Can confirm, there’s a big difference between that MPV and a real 2 series: the real thing has an Inline 6 and a 6-speed manual, like mine
What if Saab never went bankrupt, but got bought by BMW?
This Saab 9-3 Aero Gripen is based on the current BMW 3-series platform, and uses the same turbocharged inline-6 as the M4
At what point in history would this be? I would have thought that a spin-off of the MINI chassis would make more sense, due to SAAB having an exclusive FWD history, than re-badging RWD BMW’s. SAAB couldn’t sell other re-badged product, like the 9-2X, so it wouldn’t make much economic sense for BMW to cannibalise their core market with a transparently lazy tie-in!
Please note: I’m not dumping on your car. It looks good and, IMO, has the greatest colour of paint in the history of Automation! I just merely suggest that your what-if has too much if and not enough what, lmao!
I have no choice but to agree - that blue looks really good on a lot of cars, especially modern ones.
shakes head while facepalming
Abg, abg, abg… It was a tongue-in-cheek reference to Bogliq Blue, LMAO!!!
I choose BMW because in 2012 Saab was signing an agreement for using BMW engines, agreement that included almost a takeover by the Germans, but the deal failed, Saab was bought by Spyker and then went bankrupt. The design I made included a FWD conversion of the 3-series, which would be pretty hard to do irl since the 3-series was never intended as a FWD
Then I retract my earlier statement. I was 100% unaware that SAAB actually contemplated making the 3 series FWD!!!
Well, looking to their record of listening to their parent company, they would have probably done something like this
Ahh, OK then. that better matches what I’ve heard and read… You’re what if scenario included converting a 3 series to FWD, not that SAAB, IRL, had actually planned to do that.
I’m great at this mis-reading malarky today, lol. At least I can make lots of omelettes with all this egg I now have!
Yeah. I thought that, instead of creating an entirely new platform, they would’ve just modified existing BMW parts
Because SAAB largely used longitudinal FWD, it’s theoretically possible to use the same 3 series platform with the N20/B48 engine (the sixes would never fit) to drive the front wheels… at least in the Automation world, where you just click to go from longitudinal RWD to longitudinal FWD
The last Saab* using longitudinal FWD was the first gen 900. 9000 and all* later models used conventional transverse layout. Considering how far back the engines are placed in BMWs and the longest of them are I6s, switching to FWD with an I4 should be feasible, though it would make little sense. I think BMW would rather expand Mini’s platform, expecially since making a second premium RWD brand in the same group would make no sense. Maybe even Saab would be downgraded to a completely regular brand, such as Opel. And mostly I think BMW would never buy Saab.
*- excluding badge engineering such as Saabaru and Saablazer.
Probably BMW didn’t really know what to do with Saab, so they didn’t even try with that 2012 deal
If I remember correctly, SAAB have showed a concept car with transverse engine (standard since 9000 model)
BUT with the gearbox in front of the engine, that would line up nicely with the front wheels of the 3-series BMW bodies.
What If…
GM had brought back the Pontiac brand with the 2020 Pontiac G8 GXP. A RWD Muscle Sedan with a 6.2L Turbocharged V8 from the Chevrolet Camaro.
My idea was to make a muscle sedan since my attempts to make sport sedans in the past have been lack luster to say the least. So I went all out with this than usual. With the 6.2L Turbo V8 making about 600+ hurspurs and 0-60 in 4.3 seconds (it’s a bit…heavy). It’s design is based heavily on the 08 G8 and slightly on the SS since they are pretty much the same car just from different years I tried to keep the strong muscle-y look the original had. Lemme know your thoughts.
File if you wanna drive it in beam: G8_-_GXP.car (72.5 KB)
What if…
Toyota made an Altezza in 2020?
206hp high-revving Inline-4
6 speed DCT
1566kg
6.5s 0-60
Fun 144.8
Fun Premium 140.5
$35,000
Try out type-II with revised mirrors:
Toyota_Altezza_-_2020_Type-II.car (32.4 KB)
I wouldn’t consider a modern IS an Altezza seeing as the Altezza was originally designed as a Sports Sedan with very little in terms of actual luxury trim. The original IS’s were just equipped with more L-edition trim parts as standard and didn’t even have the 3S-GE available as it didn’t fit the IS premium market.
The newest IS is still an IS, what kind of logic are you using?
Could…you have put bigger mirrors…?