The Saab Aero-X is a

concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...

built by

Saab Saab or SAAB may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Saab Group, a Swedish aerospace and defence company, formerly known as SAAB, and later as Saab AB ** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab AB * Saab Automobile, a fo ...

, which was unveiled at the 2006

Salon International de l'Auto The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by the ...

. It is powered by a 2.8 L twin turbocharged V6 running on pure

ethanol Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a ...

that produces . The 0 to time was predicted to be 4.9 seconds and the top speed is . It has a seven speed

manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...

controlled by paddles on the steering wheel. Like the later Saab Turbo X, the Aero-X has

four wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

. The

door A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide security b ...

s and

windscreen The windshield (North American English) or windscreen (Commonwealth English) of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike, truck, train, boat or streetcar is the front window, which provides visibility while protecting occupants from the elements. Mo ...

are connected, so instead of using conventional doors or even

gullwing doors In the automotive industry, a gull-wing door, also known as a falcon-wing door or an up-door, is a car door that is hinged at the roof rather than the side, as pioneered by Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, first as a race car in 1952 ( W194), and then a ...

, it uses a cockpit canopy where the entire top section of the car is opened. This offers the Aero X's driver full 180 degree vision, and also facilitates entry and exit from its low slung cabin. The body is made of

carbon fiber Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...

. The suspension is electronically controlled. Even though it is a two seat

sports car A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...

, it has reasonable storage, as the rear features two storage facilities, with a conventional hatchback and sliding drawer underneath. The interior offers "clean Scandinavian interior design". The car has no ordinary dials and buttons; instead, data is displayed on acrylic 'clear zones' in graphic 3D images. All interior and exterior lights utilize

LEDs A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (cor ...

. Although only a

, it has been well received, with many fans calling for its production.

Victor Muller Victor Roberto Muller (born September 13, 1959) is a Dutch businessman, founder of Spyker Cars, CEO of Spyker N.V., and former Chairman and CEO of Saab Automobile AB. Education and early career Muller studied law at Leiden University. After gr ...

responded on the SaabsUnited.com website, saying that it is not a priority for the company right now. "This study shows how the strength of the Saab brand heritage can inspire bold, innovative design", said

Bryan Nesbitt Bryan Edward Nesbitt (b. January 24, 1969 in Phoenix, Arizona) is an automobile designer and currently head of General Motors Corporation International Operations Design, based in Shanghai, China. Nesbitt is also brand chairman for Wuling and Bao ...

, the Executive Director of GM Design Europe: "As we move forward with new Saab product, we will remain focused on carefully cultivating this brand equity in the context of Scandinavian design values". "This concept shows the exciting possibilities that are open to us as we evolve a more progressive design language for the Saab brand", said

Jan Åke Jonsson Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

, Saab's Managing Director. "Our designers, engineers and marketers in Sweden are ideally placed to nurture and communicate the unique DNA of the Saab brand. Their work will ensure that future product proposals express core qualities, such as progressive design, sporty performance and emotional functionality, in a way that is specific to Saab." Elements of the cars frontal design have emerged in later Saab models, notably the design refresh of the Saab 9-3 Sports Sedan, the second generation

Saab 9-5 The Saab 9-5 is an executive car that was produced by the Swedish automobile maker Saab from 1997 to 2012. The first generation 9-5 was introduced in 1997 for the 1998 model year, as the replacement to the Saab 9000. At the time, the car repres ...

and the

Saab 9-4X The Saab 9-4X is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV that was introduced at the 2010 LA Auto Show. It is based on the all-wheel-drive GM Theta Premium platform, which also forms the basis for the Cadillac SRX. Production of the 9-4X began in 2011 ...

. The Aero-X was rumored to make its cinematic début in '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'', with fans speculating that it may be used for the

Autobot The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional Continuity (fiction), continuities of the Transformers (fiction), Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and p ...

Wheeljack. However, it was not used.

Gallery

File:SAAB AERO X open.jpg, Open. SAAB AERO X right.jpg, Right. SAAB AERO X rear.jpg, Rear.

References

{{Saab Automobile All-wheel-drive vehicles

Aero-X The Aero-X hoverbike is an aircraft created by Aerofex, an aerospace engineering corporation based in Los Angeles, designed to carry up to two people. It is not known when it will be released for sale. Vehicle Aerofex say that the vehicle rises 1 ...

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