By Drew Johnson
Friday, Mar 22nd, 2013 @ 6:10 am
 
New images of Saab's stillborn 9-3 sedan have been published online, revealing the car in full prototype form. Previous leaked images of the Phoenix-based 9-3 were grainy and low-resolution, masking many of the car's details.

Seen here on enthusiast site Saabs United, the latest images give us our best look yet at the Jason Castriota-designed 9-3.  The shots were reportedly snapped during a Saab presentation to potential buyers Pang Da & Youngman.

The photos reveal just how close to production-ready the 9-3 was.  The clear pictures show some of the 9-3's details, such as a pronounced hood bulge and a rear end that is strongly inspired by the first generation of the 900.  Overall, the car is much more evocative than the last-gen 9-3. 

In its state shown here, the 9-3 was to be powered by a BMW-sourced turbocharged four-cylinder engine, sending power to the front wheels. Had things gone as planned, the 9-3 would have made its world debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

Although the future of the Phoenix-based 9-3 is far from certain, Saab's new owner, National Electric Vehicle Sweden, has pledged to eventually produced the 3-Series fighter, both in electric and gasoline-powered guises. However, NEVS has yet to announce when it plans to launch the third-generation 9-3, leaving the car in limbo for the foreseeable future.

Earlier leaked images of the 9-3 appeared on Sveriges Radio and AlVolante.
  

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