Re: Attention all Viggen shoppers... (updated 9/22/09)
Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:42 pm
(continued from above)
To belabor a point made above, I credit Saab for their decision to stick to their turbocharged heritage. It has been their mantra for decades and it is above anything else what differentiates a Saab from most other cars on the road. They don't just take a car and put a turbo on it, they start with a turbocharger and build a car around it. In terms of Good Ideas in Automotive Engineering, a turbocharger is right up there with seatbelts and turn signals. Turbos give you better overall fuel economy while promising more usable power than you could make via any other means. You may have heard me say something to this effect before, but cylinder deactivation technologies like Displacement-On-Demand were Dead On Arrival, considering that turbocharging is Displacement-According-to-Request. It's a more effective means of achieving the same goals, without any really ugly downsides.
The thing that really sets Saab apart from other manufacturers of factory-turbocharged vehicles is their exquisite control over the turbo system. Saab invented the wastegated turbo back in the 70s and their experience since then has only improved their ability to manage these systems today. If you were to take an economy car and a sports car and draw a line between them, then the Trionic engine management system is borderline clairvoyant in its ability to dial the car into the exact point on that spectrum between the extremes that you request at any given moment. The car has an infinitely-variable character. You ask, you receive. One trick in the Viggen, in particular, exemplifies this precognitive behavior: if the drive-by-wire system detects that I'm stomping on the gas pedal as hard as I can and that I intend to floor it, it takes the initiative to snap the throttle to its full-open position immediately; it does not wait for my foot to finish the input.
I mentioned that Saab pioneered the wastegate system for controlling boost pressure; here's a partial list taken from the wikipedia page of other notable innovations for which they're responsible. It's pretty significant:
1958: The GT 750 is the first car fitted with seatbelts as standard.
1963: Saab becomes the first volume maker to offer diagonally-split dual brake circuits.
1970: Saab introduces a world-first - headlamp wipers and washers.
1971: Heated front seats are introduced, the first time in the world they are fitted as standard.
1971: Saab develops the impact-absorbing, self-repairing bumper.
1976: Saab was the first manufacturer to produce a turbo engine with wastegate to control boost.
1978: Saab introduces another 'world-first,' the passenger compartment air filter (pollen filter).
1980: Saab introduces Automatic Performance Control (APC), and an anti-knock sensor that allowed higher fuel economy and the use of lower grade fuel without engine damage.
1981: Saab introduces the split-field side mirror. This reduces the drivers blind spot.
1982: Saab introduces asbestos-free brake pads.
1983: Saab introduces the 16-valve turbocharged engine
1985: Saab pioneers direct ignition, eliminating the distributor and spark plug wires.
1991: Saab introduces a 'light-pressure' turbo.
1991: Saab is the first manufacturer to offer CFC-free air-conditioning.
1993: Saab develops the 'Safeseat' rear passenger protection system.
1995: Saab presents an asymmetrically turbocharged V6 at the Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany.
1996: Saab introduces active head restraints (SAHR), which help minimize the risk of whiplash.
1997: Saab introduces Electronic Brake-force Distribution
2000: Saab introduces Saab Variable Compression, an engine in which the compression ratio is varied by tilting the cylinder head in relation to the pistons.
2008: Saab introduces Cross-wheel drive, an advanced all-wheel drive system with eLSD.
(to be continued)
To belabor a point made above, I credit Saab for their decision to stick to their turbocharged heritage. It has been their mantra for decades and it is above anything else what differentiates a Saab from most other cars on the road. They don't just take a car and put a turbo on it, they start with a turbocharger and build a car around it. In terms of Good Ideas in Automotive Engineering, a turbocharger is right up there with seatbelts and turn signals. Turbos give you better overall fuel economy while promising more usable power than you could make via any other means. You may have heard me say something to this effect before, but cylinder deactivation technologies like Displacement-On-Demand were Dead On Arrival, considering that turbocharging is Displacement-According-to-Request. It's a more effective means of achieving the same goals, without any really ugly downsides.
The thing that really sets Saab apart from other manufacturers of factory-turbocharged vehicles is their exquisite control over the turbo system. Saab invented the wastegated turbo back in the 70s and their experience since then has only improved their ability to manage these systems today. If you were to take an economy car and a sports car and draw a line between them, then the Trionic engine management system is borderline clairvoyant in its ability to dial the car into the exact point on that spectrum between the extremes that you request at any given moment. The car has an infinitely-variable character. You ask, you receive. One trick in the Viggen, in particular, exemplifies this precognitive behavior: if the drive-by-wire system detects that I'm stomping on the gas pedal as hard as I can and that I intend to floor it, it takes the initiative to snap the throttle to its full-open position immediately; it does not wait for my foot to finish the input.
I mentioned that Saab pioneered the wastegate system for controlling boost pressure; here's a partial list taken from the wikipedia page of other notable innovations for which they're responsible. It's pretty significant:
1958: The GT 750 is the first car fitted with seatbelts as standard.
1963: Saab becomes the first volume maker to offer diagonally-split dual brake circuits.
1970: Saab introduces a world-first - headlamp wipers and washers.
1971: Heated front seats are introduced, the first time in the world they are fitted as standard.
1971: Saab develops the impact-absorbing, self-repairing bumper.
1976: Saab was the first manufacturer to produce a turbo engine with wastegate to control boost.
1978: Saab introduces another 'world-first,' the passenger compartment air filter (pollen filter).
1980: Saab introduces Automatic Performance Control (APC), and an anti-knock sensor that allowed higher fuel economy and the use of lower grade fuel without engine damage.
1981: Saab introduces the split-field side mirror. This reduces the drivers blind spot.
1982: Saab introduces asbestos-free brake pads.
1983: Saab introduces the 16-valve turbocharged engine
1985: Saab pioneers direct ignition, eliminating the distributor and spark plug wires.
1991: Saab introduces a 'light-pressure' turbo.
1991: Saab is the first manufacturer to offer CFC-free air-conditioning.
1993: Saab develops the 'Safeseat' rear passenger protection system.
1995: Saab presents an asymmetrically turbocharged V6 at the Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany.
1996: Saab introduces active head restraints (SAHR), which help minimize the risk of whiplash.
1997: Saab introduces Electronic Brake-force Distribution
2000: Saab introduces Saab Variable Compression, an engine in which the compression ratio is varied by tilting the cylinder head in relation to the pistons.
2008: Saab introduces Cross-wheel drive, an advanced all-wheel drive system with eLSD.
(to be continued)