Saab + Kappa = Sonett (GM Kills It!)

  • Thread starter Thread starter YSSMAN
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JCE3000GT
Sorry, I don't believe you, unless you are like 120lbs or something. I'm 6ft and I'm not 120lbs and I don't fit in a Miata. I'm sorry but there's no way someone who's 6ft and over 185lbs can COMFORTABLY fit in a Miata (or a Solstice/Sky for that matter). The Solstice/Sky has over 1 inch more head room which may not seem like much bit it is for taller folks. The top of my head literally fully made contact with the roof of the Miata, with the seat as far back as it can possibly go. At least my head wasn't touching the roof of the Solstice. Yes the Miata has 0.4" more legroom...but seriously 0.4" is nothing in terms of legroom.

And worried about "getting a drink"? Don't bother drinking or eating in the car, you don't need to do that anyway. Distractions and multitasking is the #1 reason why people crash in the USA. And because the interior cabin space numbers are so similar overall there's no way you can feel THAT much more claustrophobic in one as opposed to the other...as I've pointed out they are nearly identical in almost everyway. So I'll stop the debate since my point is OBVIOUSLY not getting any thought. :yuck:
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My problem with the sky wasn't legroom, length wise. It was knee room. I'm 6'0, 140lbs. And I tried to move my legs so that I could heel-and-toe in the Sky, and I failed miserably. Because once I moved my knee up about an inch, I smashed it into the stupid ignition box.

So my problem isn't hip room or length so that I can stretch out. But moving side to side and then up and down with my knees.

In a truly unscientific test, using Photoshop, I took two shots of both cars' interiors from over the trunklid, and scaled the steering wheels so that were the same size. Specifics & how I figured it out aside, basically, what I found out, is that from your knees to your feet, there's 36% less room in the Sky than in the Miata (at least width wise, I couldn't figure out height).

And my feeling of being confined, it wasn't because of my legs alone, it was because the center console was so wide and came up so high, that I felt as if I was trapped in the seat and couldn't get out. Most cars I can imagine being a contortonist and moving across the console from one seat to the other, but in this, there was no way.

I dunno, to those who haven't sat in the Sky with me talking, it probably doesn't make sense. But what I think I'm really trying to say, is that relative space doesn't go based on figures of legroom & roof height (irrelevant in a convertible comparison). A sense of space is based on layout, and all the other dimensions that nobody cares about enough to post online.
 
Why do you feel more claustrophobic in a Sky/Solstice?

The beltine is much higher.

You sit on an old miata, you just barely sit in a new one.

You are down inside a solstice/sky, but me, I'm 5'9" I fit in everythign!
 
R.I.P one strange idea from GM...

LLN.com
General Motors has no plans to build a Saab vehicle on its successful Kappa platform, according to Automotive News. Recently, rumors from Road and Track, Auto Motor und Sport, and AutoExpress have indicated Saab was developing a roadster inspired by the Aero X concept and based on the Kappa architecture used for the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice. But the trade publication said in a report this week, "GM is has no plans to produce any such vehicle." Instead, the Aero X will merely be the design basis for future Saab vehicles, like the next-generation 9-3.
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Well, thats too bad. There could have been something really cool there...
 
Wow, that has to be the WORST photo chop ever. period

Otherwise, it looks good, and hope the standard engine is that inline 5 :drool:
 
I can honestly say this is a good thing for GM. The company has already established that Saabs don't sell (10 years too late). The 9-3 is the single best car GM has in it's entire stable, and they can't get rid of them. Building a Kappa based car, spending millions of dollars GM doesn't have to throw away I should add, and then trying to sell it would have been Wagoners suicide pact.
 
What would be "smart" would be an AWD Kappa sedan if at all possible, as it could be very interesting as a Saab model later on down the road. The good news is that the 9-3 will take after the AeroX concept car, but the death of the Sonett (again, I belive a third time for the "modern" Saab) isn't necessiarily the best news either.

Then, I begin to wonder: How far can the Kappa chassis be stretched to create a "mid-size" car ala the BMW 3-series? Now granted the Cadillac CTS is "supposed" to be the 3-series fighter, but it is larger than the Bimmer, and Saab could come in with a similarly sized model and do some damage... Maybe...

Think about it:

Something about as big as the 3-series, fairly light chassis design, clean looks of the AeroX concept... Power could come from the 2.0L DI turbo engine to start, good for a healthy 260 BHP. Diesel power would be a must as well, and it would be a good place for GM to show off their new diesel V6 that is under development as well.
 
Saab has NEVER made a car whose designs I liked. They've always made ugly cars. I like the Pontiac Solstice better. I like the Saturn Sky better than this (even though I'd take the Solstice over the Sky). This is typical Saab styling. Doesnt' work one damn bit. It worked for the Solstice because the machine was so lovely. It's the only other recent Pontiac I would get other than the GTO. Actually, make that three Pontiacs I would be interested as the latest Holden Commodore SS-V could be coming to America as a new-age Pontiac Grand Prix. And it will be rear-wheel drive (Source for all this: latest Motor Trend magazine). Anyhow, look at the Solstice. It is such a curvy and airy automobile. Don't want a Miata? The Solstice might be your meal ticket. The Sky is Saturn's version of the Solstice. The Saturn Sky is a nice machine as well, but I think the front of it isn't as nice as the Solstice. It still remains a Saturn you can be proud of as they are rebuilding themselves from the mundane autos they've made in the past. The Sky still remains a sweetly-designed car. This Sonnet thing (granted that's how the retail car goes) is just ugly. The front grill kind of looks like the front of the late 1990s Chrysler 300M(?). The headlights are horizontally-long like the RX-8. The sides look aggressive, but overaggressive. This bonnet for the car looks really off-key.

Saturn's stepped up in design. The Pontiac Solstice is a wonderful design piece. Saab has yet to come up with any designs something I actually like from Saab. So out of 100% approval, I'm giving this 30% approval on style alone. And you're right, YSSMAN. They didn't just kill this, this is capital murder.
 
YSSMAN
Then, I begin to wonder: How far can the Kappa chassis be stretched to create a "mid-size" car ala the BMW 3-series? Now granted the Cadillac CTS is "supposed" to be the 3-series fighter, but it is larger than the Bimmer, and Saab could come in with a similarly sized model and do some damage... Maybe...
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It would eat 9-3 sales, and the 9-3 would surely be a better car. And it wouldn't be a Saab.
 
Wow, doesn't like like every other Saab ever made.

It's about time, too. I'm glad to see that Saab finally made a car that doen't look like a clone of the rest of the line. I like it. A lot.

Edit: Whoops. Didn't read all the way through. Oh well, yet another concept that wouldn've made Saab a bit more intersting as a brand, that has been snubbed. Back to their one car, I guess.
 
Ummm, Newsflash, they aren't making the Sonnet!

Sorry to burst your Saabble! (Saab+bubble)
 
...Well, atleast the AeroX design will make it onto the next-gen 9-3 later on down the road...
 
:grumpy:

Stupid overzealous photoshopping yello journalists.

I had my hopes up.

Will we ever see a Rear wheel drive 9-3? That would make me a very happy guy. Saab needs something equivalent to Volvo's R variants.
 
If everything is RWD, which obviously is ideal for performance, the entire Northeast will be riding buses, and if they are all RWD, they would need AWD variants for other markets, and other climates.
 
MatttheTuner
If everything is RWD, which obviously is ideal for performance, the entire Northeast will be riding buses, and if they are all RWD, they would need AWD variants for other markets, and other climates.
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Rear-drive can be much more controllable in the snow than front-drive, but you have to be a very good driver. And since most people are barely more than "dead at the wheel", all-wheel drive is a must. :)
 
...Lets not turn this into another RWD versus everything else thread...

IMO, Saab should consider a RWD setup on most of their models, otherwise another Haldex-setup wouldn't be too bad either on a few of the models.
 
You have it all wrong, you need an English sonnet to make this joke work (note the RHD position, too).
a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g


It's neither/nor, so why botha'?
A lightweight coupe from Saab
That still weighs more than Miata.
So a Swedish mechanic has a job.

Who says unions don't have a place?
Even CAD/CAM designers exist.
When every Saab has a less distinctive face.
Leaving 9-5 buyers betwixed.

So the photo above at the top
Just another what if, or what might...
Nothing more than the usual Photoshop.
Designed by a 15-year-old's foresight.

And thus brings an end to my post.
Since my poetry reeks like burnt toast.
​
 
I wasn't too thrilled about the Sonnet on a rear-drive platform anyway. needs to be a front-driver, or it's not a proper Sonnet.
 

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