM purchased Saab how long ago? Does Saab use GM :: motors or GM platforms?I am interested to know exactly how much of :: my Saab is a GM vectra.

Forget about all your questions and enjoy your car - that's what matters.

Cheers!

GM bought a 50% stake in saab in 1990, and the rest in 2000..

The only real Vectra bit is the floorpan, (suitably reinforced) the V6 motors and the new 1.8 engine in the base 9-3. (probably not available in the states)

So still plenty of saab in the latest cars.

And the suspension. And the brakes. And the steering (having said that, even a C900 has a GM rack). And most of the wiring loom. But apart from that...

Engine, interior (seats, dash etc.) and body panels.

Car & Driver made an interesting mention of new trick steering on the new Malibu which is the same platform as the new 9-3. They said something like: even though it sounds neat to be "all electric" that SAAB had opted out and that the steering in the 9-3 had a much better feel than the Malibu.

Does anyone know if SAAB still attempts to get the center of gravity at the driver's hip point? Or how close they come? I think this (as well as about the best ergonomics around) is a big part of what makes a SAAB a SAAB.

I didn't know they reinforced the floorpan. So basically, they just avoided the design & tooling cost of the floorpan and a few other bits.

-meld

Grunff wrote:

Specifically this is true of the post-1994 Saab 900, the original and new 9-3s, and the 9-5s. In other words the use of Vectra floorpans came in with GM buying the initial 50% stake in 1990.

Martin

I think the post-94 900 actually used the last of the Cavalier (european version) pans didn't it, before the vectra launched?

Aye, it did. It's worth remembering that platform sharing means a lot more than just the floor pressing - suspension and brakes very frequently come along as part of the package (did in this case).

That model Vauxhall Cavalier was already called Opel Vectra on the mainland.

Mark

Ah, OK, becuase we had the last Cavalier that the NG900 used as a floorpan. Then the first UK VX Vectra that the first 9-3 used, then we had the new Vectra here that used was used for the latest 9-3 (the SS and the Cab).

MeatballTurbo wrote: :: Then the first UK VX Vectra that the first 9-3 used, then we had the :: new Vectra here that used was used for the latest 9-3 (the SS and :: the Cab). --

The three Vectra's:

1. Generation Vectra = Saab NG900 / 9-3
2. Generation Vectra = Saab 9-5
3. Generation Vectra = Saab 9-3 SS. In fact this is the GM Epsilon platform, which is co-worked between GM, Opel, Saab and Alfa.

Cheers!

Interesting. How does the 9000 fit in, because I thought the 9-5 was a rework of the 9000 which itself was a joint with Alfa/Fiat?

I suppose it is similar the Vauxhall Nova which was the Opel Corsa A in most of Europe, and the Earlier Cavaliers which I think were Opal Rekord in Europe (except the Cavalier MK2 Coupe which was the Opel Manta B 2 litre)?

The simple answer is that the 9-5 was not based on the 9000.

cool, a lot easier ;)

:-) Yes, as someone who drove a 9000 for 50k miles (though it was an old one, 1988) and replaced it with an '02 9-5 Aero Wagon, I can guarantee you they're totally different beasties.

One thing that surprised and disappointed me was that there seems to be significantly LESS room inside the 9-5 than there was in the 9000.

Gary

In article , snipped-for-privacy@xxxfrii.com spouted forth into alt.autos.saab...

Yeah, I've heard things like that from people who splurged out on a 9-5. Drove it for a year or two, then decided to sell it, and make a buy either a CSE or an Aero late model 9000, and keep some money in the bank, much prefering the room and feel of a 9000.

That is one of the things I find amazing about the 9000. It is rather small on the outside and very spacious on the inside. Even the engine compartment is roomy enough so that it can be easily serviced. Maybe it should have been called the "Tardis".

Yeah. The wheelbase and various parts of the chassis are entirely different via the 9-3SS and the Malibu, as well as the Vectra.

The 9-3 SS does have that hip point thing going on, at least according to the brochure I got.

The biggest sav> Car & Driver made an interesting mention of new trick steering on the

The B235 engine in the 9-5 was substantially changed from the B234 engine of the 9000.