Ideea modelului VIGGEN este din 1994...
Posted: 04 Apr 2010, 16:58The original idea of the Saab 9-3 Viggen was conceived in October 1994 by Saab Automobile AB’s Special Vehicles Operations (SVO) team led by a Peter Leonard and the Oxfordshire, England-based TWR Group.
At the time, the TWR Group was owned by an individual by the name of Tom Walkinshaw. Walkinshaw, who had a long racing background which has evolved the company into one of Europe’s foremost design and engineering houses, specializing in high-performance tuning.
It was apparently understood that the performance and tuning of the project came from the TWR group and the design and styling from Saab Automobile’s SVO team.
Once the project scope was ready, both the SVO and TWR teams started to engineer a high performance variation of a Saab 900 model in late 1995, which had its global debut at the 1996 Geneva Auto Show, then its North American debut alongside a blue convertible concept variation at the New York Auto Show.
These two models were shown in the February 1996 issue of Saab Magazine, and as a result of the world debuts of both concept vehicles, the feedback was extremely positive with both SVO concept cars.
The Saab 900 Concept Coupe featured a high-output turbocharged engine, heavily modified performance chassis, new aerodynamic ground effects, front and rear spoilers, a large wing, 17-inch light alloy three spoke wheels. The drivetrain had a maximum of 250 horsepower with 257 ft.-lbs of torque.
The exclusive paint job was as stunning on the exterior as it was on the interior, with special designed leather upholstery, matching door trim, leather covered steering wheel and gear shifter.
The go ahead began on a limited basis for production in the third quarter of 1997, as 1998 model year Saab 9-3s at the Valmet plant in Uusikaupunki, Finland.
Nearly two years continued designing and engineering, and testing 900 Concept Coupe prototypes by the newly created SVO team from 1997 until 1999.
By 1999, the the 900 Concept Coupe was designated at as Saab 9-3 “Viggen”. Viggen means The Thunderbolt in Swedish. The first model year MY1999 for the Saab Viggen and its body continued to be manufactured at Saab’s factory in Trollhattan, Sweden, then shipped in a climate controlled, sealed container to Uusikaupunki, Finland for painting and final assembly at the Valmet Automotive plant. The painting of the first two years of the Saab 9-3 Viggen, were appropriately colored in “lightening blue”, paying homage to the significance of the “thunderbolt” name.
The Saab 9-3 Viggen Coupe went on sale in very limited number of Saab dealerships in May of 1999. Model year 2000 Saab 9-3 Viggen Convertible and 5-door versions arrived in showrooms during the fall of the same year. Only a limited number of 2,500 Saab 9-3 Viggen models were initially produced annually for a global market.
The Saab 9-3 Viggen model continued until model year 2002, when it ended due to the production of the 9-3 hatchback body style ending.
The Saab 900 Concept Coupe was the prototype for the Saab 9-3 Viggen as we know it back in 1995, a full four years prior to the public seeing it at auto shows and also available in dealerships around the world.
The Viggen has to be without question the best example of a spiritual successor to one of SAAB’s aircraft, the SAAB JA-37 Viggen, given that it was in name and theory 100% "born from jets".
At the time, the TWR Group was owned by an individual by the name of Tom Walkinshaw. Walkinshaw, who had a long racing background which has evolved the company into one of Europe’s foremost design and engineering houses, specializing in high-performance tuning.
It was apparently understood that the performance and tuning of the project came from the TWR group and the design and styling from Saab Automobile’s SVO team.
Once the project scope was ready, both the SVO and TWR teams started to engineer a high performance variation of a Saab 900 model in late 1995, which had its global debut at the 1996 Geneva Auto Show, then its North American debut alongside a blue convertible concept variation at the New York Auto Show.
These two models were shown in the February 1996 issue of Saab Magazine, and as a result of the world debuts of both concept vehicles, the feedback was extremely positive with both SVO concept cars.
The Saab 900 Concept Coupe featured a high-output turbocharged engine, heavily modified performance chassis, new aerodynamic ground effects, front and rear spoilers, a large wing, 17-inch light alloy three spoke wheels. The drivetrain had a maximum of 250 horsepower with 257 ft.-lbs of torque.
The exclusive paint job was as stunning on the exterior as it was on the interior, with special designed leather upholstery, matching door trim, leather covered steering wheel and gear shifter.
The go ahead began on a limited basis for production in the third quarter of 1997, as 1998 model year Saab 9-3s at the Valmet plant in Uusikaupunki, Finland.
Nearly two years continued designing and engineering, and testing 900 Concept Coupe prototypes by the newly created SVO team from 1997 until 1999.
By 1999, the the 900 Concept Coupe was designated at as Saab 9-3 “Viggen”. Viggen means The Thunderbolt in Swedish. The first model year MY1999 for the Saab Viggen and its body continued to be manufactured at Saab’s factory in Trollhattan, Sweden, then shipped in a climate controlled, sealed container to Uusikaupunki, Finland for painting and final assembly at the Valmet Automotive plant. The painting of the first two years of the Saab 9-3 Viggen, were appropriately colored in “lightening blue”, paying homage to the significance of the “thunderbolt” name.
The Saab 9-3 Viggen Coupe went on sale in very limited number of Saab dealerships in May of 1999. Model year 2000 Saab 9-3 Viggen Convertible and 5-door versions arrived in showrooms during the fall of the same year. Only a limited number of 2,500 Saab 9-3 Viggen models were initially produced annually for a global market.
The Saab 9-3 Viggen model continued until model year 2002, when it ended due to the production of the 9-3 hatchback body style ending.
The Saab 900 Concept Coupe was the prototype for the Saab 9-3 Viggen as we know it back in 1995, a full four years prior to the public seeing it at auto shows and also available in dealerships around the world.
The Viggen has to be without question the best example of a spiritual successor to one of SAAB’s aircraft, the SAAB JA-37 Viggen, given that it was in name and theory 100% "born from jets".
