Any infotainment system worth its own salt has iPod integration, but we're pretty sure there aren't many vehicles with sprinkler systems in the event said iPod catches fire. One undoubtedly unhappy owner of a 2007 Saab 9-3 Combi in Sweden apparently found out first hand that leaving your iPod on your front seat is a bad idea, as investigators believe the musical bauble is the reason the wagon caught fire, turning its interior into a prop for Backdraft II.

There has been no definitive word that the iPod was the cause for the fire, and we don't know at this point whether the popular music player was charging at the time of the incident. We do know, though that there were apparently no underlying problems with the vehicle, and the fire started on the seats, where the iPod was resting.

Since iPods are still a very hot item (no pun intended), we're guessing that you shouldn't leave them sitting inside the car. Now that there is a chance the little battery-powered devices can spontaneously combust, we're not so sure they should be in your pocket, either. Hat tip to 13enS!

[Source: Hallandsposten via Engadget | Image: Christer Pioge]

The Sixties really was a happier time – sleeping in the back of your car was such a fine thing to do that automakers even advertised their wares that were capable of accommodating their slumbering owners.

This 1961 commercial for the Saab's Ur-Sportcombi 95 – "Your new dream car" – has that going for it and so much more, including titchy cargo-area seats for the kids like the Tesla Model S. To see what life – and Saab – used to be like when "leech-like" handling was all the rage, follow the jump for to watch the video.

[Source: TurboNines]

Saabs United procured some rendered versions of the coming Saab 9-5 that are purportedly from Saab itself. While computer renderings must be viewed with a few packets of salt sprinkled on the screen, if you compare the 9-5 sedan render with a spy shot of the rear end of the actual car, the similarities look promising.

The wagon rendering is simply too brutally sexy to be believed, and so -- only in order not to have our hopes dashed -- we refuse to believe it. If Saab did have the gumption to design such a car, and Koenigsegg does have the wherewithal to properly market it, then we might just have a proper Swedish car company on our hands again. The 9-5 sedan arrives at this year's Frankfurt Auto Show and goes on sale this year, with the wagon following next year.

[Source: Saabs United via Autoblog.nl]

Koenigsegg is one of the most elite exotic car builders on earth. In a good year, the ultra high-end automaker produces a few dozen of its million dollar masterpieces. It's the limited nature of Koenigsegg that makes its purchase of the much larger Saab a real head-scratcher, but that isn't stopping the company's founder from aiming for the stars. Norwiegen designer and Koenigsegg controlling owner Baard Ecker tells Automotive News that he intends to revive the "soul and spirit" of Saab, while also sparking some creativity in the sagging auto industry. Tall order, that is.

Koenigsegg's offer for Saab includes the financial backing of the Swedish government, along with investors in the U.S. and Norway. Ecker also wants to improve Saab's quality and incorporate a regard for the environment in future product planning. As for his role once Saab is acquired, Ecker maintains that it's not his intention to micro-manage the brand, which already has a management team in place. From the sound of things, Saab appears to have a much brighter future than many fans of the Swedish brand could have hoped for just a few weeks ago.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

Now that Koenigsegg's purchase of ailing fellow Swedish automaker Saab is all but officially official, our attention naturally turns to the the current product lines and possible future vehicles from the two automakers. At least a few people are wondering out loud if there's a possibility that Koenigsegg's involvement with Saab could bring the gorgeous Aero X concept car from 2006 to life, but at least some of us are a bit more interested in reports that Koenigsegg's Quant from this year's Geneva Motor Show may see production via the use of some of Saab's leftover production capabilities.

Powered by an electric motor at each wheel for a total of 512 hp and 527 lb-ft of turqoe, the Koenigsegg Quant concept featured a new kind of battery that is supposedly capable of providing a range of over 300 miles after a short 15-20 minutes charge. Futher, a set of solar panels on the Quant's exterior can reportedly keep accessories running without draining the main battery. If there's any truth to the rumors, we could see the Quant hit production in low volumes within the next few years.



[Source: Green Car Advisor]

Although the deal to purchase Saab between Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg and General Motors has not yet been completely finalized, that hasn't stopped us from openly pining for a production version of Saab's gorgeous Aero X concept car of 2006. And now that we have pictures of the showstopper adjacent to one of Mr. Christian von Koenigsegg's own gorgeous creatures, well... it may just be enough to keep us awake at night. We're not sure where these two-door millionaire's coupes got together for this photoshoot, but judging from the snow on the ground, we wouldn't rule out the motherland.

While it's way too early to tell if Saab's new ownership situation will help get the automaker out of the woods it has seemingly been lost in for years, we can't help but at least get a little excited when seeing these two together. Check them out in the high-res gallery below.



[Source: Saabs United]

After days of speculation and rumor, General Motors made it official this morning, Saab will soon be back in Swedish hands. In many respects, this is the most fitting result for quirky brand. Koenigsegg is an oddball itself, building insanely fast supercars in a Scandinavian country where you can't legally drive over about 60 mph.

The deal will be partly financed through a $600 million loan from the European Investment Bank that is co-signed by the Swedish government. Just as GM will continue to provide Penske-owned Saturn with cars for a time, it will supply platforms and powertrains to Saab. The length of time that Saab will continue to use GM hardware hasn't been disclosed, but it will likely be for at least the next 5-6 years – if not longer. The new 9-5 which will be built in Trollhättan, Sweden is launching later this year followed by the 9-4X crossover. Both of these will probably complete their lifecycle on current platforms. The same is likely true for the 9-1 which may launch in 2010 or 2011. The big question mark will be the next generation 9-3, which had been expected to move to GM's Delta II platform.

The Koenigsegg-Saab deal should close by the end of September, and you can check out the official verbiage after the jump.

[Source: General Motors]

In a weird twist of fate, if Koenigsegg completes the purchase of Saab from General Motors, Volvo will also become a small stakeholder in its native rival. Koenigsegg, which has reportedly signed a letter of intent with GM to acquire Saab, gave Volvo 3,750 shares back in 2000 to pay for the use of its wind tunnel.

Volvo's stake in the exotic carmaker is very small, worth only about 8,000 Swedish kronor (€760 or $1,022 USD according to current exchange rates). Nevertheless, Volvo is on the books as part owner of Koenigsegg, and if the sale of Saab goes through, it will become a stakeholder by association – unless it divests itself of its Koenigsegg stock.

All of this must mean very little to Volvo, as a spokesperson for the company was completely unaware of his employer's holdings in Koenigsegg when asked about it by the Swedish business daily Dagens Industri.

[Source: SwedishWire.com]

Saab seems to be eking out as much exposure as possible from its upcoming 9-5 sedan and wagon. The Swedish automaker has reportedly flown a number of European journalists to the Saab museum in its home town of Trollhattan, where what appears to be production-ready versions of the new 9-5 in wagon form were covered up with nothing but thin, somewhat translucent covers.

Due to the nature of such form-fitting attire, we can clearly see the outline of the brand's familiar front fascia, albeit slightly modified with a more deep-set look than current models. There is also just a hint of headlight trim brightwork, which looks rather subdued when compared to the current 9-5. The rest of the car is much harder to interpret, though we do spot rakish-looking C-pillars that lend further credence to the sedan's expected coupe-like shape.

In addition to the 9-5, Saab also kept a 9-4x prototype under wraps in its Showroom of the Future. There's not much to glean there, from what we can see the planned CUV shares its basic shape with the Cadillac SRX but at least gets an infusion of Saab-specific DNA in the front fascia. Click here to see the rest of the spy shots from Saabs United.

[Source: Saabs United via Jalopnik]

We don't have much to go on yet, but Swedish television is reportedly claiming that Koenigsegg, makers of ultra high-performance exotic supercars, and a group of Norwegian investors have signed a letter of intent with Saab to take over the brand from General Motors. Final negotiations will reportedly take place in the coming months.

Along with Saturn and Hummer, Saab was put up for sale by GM before the automaker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Many companies and investor groups from all over the world, including China, were reportedly interested in the Swedish brand, and despite how crazy it sounds, Koenigsegg was thrown into the list of finalists late last month. What we thought was crazy has reportedly come to pass.

Do you think Koenigsegg and Saab, two automotive brands that share a home country and sell completely different kinds of cars, will work well together? Let us know in the poll below and we'll keep you updated as the story unfolds.



[Source: Reuters, SVT (translated)]