2001 Saab 9-3 Viggen Hatchback 4-door 2.3l on 2040-cars

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Saab tries [again] to emerge from bankruptcy

If we've learned one thing from watching The Walking Dead, it's that the only way to terminate a walker is with a swift and brutal blow to the brain. Sadly, no one has come along that's willing to do the gruesome deed to the stumbling shell that is Saab. The company's latest owner, National Electric Vehicle Sweden is trying, yet again, to crawl its way out of bankruptcy with a "composition proposal in order to exit the reorganization." That proposal, outlined in the attached press release, will see the majority of the company's many creditors receive full repayments. For 104 of the 573 creditors, all of whom have claims over 500,000 Swedish Krona (roughly $60,000), their claims will be reduced by 50 percent. If creditors approve the proposal, it'd provide "the conditions for completion of ongoing negotiations with two major OEMs," which the press release claims could come on as either a joint-venture partner in Trollhattan or a majority owner in the struggling company. We won't be holding our breath. Scroll down for the full press release from NEVS. Thursday, February 19, 2015 A composition to get Nevs out of reorganisation National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB, Nevs, provides unsecured creditors a composition proposal in order to exit the reorganisation. It creates the conditions for completion of ongoing negotiations with two major OEMs and the implementation of a new business plan together with partners and owners. Nevs' owners and management has noted the difficulty of completing this type of complex negotiations during a reorganisation and the risk premium it implies. The current negotiations, together with two major OEMs, are mainly focused on two tracks that are complementing each other. One is to form a technical joint venture company in Trollhattan and the other is to introduce a new majority owner in Nevs, with the plan of making Saab cars a global premium product. - The negotiations are progressing but we also see the complication of reaching an agreement when we are in a state of reorganisation. Our main owner has single-handedly financed the reorganisation and intends to get us out of it. In order for this to be possible financially, we need to reach a composition arrangement with the creditors, says Nevs CEO, Mattias Bergman. The composition proposal includes a composition of 50 percent for unsecured creditors on claims over 500'000 SEK.

Mahindra buying majority stake in NEVS, Saab saved again?

National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), owner of Saab, might not be dead yet, because the company is reportedly close to having a new owner with deeper pockets in near future. The declaration comes from the business's latest request to prolong its reorganization and includes the claim that NEVS has a signed letter of intent from an unnamed Asian automaker to take majority ownership of the beleaguered brand. While NEVS doesn't specifically name this potential, future owner in its filing, Automotive News Europe cites a SaabsUnited story proclaiming that the suitor is none other than Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra, a development that would confirm months of rumors. The Swedish automaker is reportedly just waiting for the majority investment to be finalized before making an official announcement, and the whole purchase could be complete by February. NEVS also claims that it's still negotiating with a separate, unnamed Asian automaker on a joint venture to co-develop new vehicles. Assuming the deal goes through, the new owner could regain the rights to the Saab brand, too. According to ANE, negotiations are underway with the Saab AB aerospace business to be able to use the trademark again. NEVS lost that right when it filed for reorganization. Mahindra has shown interest in owning Saab for quite some time. It was reportedly among the final three bidders for the brand in 2012, and the Indian automaker was allegedly eyeing a stake in NEVS as far back as June. Scroll down to read the brief press release from NEVS about the extended reorganization, and the full document can be viewed in PDF format, here. Nevs applies for prolonged reorganization Monday, December 01, 2014 National Electric Vehicle Sweden, Nevs, has today submitted an application to the District Court in Vanersborg, requesting that the company reorganisation shall continue for an additional time period of three months. The administrator Lars Eric Gustafsson expresses the rationale for why Nevs should be granted an extended reorganization in this enclosed statement.

First test drive shows promise of Saab 9-3 EV

We can't read Swedish, so when it comes to a first-drive review of a Saab 9-3 electric-vehicle prototype, we'll trust Inside EVs' translation of a write-up from Swedish automotive publication Elbilen i Sverige. And it's a decent one. The write-up, that is. The translation, too, we hope. Taken to the test track, the Saab was found to be quieter than a Tesla Model S and had the stability commensurate for a car that tipped the scales at about 4,000 pounds. The sedan accelerated from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 10 seconds, though the goal is to bring that time down to 8.5 seconds. The prototype also uses a 37-kWh prototype battery made by China-based Kai Johan Jiang Annual National Modern Energy Holdings that should be good for over 180 miles (and there's room for a bigger pack in the car, apparently). The 9-3's electric motor will be able to deliver 200 horsepower but, for testing purposes, it was limited to about 140 horsepower. The overall impression was that the car is not yet ready for prime time, but has a lot of promise. When prototype becomes production is the real question, given the financial condition of Saab parent National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS). The company acquired the brand in 2012 and started making cars at Saab's Trollhattan plant in Sweden last year, but production stopped in May because of cash-flow issues. Late last month, Swedish courts denied NEVS protection from its creditors, so the company is now looking to restructure.