Taking a page from Hyundai’s playbook, customers who pre-order a Saab 9-4X crossover will get an iPad courtesy of Saab – sort of.

After contacting a Saab retailer, the customer will place an order for both the 9-4X, and the iPad. The iPad will set you back $500, but the cost will be refunded upon taking delivery of the vehicle.

If you don’t want an iPad, you can just order the car, and if you cancel the order, you’re still on the hook for the cost of an iPad – which makes this exercise pretty pointless, if you ask us. The promotion runs from January 15th until February 28th.

[Source: Saab]

As if we needed another reason to be jealous of Ken Block. The millionaire entrepreneur and rally driver has a full sponsorship package with both Ford and Monster Energy Drinks just got a brand spanking new Ford Focus RS thanks to The Blue Oval’s generosity.

Wearing Michigan manufacturer plates, the Focus RS is painted in the car’s signature green color, with black Volks Racing wheels added in to make the car look a bit different from the other Focus RS that resides in the U.S.A, also painted the same shade of green. The car is fairly stock for now, with a KW Variant suspension being the other major modification, but a host of power upgrades and a skull and crossbones motif on the headrests of the Recaro seats are expected to appear on the RS post-SEMA.

Gallery: Ford Focus RS

Saab’s 9-4x crossover will finally see the light of day, and we have some of the first pictures of the car ahead of its Los Angeles Auto Show debut.

Sharing much of the same architecture as the Cadillac SRX, the 9-4x also comes with the same 3.0L V6 and 2.8L turbocharged V6 engines, displacing 265 and 300 horsepower respectively. Torque vectoring all-wheel-drive is available, while a 6-speed automatic gearbox helps put the power down.

AutoGuide will have live shots of the 9-4x when we cover the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. In the mean time, check out the gallery and official press release on the Saab 9-4x.

GALLERY: Saab 9-4x

[Source: Saab]

Hit the jump to see the official press release

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With the Saab 9-5 getting all of the attention over the Saab, the Swedish car maker is looking to freshen up its entry-level 9-3 with some new styling.

Fuel economy is said to be 12 percent better in the diesel version (which we won’t get, of course). The car remains mechanically uncharged otherwise, with a 2.0L turbo engine the likely candidate for North America. Hopefully this time around, Spyker will realize what a great platform they have, and market the car properly. But with the 9-5 winning rave reviews, we’re almost more excited for the 9-3′s inevitable replacement.

Check out Autoguide’s Paris Auto Show preview, and stay tuned for live coverage starting September 30th

[Source: MBiz.com]

Alfa Romeo’s Giulietta hatchback isn’t slated to come to North America until it’s redesigned in 2014, but a whole truck-load of them was spotted in Michigan, heading north on I-75. We can only presume that the cars were heading to Chrysler HQ for some kind of evaluation, but this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this happen.

Companies regularly bring in foreign models for evaluation purposes. Manufacturers do it all the time when developing cars, and suppliers like to bring in Euro-market diesel cars to show off the technology’s potential.

So what were the Alfas doing in Michigan? We’re not quite sure, but we’re putting a bounty on pictures of any Michigan-plated Giuliettas you are able to snap.

[Source: Jalopnik]

The Ferrari 599 GTO is the fastest roadgoing Ferrari ever built. Sorry Enzo owners, you’re going to have to upgrade. But to be honest, there are plenty of other cars out there that are just as fast, if not faster. In fact, if you want to have a virtual Nürburgring race, the Dodge Viper ACR will run the same number for less than a third of the cost . But that’s not why people buy Ferraris, is it? 80 percent of the value of a Ferrari is the sound of the engine, the remaining 20 percent is just the right to say you drive a Ferrari.

Autocar recently had the privilege of flogging the GTO, and managed to pull a brilliant move: rev the hell out of it in a tunnel! Great idea guys, because this may be the best sounding streetcar we’ve ever heard.  Hit the jump to watch the video, I need to change my pants.

GALLERY: Ferrari 599 GTO:

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If you’re like us, you probably forgot all about Maybach when you saw the new interior of the Audi A8L, set to debut at the upcoming Beijing Auto Show. Apparently the folks at Maybach were equally impressed and have decided to “refresh” their current lineup for next year. You’d think that “refresh” would mean the platform has been upgraded so it no longer rides on an 11-year old S-Class chassis, but unfortunately, we aren’t so lucky.

Production will continue on the 57, 57S, 62 and 62S limousines with a handful of cosmetic, interior, and electronics tweaks to justify the undoubtedly astronomical price tag. All models get new grilles, including a different grill for ‘S’ models, and additional sound dampening to keep road noise down. ‘S’ models also get a few extra ponies squeezed out of the V12, now up to 630-hp.

Inside, passengers get a divider to separate themselves from their drivers, and optional 19-inch monitors in back instead of the standard 9.5-inch units, wireless internet, quilted leather, Swarovski Crystal trim, plus an optional perfume atomizer from the Zeppelin. Of course technology has been improved, with available wireless internet now available.

The updates to the Maybach lineup are minimal in a halfassed attempt to maintain some interest in the models before Mercedes admits its mistake and eliminates the brand by 2014.

GALLERY: 2011 Maybach Models

General Motors has officially announced it has reached a tentative deal to sell its Swedish Saab brand to a group of companies lead by Swedish supercar-maker Koenigsegg.

The deal will see the Koenigsegg group receive $600 million in funding from the European Investment Bank, which has been guaranteed by the Swedish government.

GM will provide Saab with platform and powertrain technology for an undisclosed period of time, while Saab is set to begin production of the next generation 9-5 in the near future at its plant in Trollhättan, Sweden.

“The proposed agreement will enable us to maximize the brand’s potential through an exciting new product line-up with a distinctly Swedish character.  Today’s announcement is great news for Saab’s current and future customers, dealers, suppliers and employees around the globe, said Jan Ake Jonsson, Managing Director of Saab.

“This is yet another significant step in the reinvention of GM and its European operations,” said GM Europe President, Carl-Peter Forster.  “Saab is a highly respected automotive brand with great potential. Closing this deal represents the best chance for Saab to emerge a stronger company.  Koenigsegg Group’s unique combination of innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and financial strength, combined with Koenigsegg’s proven ability to create world-class Swedish performance cars in a highly efficient manner, made it the right choice for Saab as well as for General Motors.”

Koenigsegg’s acquisition of Saab is expected to be completed by the third-quarter of this year.

Official:

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General Motors has made the surprising decision to sell its Saab brand to Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg. The move comes as such a shock because the two other final bidders were wealthy and mainstream American entities: the Wyoming investment group Merbanco and U.S. billionaire Ira Rennert’s Renco Group.

Koenigsegg, on the other hand, is a little-known (and unpronounceable) builder of million-dollar exotics, some of which make over 1,000hp – like the CCXR pictured above.

Swedish news reports indicate Koenigsegg and a group of Swedish investors have signed a letter of intent with General Motors.

Bloomberg is also reporting the news and according to a source familiar with the deal, Koenigsegg was chosen because of it is an auto manufacturer and because it is committed to the Swedish brand.

According to the Financial Times, the deal will see General Motors provide $500 million in both cash and assets, as well as production equipment for a new model. Saab will also get to keep the $150 million it currently has banked. Koenigsegg and the three investors will only have to pay GM back if they succeed in making Saab a profitable automaker.

The sale of Saab is the final step for General Motors in its corporate reorganization that will see the company reduced from eight brands to just four. GM recently agreed to sell its Hummer brand to Chinese industrial machine manufacturer Tengzhong and has arranged to sell its Saturn brand to the Penske Automotive Group. The Pontiac brand is scheduled to be mothballed at the end of 2010.

[Source: Automotive News]

It seems like there is a new update in the Saab and Saturn sell-off every day… so why stop now. Yesterday we reported that the list of Saab buyers was down to three and now that list has been shortened to just two suitors.

Saab CEO Jan-Ake Jonsson told Swedish business paper Dagens Industri that there are now just two parties in the running. He also said that the final negotiations could happen as early as this week.

“This can go fast now and should absolutely be wrapped up in a maximum of two weeks,” he said in a report.

Fiat has recently denied rumors that it was interested int he purchase of the Saab brand and so that leaves Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg and the U.S.-based Renco Group.

[Source: Reuters]

In 2007 Volvo partnered with Swedish energy company Vattenfall to examine ways to work together and now the duo has agreed to develop a plug-in diesel hybrid for production by 2012. This summer Volvo will unveil three initial test vehicles based on the V70 wagon.

“We are investing in an industrial joint venture to series-produce plug-in hybrid cars in Sweden in 2012, cars that can be powered by both electricity and diesel,” said Volvo CEO Stephen Odell. “This is an important business development for us and our partnership with Vattenfall allows us to take a giant step toward offering our customers cars with an even smaller environmental footprint.”

The cars will feature an electric motor and a lithium-ion batter pack, which can be recharged from a conventional wall outlet in five hours.

“We want to reinforce electricity’s importance in society and its key role in solving climate issues,” says Vattenfall CEO Lars G Josefsson. “Through this cooperation we hope to be able to speed up the introduction of electric cars. Together we are developing the next-generation technology based on plug-in cars and various charging alternatives.”

Vattenfall will also offer customers the ability to sign a contract ensuring that the electricity delivered to their house is generated by wind power or hydro power, further reducing the environmental impact of the car.

GALLERY: Volvo V70 Plug-In Diesel Hybrid

Official release after the jump:

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In a surprising move, a potential buyer for Saab has been found from the company’s home country. Nope… note Swedish automaker Volvo, but Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg.

The news comes from the newspaper Dagens Industri and is so surprising because of Koenigsegg’s mass-market obscurity.

Koenigsegg has, however, made a success out of its supercar business, selling machines like the CCX and 1,000 horsepower CCXR (pictured above), for over one million dollars.

It is expected that were Koenigsegg to be a contender in the bidding process it would likely need one or more partners, and with the supercar maker’s client list including some of the world’s wealthiest people, partners might not be all that hard to find.

Saab has yet to officially announce a list of buyers and did not comment on the Dagens Industri report.

[Source: Channel4]

[Photos Credit: CarStudio.it]