The 2012 Saab 9-3 is the latest in Saab's arsenal that actually went through a good overhaul of a lot of the electronics and mechanics. Car Magazine UK recently spoke with Saab president and CEO Jan Åke Jonsson who has been with Saab since 1972, and he stated, "The 9-3's GM Epsilon 1 underpinnings would be heavily upgraded for the 2012 replacement. It is the existing 9-3 base, but we are enhancing so many systems that it's almost a new architecture. It will be the first Saab to get start-stop, for instance."

The car is being designed by ex-Bertone and Pininfarina designer Jason Castriota. Out of what we could expect, Saab chairman Victor Muller told Car Magazine back in 2010 that "We can still change the outer surfaces of the new 9-3. It will be bolder, more typically Saabish".  Most people agree that Saab has been very forward thinking and that its core enthusiast want Saab to keep it that way.  However, there seems to be a lot of discussion about throwbacks to earlier designs for the hardcore sentimental Saab enthusiasts. Most prototypes have yet to be seen of the vehicle, but there is a lot of preparation of what Saab is calling the "Phoenix prototype" which will have the root underpinnings of what will most likely define future 9-4X's and 9-5's as well.

Car Magazine UK captured this image of a vehicle on the track, but is quick to point out that it is NOT the 2012 Saab9-3. They indicate that it's a "test hack" by their engineers to test out various mechanical and hardware packages. Just how far the variant derives from these "hacks" is yet to be seen. But for now we can enjoy the gorgeous 2011 models already available at Saab in Atlanta and also take advantage of the amazing $11,000 Saab savings on the 2010 models now being offered.