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| On the road Saab Aero X Concept: the fusion of automobile and aeronautics! In the 1930s-1940s, Saab used to build fighter planes for the Swedish army. Today, the Saab Aero X concept car harks back to the company's origins, in order to pave the way for the future!  Saab's image has, for some years, suffered as a result of a certain opposition to change: the once prestigious cars, renowned for their "Scandinavian comfort and design", have become synonymous - in the eyes of European consumers - with somewhat heavy "laid-back" cars, with the marque seemingly resting on its laurels, rather like Nokia in the mobile phone sector. Now, Saab intends to pull out all the stops. The Saab Aero X presented at the Geneva Motor Show is the latest model in a series of prototypes that includes the "4 dimensional" 9-X (Frankfurt 2001), the 9-3X Coupé Crossover (Detroit 2002) and the 9-3 Sport-Hatch (IAA Frankfurt 2003).  The Aero X is a two-seater sports coupé that breaks completely with traditional automobile design, both inside and out. Looking like something from a science-fiction film, it boasts lightweight carbon fibre bodywork and is inspired by aeronautical lines: the passenger compartment is thus covered by a cockpit canopy similar to that of a fighter plane, offering the "pilot" panoramic 180-degree vision. There are no doors or windscreen pillars: the articulated canopy opens upwards and forwards, making for easy entry and exit at ground level. Inside, the Saab Aero X perpetuates the restraint of Scandinavian design peculiar to the marque: no more dials or levers or buttons: the data is displayed in three-dimensional graphics on a glass panel. The power that drives the four driving wheels comes from a specific engine, the 400 hp twin-turbo BioPower V6, powered by bioethanol, a renewable source of energy (derived from wood shavings and plant waste) which emits little fossil CO2. Saab is therefore clearly in line with the spirit of the time and proves that a thoroughbred like the Aero X, which is capable of going from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds, also respects the environment! Photographies : © Saab  | |||||||||
