Saab fans should be extremely happy that the brand didn’t die out, thanks to Spyker’s move to buy the brand out. Being bought by a smaller firm has its drawbacks though. Research and development funds, for example, can be tight.

Developing engines can cost millions of dollars and that’s why many smaller car firms simply source their engines from bigger car companies. For the next generation 9-3 and 9-2, Saab plans to tap BMW and Mini engines to power the cars.

Saab has their eye on the Mini’s 1.6L turbocharged diesel and gasoline engine and reports indicate that a deal between the Swedish company and the Germans might have pushed through.

The gasoline engine’s currently found in the Cooper S (dishing out a wicked 184 bhp) and the diesel, in the Countryman (dishing out 112 bhp).

Saab is also exploring tapping Mini transmissions to mate with their Mini-sourced engines.

Saab fans should be ecstatic that their favorite brand didn’t just go flatline for eternity. With Spyker taking control of the brand, there’s a whole new future for Saab and we can all just hope they don’t mess things up.

Saab Spyker will be launching an all-new 9-3 in 2012 as part of its overall plan to recover. No word yet on the technical details of the new 9-3 but the announcement that a new one will be coming is a great sign of life for the brand.

The company will also look into offering a new entry-level 9-1. Other models to be offered in the future will be the 9-5X as an addition to the four-door saloon and estate models. The 9-4X will be squeezed into the lineup in early 2011.

Saab Spyker is intent on being “independent, performance-orientated niche car company with an industry-leading environmental strategy” and will compete with the likes of BMW and Audi.