Modifications for the Saab 9-3
Our guide will make your 9-3 much better and more fun to drive!
Available in standard form with power of upto 252bhp (depending on the year), so this goes to show the tuning potential of the 9-3. From this you can increase the power from anywhere between 277.2bhp to 428.4bhp with mods ranging from a few subtle add ons to a full engine rebuild! And more in the case of most Turbo engines if you include an uprated turbo.
If you have one of the lower powered 9-3s you should think about an engine swap with the engine from the 252bhp 9-3 Sportwagons. Saab certainly know what they are doing when it comes to making a fun car and the more powerful 9-3s provide and excellent tuning base to work from. 9-3 tuning projects should generally start with some improvement to the intake/exhaust of the engine. So get a stainless steel exhaust and good quality induction kit. A good fuel pressure regulator will up the throttle response.
FASTROAD CAMS should be next up on your tuning list and will offer big power gains on the 9-3. Getting better flow through the head of the engine would reward your 9-3 with more power. So get the engine head polished and ported.
The 9-3s come in various power levels right up to 252bhp as per the 9-3 Sportwagon If you apply a few tuning mods to this model of 9-3 you will see power gains from anywhere between 277.2bhp to 428.4bhp. Any more than this and you will start to see unreliability appearing.
A 9-3 with forced induction (turbo or supercharger) will give even larger power gains that this. The 9-3s come in various power levels right up to 252bhp. On a turbo 9-3 you will see these power gains from anywhere between 327.6bhp to 478.8bhp. Any more than this and you will start to see unreliability appearing. The 9-3s handling can be dramatically improved with some choice suspension modifications. You shouldn’t really lower a car by more than 30-35mm.
Check back frequently for updates as we will be adding more detailed tuning guides to this site.
Here are some motoring links who provide some excellent resources on all aspects of car tuning and modifications:
Car Styling
Car Tuning Tips Some great common sense car tuning tips on this site.