Saab's new 9-3 is the successor to the long-lived Saab 900, a car that practically became a legend among its followers. Like all Saabs, the 900 had a reputation for being somewhat quirky. Not everyone liked its styling, the way the ignition key was mounted on the center console and not everyone understood the value of its Black Panel instrument cluster and other unconventional features.The 9-3 is quite a bit more mainstream. The Saab 9-3 is the result of extensive refinement and re-engineering of the 900. With such a significant evolutionary step forward for 1999, Saab felt that a new model designation was in order. Like the new 9-5, the 9-3 (pronounced "nine-three") designation traces its roots to Saab's aviation heritage.Click here to read more