# Saab 99EMS: 1976 Performance Comeback > The 1976 Saab 99EMS, a Swedish performance sedan, delivers refined handling and power after years of underperformance. - Title: Saab 99EMS: 1976 Performance Comeback · Car and Driver - Summary: The 1976 Saab 99EMS, a Swedish performance sedan, delivers refined handling and power after years of underperformance. The 1976 Saab 99EMS has improved… - Keywords: saab, 99ems, 1976, performance sedan, handling, engine, rallying, swedish, cars, Performance, Comeback, Car and Driver - Source: Car and Driver — https://caranddriver.com/reviews/a73957708/1976-saab-99ems-archive-test - Published: 2026-10-08T13:27:48+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: saab, 99ems, 1976, performance sedan, handling, engine, rallying, swedish, cars ## 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. ## Key takeaway The 1976 Saab 99EMS has improved handling and engine performance to become a competitive sports sedan.