My companion for a long weekend away was to be
a beautiful Swedish model. She was curvaceous
and she was fashionably stylish without being
brash.
I soon found out that she was supremely athletic
and I can tell you that we had a lot of fun that
weekend!
Specification
Gearbox:
M5/A4
Maximum
power (hp):
at rpm:
250
5500
Maximum
torque (Nm):
at rpm:
390
/ 340
2000
Maximum
speed (mph):
156
Acceleration Times (s)
0
- 63mph (0 - 10km/h)
6.8
0
- 100mph (0 - 160km/h)
15.8
50
- 75mph (80 - 120km/h) 5th gear M5
7.3
38
- 63mph (60 - 100km/h) 4th gear M5
5.4
Having said that, I have always had a problem
with the gender of Saabs. Are they male or female?
The aerodynamic, aircraft-inspired Saabs of the
fifties and sixties were sleek models that slipped
through the air with grace. The 99 of the late
sixties and seventies, and seen by some as a classic,
had curves in all the right places. But it is
the 99 turbo of the late seventies that gives
me the problem. It is brutish fire-breather that,
when kicked, defies you to tame it! Enough of
that.
The Saab 9-5 Troll may have the name of a mythical
Norse beast, but it is a rather special Saab.
This turbo-charged executive flier is based on
a 170bhp 9-5 with an eco-power (low-pressure turbo)
engine and it's about there that any similarity
ends. The Troll is an entirely different animal
with Hirsch Performance modifications that sees
a new Garrett TB2811 turbocharger, a new engine
management system, a stainless-steel sports exhaust,
an uprated braking system and new 17" alloys
(that are actually required due to the uprated
callipers and vented discs).
The lines of the 9-5 are
enhanced subtly but effectively with a boot spoiler
and front lip spoiler. Together with the low profile
tyres this Saab as a purposeful stance. Climb
into the cabin over the carbon-fibre scuff plates
and settle into the supple leather seats - seats
renowned for being amongst the best in terms of
support and comfort. The interior of the Troll
has been uprated to incorporate leather door inserts
and a carbon-fibre dashboard that tell you that
this Saab is something rather special. Not that
you need to be reminded though, just apply some
throttle and this Saab whisks you up to 63mph
in just 6.8 seconds and on to a maximum of 156mph,
autobahns permitting.
Next month we will be road
testing a 1993 T16S Convertible
Hirsch 9-5 Troll
The Troll that I tested was a five-speed manual,
2.3 turbo. The torque has been uprated from 280Nm,
on the standard model, to 390Nm at 2,400rpm. The
Troll has more torque at6,000rpm than the standard
9-5 has at lower engine revs. This means that
the Troll pulls like a train - even when you might
not expect it!
Once driven, you will find it difficult to leave
the Troll in your garage at the end of the day.
If you do manage to drag yourself away then you
can take some comfort in taking the handbook with
you - it is supplied in a custom genuine carbon-fibre
wallet.
But Saabs are not about the standing start from
the lights; that's left to brasher German marques.
Saabs are rather more discreet. They are safe,
and safe certainly does not mean boring. This
Saab comes into its own when accelerating from
50-75mph, for the overtake, which is precisely
when you need to be sure that your engine is not
going lose interest. Overtaking is effortless
in the Troll, it's all over in 7.3 seconds in
fifth, or just 5.4 seconds in fourth.
Can Trolls be beautiful? The attraction to this
one is that it responds to the characteristics
of the driver. Pleasant to drive around town with
ease and, unlike some performance cars, it does
not strain at the leash for some action. On the
motorway it is an agile express, able to accelerate
effortlessly and to stop even more efficiently.
Yet it's the countryside that is, perhaps, the
best place to have fun with this Troll. It is
hungry. It is so hungry that it just eats road!
It will eat road all day if you want it to. And
then it will eat some more!
The power is on tap almost instantaneously with
application of the right foot and virtually none
of the lag associated with earlier Saab turbos.
Maximum driving satisfaction is guaranteed with
the firm sports suspension set up. This is not
the standard suspension that has come in for much
(perhaps unjustified) criticism, but a completely
new Hirsch Performance tuned, height-adjustable
set up that is communicative and comfortable.
Saabs may well be flying machines, and this one
is certainly no exception, but the 17" low
profiles on each corner give maximum manoeuvrability
and ensure that this flying machine sticks firmly
to the tarmac.
Once driven, you will find it difficult to leave
the Troll in your garage at the end of the day.
If you do manage to drag yourself away then you
can take some comfort in taking the handbook with
you - it is supplied in a custom genuine carbon-fibre
wallet.
Where does the Troll leave me on the Saabs and
gender problem? It would only keep me awake at
night trying to work it out, so I have given up
on an answer to that one!
For peace of mind, contacting an independent
organisation such as HPI who can check outstanding
finance, crash damage and mileage checks is also
a beneficial exercise.
We hope you found this brief road test helpful
and informative.
