The transaction offers an attractive and immediate premium for stockholders and shifts the risks facing the business to the buyer group.

FORBES: Michael Dell, Spurred By 'Reputation, Greed,' Takes Dell Private: 20 Talking Points

Facing competition from BMW, Audi and Mercedes in the premium small-car market, Saab Chief Executive Peter Augustsson needed a new model and turned to another GM partner, Fuji Heavy Industries, maker of Subaru four-wheel-drive cars. (GMowns a 20% stake in Fuji.) After months of discussions, nudged along by Lutz, the collaboration resulted in the Saab 9-2X, a sporty, high-performance wagon based on the underpinnings of Subaru's Impreza compact and its high-performance cousin, the WRX.

FORBES: Global Motors

But investors are hesitant to pay a premium for a nongrowth business, and the newspaper industry is facing a steady decline in readership and advertising rates in the face of competition from the Web.

FORBES: Get Your Cheap Newspapers Here

Inside the Model S you're treated to all the luxury amenities and safety features (eight airbags) that you'd expect from a premium automobile -- there's even an optional panoramic sunroof and twin rear-facing jump seats for children (complete with 5-point harnesses).

ENGADGET: Tesla Model S first drive: the sports sedan goes electric (update: video)