Poor Saab, it just can’t seem to catch a break. After negotiations with several Chinese automakers, it appeared that a deal with Hawtai Motor Group had been reached. Now that deal has collapsed.

Saab parent, Spyker Cars, said that Hawtai was unable to obtain all the necessary consents, as a result; the arrangement has been terminated with immediate affect, though there still is the possibility the two companies might continue discussions, albeit on a non-exclusive basis.

In the meantime, Spyker and Saab will continue to work on finding short and medium-term funding, which includes more discussions with Chinese ‘partners.’  In addition, Saab is talking with the European Investment Bank to complete the 29 million Euro drawdown on the loan given to it , as well as getting approval to sell and lease Saab assets.

Spyker said that “as soon as the EIB drawdown or other equivalent funding is confirmed, Saab Automobiles plans to re-start production depending on the outcome of discussions with its suppliers.”  The saga continues.

[Source: Automotive News]

General Motors has announced it will close down Saab after discussions to sell the brand fell through.

“Despite the best efforts of all involved, it has become very clear that the due diligence required to complete this complex transaction could not be executed in a reasonable time,” said Nick Reilly, president of GM Europe. “In order to maintain operations, Saab needed a quick resolution.”

GM had been in discussions to sell Saab to Spyker Cars but was unable to resolve some issues with the Dutch manufacturer. Last month, Koenigsegg also had interest in acquiring Saab before backing out.

Reilly says Saab will continue to honor warranties and provide service and parts to current owners.

Beijing Automotive Industry Holdings’ purchase of some Saab property, notably 9-3 and 9-5 powertrain technology, is not expected to be impacted by today’s annoucement.

Official release after the jump:

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The Geneva Auto Show, due to its prominence on the international auto scene as well as the high net worth of the citizens of Switzerland, is always filled with all sorts of rare exotic car manufacturers. One such manufacturer is the Dutch company Spyker.

The name Spyker isn’t exactly a household one, but the company is highly involved in motorsports, running race cars at Le Mans as well as a Formula 1 team for a single season, and has produced several exotic vehicles before. The company is looking to expand in the retail automotive market with it’s automotive-inspired sportscars. To do this the company unveiled a new model, the C8 Aileron, at the Geneva Auto Show. 

The C8 is the next generation exotic from Spyker and while the old C8 Laviolette and C8 Spyder models took their inspiration from propeller planes, the new vehicle gets its styling from the turbine engine – a marked improvement indeed. Gone are many of the more ornate details, giving the car a more clean and smooth sppearance. The 19-inch Rotorblade wheels, while not exactly great looking, are a marked improvement over the old design. Tires measure 235/35/19 up front and 295/30/19 in the rear.

The car doesn’t just look new either, as the entire aluminum spaceframe chassis has been redesigned. The wheelbase of the C8 Aileron is 5.9-inches longer than the old model, providing not only better driving dynamics but also better comfort and stability at high spedes. The front track is also much wider – 6.1-inches wider.

Aluminum has been used for much of the all-new suspension, to help keep the curb weight down to just 3,142 lbs.

Spyker decided to continue using the Audi-sourced 4.2-liter V8 engine, that makes 400hp and 354 ft-lbs of torque. Spyker says the Aileron can rocket to 62 mph in 4.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 187 mph.

The car will continue to be offered wit a 6-speed Getrag manual transmission, however, Spyker also plans to offer the vehicle with a ZF 6-speed automatic gearbox, with paddle shifters. The trademark Spyker exposed gear-shifter will appear regardless of transmission choice.

“When we unveiled the C8 Aileron prototype here last year, we wanted to make a clear statement to the industry that Spyker was about to take the next step in its short but intense history, by introducing its second-generation sports cars, developed from scratch,” said Victor R. Muller, Spyker CEO. “Witin a year we transformed that prototype into the production-ready car we show here today. The first cars are being built now with customer prodction and deliveries starting in May 2009.”

A Spyder version of the car is expected to be unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Eegance.

GALLERY: Spyker C8 Aileron