Live from the launch: Saab 9-5

It's intriguing times at Saab at the moment. The company has emerged from the quagmire of GM's ownership with a fresh-faced optimism that its new master can return the Swedish brand to the idiosyncratic roots that made it such a popular niche choice with people tired of the standard executive fare.

Spyker, the Dutch sports car maker has kicked off its reign by returning manufacturing to the highly efficient Trollhattan plant, and instigating an ambitious business plan to return the firm to profit.

Saab's head of PR and marketing described the process as starting a car company with a blank sheet of paper. However, before the blue sky thinking can begin, the manufacturer has the critical job of launching its new 9-5 – the final legacy of the GM era, and arguably the most important Saab in a decade.