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.