[Friberg]

Just wanted to inform you guys that Maptun have dynoed a few cars this week. The most interesting once are these...

Fredrik's 9000: 590 hp
9000 CDE: 575 hp

The figures are wheel hp!!! Feel free to add 8% to them to get the power in the engine

 

[James]

 

[serjeant]

I cannot read this without a big, big smile coming to my face, which is also a slight shade of green, due to envy.

Well done - what's the 0-60, just so we can compare them.

 

[fliptopbin]

Are they driveable though?

I'm impressed at the 400bhp+ figurse often quoted for seriously tuned 9000s, but isn't it generally accepted that no more than 200-250 bhp can be put down effectively through the front wheels?

I can't understand how double that can go through the steering wheels!!

 

[aeropilot]

I wonder how many gearbox changes Fredrik had to do during that one rolling road session before getting those figures.....

9000 gearbox life measured in....well....minutes

 

[mark e]

Originally posted by fliptopbin:
[qb]but isn't it generally accepted that no more than 200-250 bhp can be put down effectively through the front wheels? [/qb][/b]

Urban myth perpetuated by rear wheel drive snobs if you ask me. Myself and several others don't have any problems putting circa 300hp and more

down through the front wheels- and with a bucket load of torque, too, which is the real killer.

It just takes more skill to drive the car, that's all, but I think that's true of any high powered vehicle.

 

[zeke]

Aeropilot - Fredrik did the software on my 9000 and he once mentioned that he's lucky if he gets more than a month out of the gearbox - however, this is probably more a result of his aversion to not using the clutch between shifts than the prodigious torque his engine generates

 

[Mark R]

Are you serious about him generally not using the clutch ? On the majority of his shifts ? If so, its a bl**dy miracle the manual boxes last a week, never mind a month.

 

[pade900]

Wow, that's just sick

 

[1989agoodvintage]

but isn't it generally accepted that no more than 200-250 bhp can be put down effectively through the front wheels?  [/b]

Mines putting out c240bhp and over 300lbft of torque, I don't find it undriveable. You just have to respect the car and like a powerful RWD car don't plant the accelerator to early exiting a corner. Mine used to torque-steer like hell (hence my nick) but much of that was dialled out by fitting poly wishbone and AR bar bushes and better tyres!

 

[fliptopbin]

Well this is all good encouraging stuff.

I had been brainwashed by the RWD nuts into thinking that FWD was a performance dead end. I've always been into Saabs and was worried that getting one might be a compromise - I feel a lot happier now!

I had been looking at getting a T16s for the real

factor, but reliability worries (daily driver) and the difficulty of finding a really good one have put me off somewhat (plus the thought of getting a good one and then hammering it through 14000 miles a year on my commute

I've read a lot of good stuff in other places that it's quite easy to make the 9-3 into a really entertaining drive (VRK, new springs & shocks), so that may be the route that I end up going down.

Would I end up regretting it ultimately, or can it really be made into a good fun drive?

(Apologies for hijacking the thread!)

 

[pyronerd]

Well, my 1999 9-3 is putting out c260 bhp at the engine, so -8 or 10% at the wheels, and it's highly entertaining when required, but also very driveable around town.

fliptopbin: I seriously doubt you would regret owning a 9-3! Extremely reliable, never failed to start for me in all its 58K, and after my Speedparts Stage 2 and extensive suspension work, all I can say about the performance is

 

[fliptopbin]

That is just what I wanted to hear!

 

[Friberg]

Originally posted by robert lavergne:
[qb]Aeropilot - Fredrik did the software on my 9000 and he once mentioned that he's lucky if he gets more than a month out of the gearbox - however, this is probably more a result of his aversion to not using the clutch between shifts than the prodigious torque his engine generates  

 [/qb][/b]

The times I've seen Fredriks 9000 in action he has used the clutch But it's true that Fredrik is quite used to change gearboxes...

After the dynoing he wanted to enjoy all of his new hp's but when he floored it he cleaned 4'th gear of all it's teeth