I got beat by a Saab 9-3 this morning - taking stage 2 donations now

[amusante]

So on my way to the gym at about 530 this morning, I got behind a very clean looking 9-3. Wasn't loud or anything, but clearly the guy took care of it. Once traffic opened up he decided to go for it, somewhat out of the blue, so I followed. The first time in 6th at about 85, and that was clearly the wrong choice as he pulled fairly steadily away. The next time we caught up to each other and traffic opened up I was in 5th at about 85, but he stilled pulled away slowly and I got the flashers of defeat. He had the advantage of deciding when he was going to pin it, so I'm sure that helped slightly, but I still felt pretty disappointed.

My car is a stock 2010 6MT, so I would hope he just has a very awesome sleeper. I really need to save up for stage 2 now. Anyway, that was my fun for this morning, and obviously this was on a closed course.

[jeguzik]

The shame....

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[bhvrdr]

wrong gear. I believe 4th for the 6mt guys would have been the right one at 85mph someone correct me

[MarcusDubya77]

I had a 9-3 2.0t and a Viggen. You would be surprised at what those little turbo 4s can make with proper tuning.

[absolutarin]

If you don't race, you'll never lose. *waiting for someone to put that meme here*

[MrFunk]

He was prob running a stage 3 big turbo kit.
You shoulda been in 4th for that pull though.
A flash really helps at highway speeds with our cars otherwise you really loose a lot of boost in those higher gears on the highway when doing these kind of pulls when that bypass closes.
Chin up.

[amusante]

Yea, I realized after I should've been in 4th on an on ramp afterwards. It honestly kind of came out of no where considering we were cruising near each other for 20 minutes before he decided to have some fun, so I'll blame it on that.

[mmm def]

My friend had a 9000 aero back in the day. Beat my b5 s4 on the highway pretty nicely.

[pdqgp]

I can't imagine being stock

Yep, time for some upgrades. Once you do the smiles will never end.

[sacandagaD]

Bet a dig to 60 probably would have gone in your favor.

[Thurston]

Bet a dig to 60 probably would have gone in your favor.

maybe, he is 6mt though.... while the saab may be awd i find it semi difficult to respect these dig runs where the s4 crushes some rwd/fwd vehicle imo but i understand why an s4-er would want to try and set the race up like that... our cars crush it off the line.

[MSq5]

My friend had a 9000 aero back in the day. Beat my b5 s4 on the highway pretty nicely.

I bought new an '88 9000T. I got the upgraded fuel pressure regulator, "red box" ECU, had the K04 vanes clipped and balanced, and a good CBE upgrade and gutted the cat. It would hit 160 mph and was truly in its element on the highway at 80 mpg and up. Had that car for over 10 years. Loved it. You could make them very fast very easily. They did not launch well from a dig, had horrible torque steer, but once they got traction by 60, they could fly. It was a nice ride. RIP Saab.

[Street Nasty]

Sounds like driver mod needed. Opening up in the wrong gear(s).

[tar]

Sounds like driver mod needed. Opening up in the wrong gear(s).

Twice no less. For shame op for shame.

[amusante]

Sounds like driver mod needed. Opening up in the wrong gear(s).

Ha, harrrrrsh. To be fair, this is probably the first time I've done something like this since I got this car, so apparently I need some instruction

[Street Nasty]

Ha, harrrrrsh. To be fair, this is probably the first time I've done something like this since I got this car, so apparently I need some instruction

Best thing to do is take the car on really late night cruises or early morning cruises to learn the powerband/best gearing for speed. Also helps with shift times. Make that supercharger scream.

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[txb7sline]

wrong gear. I believe 4th for the 6mt guys would have been the right one at 85mph someone correct me

I always go to 4th. Keeps you in your power band. Just rougher on your clutch. Lol.

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[onlyaudis]

another street racing thread. please move to chatterbox.

[JD S4]

Go stage 2.. Don't worry about the guys telling you what gear to be in.. Just get stage 2 and zero fucks.

[PopTart]

He was prob running a stage 3 big turbo kit.
You shoulda been in 4th for that pull though.
A flash really helps at highway speeds with our cars otherwise you really loose a lot of boost in those higher gears on the highway when doing these kind of pulls when that bypass closes.
Chin up.

MrFunk is correct. The S4 loses steam up top. A Stage 1 tune would've helped.

[2014A4]

At least it wasn't a Honda


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[Brother Owl]

another street racing thread. please move to chatterbox.

[DetRebel]

I got destroyed by a Saab a couple weeks ago. I'm no racer but damn those things are quick!


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[AllroadCorbin]

I've had multiple saabs, and still have a 9-3 as my daily beater today. I keep a 1992 900S in my parents garage in Maine. They're super underrated and real zippy. I had a tuned 2008 9-3 Turbo X and it would take 335s down with ease. Depending on what model year the 9-3 is, it actually might have been stock. I had a 2007 9-3 with a stock 210hp 4 cyl turbo and it beat my friends B7 A4 2.0T every single time on the highway. With a MapTun flash, it would be long gone.

If the 9-3 you raced was a 2.8T then your A4 would get smoked even if the Saab was stock.

The 2.3T in the 9000 Aero and 9-5 Aero was so easy to squeeze 500hp out of. Just search YouTube. The motor was totally balanced up to like 8400 rpm... you could wind the shit out of them and they'd survive


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[timzcat]

DSG would have had a better chance in this scenario.

[PopTart]

WTF is a Saab

[850tgul]

Had a few saabs, they do have pretty impressive in gear acceleration. Same thing with the old Volvo turbos. Terrible lag from down low but on the highway they were monsters. Anyone remember the old top gear review of the 9-5 when Jezza claimed it would do something like 30-60 mph quicker than a contemporary 911 turbo.
Sounds like the conditions were in his favor and you were in the wrong gear so not too surprising really.

[CCS]

Probably part of the reason he cruised next or close to you for so long. He was playing the recon game. You came across a seasoned driver. Guy probably knows his car inside and out and knows when to "pounce"

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[Brandon K.]

Had a few saabs, they do have pretty impressive in gear acceleration. Same thing with the old Volvo turbos. Terrible lag from down low but on the highway they were monsters. Anyone remember the old top gear review of the 9-5 when Jezza claimed it would do something like 30-60 mph quicker than a contemporary 911 turbo.
Sounds like the conditions were in his favor and you were in the wrong gear so not too surprising really.

Yes, I remember that episode well! On the Hwy saabs are in the meat of their torque so there is no lag time for quick acceleration. Obviously this Saab driver was ready for you in 3th or 4th.

I have owned 3 Saabs (classic 900T, 9-3 & 9-3 wagon all of them have been manuals). The wagon had a BSR tune and was about as fast as a stage 1 A4 B8.

The classic 900T had the shit moded out of it and was fun as hell! That thing flew. Hot cams, big turbo, fuel upgrades, modified boost controller, exhaust, meth injection, MSD timing & ignition system. There was an art to acceleration in it because you had to feather the throttle depending on the gear to keep it from braking the front end free. That car was as quick as my 996 c4. The later 9-3s just did not have the same charisma so I just could not get that exited over them.

The demise of Saab and the NEED of all wheel drive lead me to the Audi tribe.

Don't feel bad about him pulling away, those cars are owned and moded by true enthusiasts. Next time try racing him in the rain. He will be in a ditch and you will be victorious. Alternatively, race him through back roads. They can't put power down worth a crap coming out of corners.


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[Works2shoot]

Maybe some heat soak was at play here too.


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[Brandon K.]

Forgot to mention, the car you raced Is a substantially light car than your Audi. If I remember correctly, the Saab 9-3s weigh about 3350 pounds (all generations).


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[RWD2quattro]

My buddy back in school had a 900 SPG Saab (MY88 I think) with BSR tune and it was quick, that led me to my 97 850R purchase with a stage 3 BSR from Sweden. BSR produced some aggressive maps for these cars. My 850R put down 385WHP (GT30R) years ago with a mild tune but I cracked the block and will revive soon, so don't under estimate the Swedes...

[PopTart]

I've surprised other cars before. I have a Stage 1 tune, and my car is de-badged. There was a Porsche 911 Carrera S that tried to overtake me...he couldn't. He probably went on the Porsche forum, and asked what car I was driving S4/S6/S8. All Audis look the same at night.

[850tgul]

My buddy back in school had a 900 SPG Saab (MY88 I think) with BSR tune and it was quick, that led me to my 97 850R purchase with a stage 3 BSR from Sweden. BSR produced some aggressive maps for these cars. My 850R put down 385WHP (GT30R) years ago with a mild tune but I cracked the block and will revive soon, so don't under estimate the Swedes...

Haha true. I can attest to that having owned an '87 740 Turbo, '95 850 T-5R (hence the username), '99 and '10 9-3. Currently still have a '98 S70 T5 as my beater actually. The Volvos were all tuned and the Saabs stock. Surprised quite a few "quick" cars with the Swedish bricks. Things is, the FWD chassis' are absolutely garbage. Almost undriveable with anything over 200 hp. Torque steer like you read about and you can't put power down anywhere except on the highway as the OP found out. The old RWD 740 was fun but not exactly sharp.

[Brandon K.]

It could've been a lot worse. A friend of mine took me out in his 425 whp Dodge Neon. Omg that thing is fast & light weight. It looks like a very white knuckle experience.

Other than the obnoxious exhaust it looks bone stock from the outside so it is extra creepy.


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[Helmet165]

My last car was an 06 Saab Aero 2.8T, with just a stage 0 VTuner tune + drop-in K&N and it put down 265HP and 320lb/ft on a swampy summer day in south FL on a 'heartbreak' dyno. They weigh around 3,500lbs and can run low to mid 13's with that tune. If that's what it was and you weren't in the right gear, this doesn't really surprise me. I killed a lot of unsuspecting 2 door 'sports cars' with it , it was quite the sleeper.

[DannyDeez]

I've had multiple saabs, and still have a 9-3 as my daily beater today. I keep a 1992 900S in my parents garage in Maine. They're super underrated and real zippy. I had a tuned 2008 9-3 Turbo X and it would take 335s down with ease. Depending on what model year the 9-3 is, it actually might have been stock. I had a 2007 9-3 with a stock 210hp 4 cyl turbo and it beat my friends B7 A4 2.0T every single time on the highway. With a MapTun flash, it would be long gone.

If the 9-3 you raced was a 2.8T then your A4 would get smoked even if the Saab was stock.

The 2.3T in the 9000 Aero and 9-5 Aero was so easy to squeeze 500hp out of. Just search YouTube. The motor was totally balanced up to like 8400 rpm... you could wind the shit out of them and they'd survive


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Not trying to argue which car would win, but just a note to your post above.. The OP has an S4 with the 3.0 supercharged V6 (333hp), not an A4 with a 2.0 turbo 4cyl (200-ish hp)

[RecklessactN]

"Born from jets"

[jpl500]

With the name 'Musante' and living in CT shouldn't you be driving a Porsche anyway :)