48
I
t’seasytolike theSaab 900 Turbo16SConvertibleonfirst
acquaintance. It hasendearinglyindividualquirkslikethe
forward-openingclamshell bonnetandthe big doorsthat
extendright down andwrapunderneaththe sills.Saloon
900shave flat floorsforeasyentryandexit,butsillbeams
wereaddedtotheConvertibles torestoresomeofrigidity
lostbyremovingtheroof.Anothercuriosityistheignition
switch located onthe floor, behindthe gear selector and
betweenshapelyleatherseatswhichareascomfortableas
theylook.Thethree-spokesteeringwheelissetveryclose
toa dashboardwhichwrapsaround,cockpit-style,tobring
ancillarycontrolslike thelightingandheatingknobscloser
tothedriver’shands.Apparentlythelayoutwasdesigned
with the most commonlyused controlsnearest the centre, to
minimisethetimethedriverspent withtheirhandsoffthewheel,
thoughtomeit lacksthecalmlogicofa contemporaryBMW. The
bold, multi-coloured instrumentation is more successful and
includesa turboboostgauge,a reminderofthetechnologythat
makestheSaabuniqueinthiscompany.
Saabintroduceditsfirstturboengine,basedontheTriumph
slant-four, in the 99 of 1978. The engine was redesigned for
1981,thenin 1982 Saabintroduced theAutomaticPerformance
Control(APC)systemthat reducedboostifit sensedknock.This
improvedreliabilitywhileat thesametimeallowingtheuseof
ahighercompressionratio (upfrom7.2:1toaneventual9.0:1)
thatimprovedoff-boostresponseandraisedtheengine’soverall
efficiency. In 1984 the engine gained a 16-valve cylinder head
with double chain-driven overhead camshafts and maintenance-
freehydraulic lifters, and in Turbo 16S form it developed 173bhp.
Four-pots often have a roughness stemming from their lack of
perfect balance, but Saab clearly put a lot of effort into minimising
vibration in an effort to compete with rivals powered by six- and
eight-cylinder engines, and the 2.0-litre four spins smoothly.
On this 1990 example there’s decent throttle response for a
blown engine and thanks to that Garrett turbo there’s breathtaking
mid-range punch, accompanied by a distinctive exhaust growl.
At low revs it’s less impressive, but this car has automatic
transmission (an old-fashioned Borg Warner three-speed) and
thetorque converter helps to bolster the low-speed response. The
result is a surprisingly flexible power delivery for a car with Turbo
inits title. A manual car might not be quite so easy-going.
Like the Golf, the Saab feels keen to carry speedintocorners.
Thesteering isquitelowgearedandthewheelisbig,soonthese
cursivecountryroadsI needlotsofarmmovementtokeepthe
Saabonline.Thepowersteeringislight butlacking infeedback,
andthere’sa curiousfeelingthat the 900 rotatesarounditsfront
endintoabend. No doubtthat reflects itsnose-heavy weight
distribution,inthesamewaythat a hammertossedintotheair
rotatesaboutapoint closetoitsheadbecausethat’swherethe
weight lies.ButonfatGoodyearEagleNCTs the 900 gripswell,
andit ridesthelumpiersectionsoftheYorkshiretarmacwithonly
themerestshimmy fromthebody. It feelstoughandtogether.
