From Car and Driver · · 1m 50s
Saab 99EMS: 1976 Performance Comeback
The 1976 Saab 99EMS, a Swedish performance sedan, delivers refined handling and power after years of underperformance.
In brief
The 1976 Saab 99EMS, a Swedish performance sedan, delivers refined handling and power after years of underperformance. The 1976 Saab 99EMS has improved handling and engine performance to become a competitive sports sedan. Originally reported by Car and Driver.
A Saab History
The author recalls a 1976 Saab 99 from a beery evening with a friend.
“I always wanted a Saab, which is pretty strange, considering how strange the car looked.”
Early Saab Problems
The 1976 Saab 99 had a small, unresponsive Triumph engine and poor handling.
“The engine was small, unresponsive and english-built, a triumph triumph of 1700 cc.”
Saab's Unique Position
Saab targeted niche markets like academics and skiers, not mainstream buyers.
“Saab was left clutching at the skirts of new haven academicians, far-out vermonters, flower children in search of an ethical car and skiers who assumed the swedes knew how to make a car go in the snow.”
The 1976 Saab 99EMS
The 1976 Saab : a refined sports sedan with improved handling and power.
“The 1976 saab 99ems is one of the finest sporting sedans available in the us.”
Engine Improvements
The 1976 Saab 99EMS features a 2.0-liter engine with better responsiveness.
“The new els has well-tuned bilstein gas-filled shock absorbers, stiffer rear springs, a front air dam developed on the company’s rally-team 99s, pirelli cn36s and quickened steering.”
Driving Experience
The 1976 Saab 99EMS offers responsive steering and strong front weight bias.
“The steering, quickened from earlier saabs’ 4.1 turns lock to lock to 3.4 turns, combines with the strong front weight bias (61.4 percent) to make the ems delightfully maneuverable.”
Rallying Success
Saab’s rally success led to the 1976 Saab 99EMS becoming a competitive sports sedan.
“The 99 has at last replaced the even more venerable model 96 as saab’s performance-rallying contender.”
Rallying Details
The 1976 Saab 99EMS has a twin-cam engine delivering 225 horsepower.
“With lucas fuel injection, the new motor delivers 225 reliable horsepower and a broad torque band.”
Rallying Performance
The 1976 Saab 99EMS excels in rally conditions with quick handling.
“We slid and darted through gaps in the trees with the maneuverability of a formula car, tires spraying the foliage with a barrage of dirt and gravel.”
Interior Design
The 1976 Saab 99EMS has a functional interior with good ergonomics.
“The front seats are high and comfortable; they are upstanding chairs rather than buckets, yet they offer a reasonable amount of lateral support.”
Seatbelt Issues
The 1976 Saab 99EMS has a complex seatbelt system that is difficult to use.
“You have to feed the combined shoulder/lap strap across your midriff, just a strap; it has no clasp, buckle or other grabbable item, and then stuff it into a small alligator-jawed affair between the seats, snapping the jaw (no, not across your finger) over the width of the belt.”
Engine History
The 1976 Saab 99EMS uses a Triumph-designed engine that has been improved.
“For the 99’s single-overhead-cam motor is a far cry from the dolomite/tr7 engine that the swedes long ago bought from the brits, then redesigned, perfected, and manufactured themselves until it became one of the cleanest, most efficient small-car powerplants in the us today.”
Rallying Impact
Rallying has improved the 1976 Saab 99EMS’s handling and performance.
“Rallying has made it one of the best-handling front-drive cars money will buy.”
Specifications
The 1976 Saab 99EMS has a 121 cubic inch engine and 115 horsepower.
“Engine: sohc inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection. Displacement: 121 in 3, 1982 cm 3 . Power: 115 hp @ 5500 rpm.”
Performance Results
The 1976 Saab 99EMS accelerates to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds.
“60 mph: 9.2 sec. 1/4-Mile: 17.2 sec @ 80 mph. 100 mph: 34.1 sec.”
What Happens Next
The 1976 Saab 99EMS is expected to become a popular sports sedan in the coming years.
“Saab’s racing strategy has launched the 99ems into a serious sporting career, and it’s a better car for it.”
The big picture
The 1976 Saab 99EMS has improved handling and engine performance to become a competitive sports sedan.
