Saab dreams and digital Tesla daydreams

Sometimes I'm happy to only write a blog about older combustion engines. I'm spared digital issues, instead a lot revolves around analogue dreams. You should not completely shift your view of current developments to one side. She is interesting. This week, Tesla was noticeable. The Americans infect the offspring with their digital daydreams. You're doing really well. Meanwhile, the man who was responsible for Saab's dreams changes employers.

Anthony Lo goes to Ford

When you talk about Saab designers, some names come up spontaneously. Einar Hareide, Sixten Sason, Björn Envall. Maybe Michael Maurer too, although he was only briefly at Göta Älv. Anthony Lo hardly names anyone? Why is that? The designer was responsible for almost all of Saab's current dreams. Exciting studies arose with or through him.

The best-known object is the Saab Aero X. Although it had little chance of a future, it inspired the dreams of fans. Its design features were incorporated into the series as striking features of the 9-4x, 9-5 NG and the 9-3 Griffin series. Had Saab survived, Lo would have been the one who would have shaped the brand's design language for years.

Anthony Lo was last at Renault and is now moving to Ford, replacing Moray Callum. Callum leaves distinctive marks, and his successor is a challenge. It will be exciting to see how Lo will affect the direction of the Ford and Lincoln brands.

Perhaps some Saab design features can be found in the new products.

Digital daydreams from Tesla

You can think what you want of Tesla. The Americans are on an extreme run and the self-proclaimed Tesla hunters look pretty gray at the moment. This week they were overworked Model S and X presented. I save myself the chatter about longer ranges and impressive accelerations. With smartphones on the move, this is something that the respective fan base can work on.

What is striking, however, is how Tesla is making its pursuers look old with the revised interior. The comparison to European Tesla fighters is like that between a Boeing 747 and a Millennium Falcon. Sure, the angular steering wheel is above all a provocation. It will not be available outside the USA, Tesla also has a conventional one up its sleeve.

But: the steering wheel, which somehow fits more into an airplane than a car, is already setting a new trend. There are first imitators. The Chinese supplier Cowin is planning an E-SUV Coupe with a comparable steering wheel design.

The tidy cockpit and the multimedia equipment are a digital daydream. And clap for the pursuers. Older readers who, like me, grew up with a Commodore C64 or antique Siemens consoles will be groaning right now. The game console is the most powerful in a car to date. It has an output of up to 10 teraflops, which corresponds to a Playstation 5. A real argument for the next generation when it comes to which electric car the family drives.

You can play wirelessly on the lush 17 ″ display in the center console, which has a resolution of 2.200 x 1.300 pixels, or on the display on the back seat bench. It is unclear which processor Tesla uses to achieve this (energy-guzzling) performance. There are no details yet. But it is predictable - kids who have pursued their gaming passion in a Tesla will no longer be found in a Porsche or Audi. This is exactly what Musk will intend.

A brand change, out of the Tesla Gaming Zone, could lead to serious upset and a really bad family atmosphere.

How good when you are at home in an analog vehicle.

And this is what readers can expect in the new week on the blog:

For the Subscribers it will be absolutely interesting. We'll stay digital for now and shed light on what Alain Visser is doing. He had good ideas in Saab's time, but was thwarted. Now he has complete freedom in Geely's experimental laboratory. And make something of it.

• The Club Abo - how Geely wants to change the auto industry with Lynk & Co

Investing in the right classic, who doesn't dream of it? A current example shows how Saab passion and spending smart money can go together.

• Increase in value included - Saab 900 2.0 Turbo SE

It shouldn't be the rule, but sometimes I announce a post twice. Why? Because plans are theory and the latest news has priority. The last part of the comparison between Saab 9-5 and 9000 should finally go online.

• Who drives better? Saab 9-5 Aero vs. Saab 9000

How's the week going? Quite exciting from a blog point of view. I'll tell you something about how the subscription model has developed. And we're taking an exclusive look at a new Saab miniature for 2021.