Saab's Geneva stunner

Saab has given a glimpse of a possible performance-packed future in the shape of its alcohol-fuelled Aero X concept car unveiled today at a special pre-Geneva motor show preview.

Powered by a 300kW, Australian-made V6 and sporting all-wheel drive and an aircraft style canopy, the stunning coupe also has styling that hints at how Saab's upcoming 9-2 small car might look. Despite anything, it was still the undoubted Swedish star of a show usually dominated by Italian or German concepts.

While Saab executives admit a production version of the Aero X is unlikely, the deep grille, angular headlamps and pronounced curve of the wheelarches are an indication of a more adventurous design path for the Swedish company with its reputation for stolid instead of scintillating cars.

Saab and parent company General Motors were so keen to present the Aero X in its best light it was previewed in a special showing by the shores of Lake Geneva, approximately 14 hours before the show opened to media. Featuring carvings (including drink glasses) made out of 55 tonnes of ice, the event  was dubbed an exposition of "Scandinavian cool" by Saab managing director Jan-Ake Jonsson.

"This is a design that will explore the parameters for the next generation of our total product portfolio," he said.

The design of the Aero X is strongly influenced by Saab's aircraft-building heritage. Instead of conventional doors, there is an upward-swinging canopy similar to that of a jet fighter. The one-piece canopy features a glass roof section but has no A-pillars – meaning virtually unrestricted vision for the pilot. Or rather, driver.

Unusually for Saab, instead of highlighting the car's practicality, dog-carrying ability or crashworthiness, the emphasis for the Aero X is sheer grunt.

Power comes from a twin-turbocharged, 2.8-litre version of GM's Global V6, variants of which power current production Saab models, Alfa Romeos and our own Holden Commodore.

Although the engine is sourced from Melbourne, it is hardly recognisable as the 3.6-litre you'd find in an Executive, Berlina or Calais. Fed by twin intercoolers drawing air from ducts in the front airdam, and with turbos running a maximum 1.0 bar (approx 15psi) boost, the engine delivers 300kW of power at 5000rpm, and as much as 500Nm of torque from 2000-5000rpm.

Instead of using petrol, the Aero X powerplant drinks 100 per cent ethanol (E100), a bio-fuel with the eco-friendly advantage of being carbon-neutral. For regular petrol-heads, however, the advantage of ethanol is its high 106 RON octane rating means a 12:1 compression ratio can be used in conjunction with turbocharging without risk of pre-detonation or knocking.

Although the Aero X has not been performance tested by Saab, computer simulations predict performance in the region of 0-100km/h in 4.9sec on the way to an electronically limited 250km/h top speed.

The gearbox is a seven-speed sequential manual with no pedal for the double-plate clutch but has steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts. Power is transmitted to all four wheels via a multi-plate clutch allowing for an infinitely variable front-rear torque split.

The car itself is built on a steel monocoque platform and the cockpit canopy is of reinforced carbon-fibre. The Aero X is only 1276mm high, although the canopy rises to 1.8m and the "door" openings are at sill height to allow easy access. Overall length is 4675mm (or similar to a Saab 9-3), the Aero X is extremely wide at 1918mm and rides on a wheelbase of  2795mm.

Although forward vision may well be excellent, there are no side windows aft of the two seats and the rear glass is almost horizontal, meaning rear vision is somewhat less than perfect. Windscreen wipers were made impossible by the heavily curved glass, so instead rain removal is effected by a hydrophobic coating.

While the Aero X has a window line reminiscent of the 1960s Sonnet – Saab's only real sports coupe to date – features like the narrow band of LEDs at the rear that take the place of tail lights are cutting-edge high-tech.

Suspension is by double wishbones on  all corners, with a variable damping system dubbed Saab Active Suspension that monitors vertical and lateral body movement and adjusts damper valving in as little as 10 milliseconds. Braking is by monster 380mm discs with eight-piston monobloc aluminium callipers inside the equally huge 22-inch front and 23-inch rear wheels.

"It's an exercise in confidence," said GM's European director of advanced design Anthony Lo.

"We're coming off a year of record sales in Europe and this shows that Saab is ready to face the future."

Look out for more from CarPoint's Jonathon Hawley in Geneva after the show opens Tuesday night Australian time...