Saab to Cut Workforce after Poor Sales Forecast

Sweden-based Saab Automobile plans to reduce its workforce by 200 employees or about one-eighth of its current staff, according to report from Reuters citing a union official. Hakan Skott, a union representative at Saab, told the news site that the move was expected after the company's new owner, Dutch supercar maker Spyker, cut the firm's sales target from 60,000 units in February, to 45,000 a few months later and finally to just 30,000 cars at end of October.

"I'm not exactly surprised [about the layoffs]. We reduced our sales forecast just a couple of weeks ago and there is a decline in sales every year around Christmas and at the end of the year," Skott said. "I'm sure that by February-March we will see an upward trend and people will buy cars again," he added.

Saab has said in the past that it needs to sell around 80,000 cars per year to break even.

On Friday, Swedish business daily Dagens Industri quoted Spyker's CEO Victor Muller as saying, "There is absolutely no reason to worry. Our plans for the future still stand. Next year, we will build 80,000 cars".

As for the staff being laid, Muller told the newspaper that they were temporary employees. "You take them aboard when you need them and when they are not needed, they are not on board."

Source: Reuters & Dagens Industri

Simbol Design K1 Attack is a Shed-Built Italian GT with an Alfa V6

From the creators of the Ferrari Enzo-emulating GTX-R comes the K1 Attack, a car that takes styling cues from the Spyker C8 Aileron, Lotus Europa and others. Simbol Design has fitted the Attack with an Alfa Romeo-sourced V6 turbo good for 246 horsepower. Mated to a 5-speed manual, this gives the custom built sports car an apparent 0 to 100 km/h [62 mph] time of 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 265 km/h [165 mph].

The K1 Attack also features a polyester body and a tubular steel chassis. It's not all good news, however. There are... F1 cars with more upmarket interiors and the design is more Chinese knockoff than Italian chic. Pricing of course remains unspecified.

By Tristan Hankins

Photo source: Simboldesign

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Swedish Regional Government Demands $15.9 Million in Debt from Saab

A local government authority in Sweden is seeking to recover US$15.9 million from Saab, even going so far as to enlist a government debt collector.

Vastra Gotaland, where Saab's main production plant is located, covered worker wages to the tune while the company was in administration. Now that Saab has its very own 'Daddy Warbucks' in the form of Spyker, the regional government wants its money back.

Spyker / Saab believes it should only have to pay part of the debt as it was underwritten during the administration process. Vastra Gotaland disagrees. Spyker CEO Victor Muller told Reuters news that he is unworried:

"Just a legal dispute that will [be] dealt with in the appropriate way. Nothing of concern."

We'll see how this plays out in the next few weeks and keep you updated on any new developments.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: Reuters

Spyker to Begin Selling Sports Cars at Saab Showrooms

In a move that won't surprise anyone in the automotive industry, Spyker Cars NV and Saab Automobile owner, Victor Muller, confirmed plans to sell Spyker's high-end sports cars through Saab retailers by the end of the year.

"We are signing up Spyker dealerships left, right and center," Muller said in an interview with the Bloomberg news agency at Saab's headquarters in Trollhaettan, Sweden.

The firm's CEO said that as Saab dealers open their doors, Spyker's dealer network will almost double in 2010 expanding from 35 to 60 outlets and to about 90 by the end of next year.

One of the first Spyker models to be sold through selected Saab outlets will be the C8 Aileron that can reach a top speed of 186mph or 300km/h, and carries a base price of $214,990 in the U.S.

Aside from the Swedish automaker's dealer network, Muller said that Spyker has also started to benefit from lower prices for "generic" parts such as windscreen wiper motors that Saab gets through its higher sales volumes, adding that Spyker also plans to "tap Saab's engineering resources".

"Spyker will be profitable in its own right, very much helped by its sister Saab," said Muller. "It's wonderful that the company that saved Saab is also benefiting from having done that in its own business."

Via: Bloomberg

Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85 Available on Forza Motorsport 3 / Xbox 360

Xbox 360 gamers are offered their first opportunity to take a virtual place behind the wheel of a Spyker supercar as the Dutch firm's C8 Laviolette LM85 is now available as the gift car of the Exotic Car Pack for Forza Motorsport 3, which was released on 11 May for 400 Microsoft Points.

"We've created something very special and unique with the LM85," said Victor Muller, CEO of Spyker and recently, of Saab Automobile as well. "It's very exciting to share our creation and passion with the Xbox and Forza Motorsport community, and we can't wait to see how players put it through the paces on the track."

In real life, the limited production Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85 of which only 24 examples will be built, features an aluminium body and spaceframe chassis with power coming from a naturally aspirated 400HP 4.2-litre V8 Audi engine that propels the car from 0 to 62mph (100m/h) in 4.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 185mph or 297km/h.

Aside from the Spyker gift car, the "Exotic Car Pack" for Forza 3 features 10 more supercars that you can check out in the list below.

• SSC Ultimate Aero
• JOSS JT1
• Weismann GT MF5
• Devon GTX
• Spada Codatronca TS
• Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85
• Mosler MT900s
• Q1 Rossion
• Radical SR8 LM
• Gumpert Apollo

Saab Restarts Production at Trollhättan, First Cars Under Spyker Ownership Roll Off the Line

Heralding a new era for Saab as an independent company freed from the shackles of General Motors, the first cars of the Swedish automaker under the loving arms of Spyker Cars and its CEO Victor Muller rolled off the production line today at the firm's Trollhättan plant. During the talks between General Motors and the Dutch supercar-maker, the factory had been idled for a period of two months.

The first Saab to roll off the production line today was an all-new 9-5 saloon, destined to join a test fleet prior to the premium sedan's official launch later this year. The 9-5 was joined shortly after by a 9-3 Convertible.

Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson, Spyker Cars CEO Victor Muller and Trollhättan Plant Director Gunnar Brunius marked the significant occasion by taking position on the production line alongside assembly workers as the first batch of cars was built.

"Today's resumption of production is a milestone in the history of our company" said Jan Åke Jonsson. "We are up and running as an independent manufacturer and I am delighted to share the experience on the line alongside our workforce. They have shown tremendous commitment to the company and we are all now focused on ramping up production to meet customer demand."

Victor Muller, CEO of Spyker Cars added, "Everyone at Saab has worked extremely hard to reach this important point. Today production restarted with a new 9-5 first down the line – a fitting symbol that a new era has begun."