I’d been behind the wheel of this Swedish rocket for no more than an hour when a fellow motorist decided he’d like to have a go with the Saab. Surely he was driving something like a Subaru WRX? Well, no, he wasn’t. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X? Nope. Audi S4? ‘Fraid not. All those cars would’ve made sense against the Turbo X. This fellow wanted to race me in his Suzuki Verona.

But that’s not all.

This Verona was special. It had been de-badged on the back and wore – we’re not making this up – red flame stickers on the front quarter panels just behind the wheels.

To be honest, for the first couple minutes, I had no idea we were even racing. I’d been fumbling with the sound system and apparently slowed down a bit too much in the fast lane. When I glanced in my rearview mirror to see a small white sedan closing in on me fairly quickly, I got back on the gas. My friend in the Verona must’ve taken this as “It’s on!”

Once I realized what was going on, my first thought was to laugh. My second and third thoughts were strikingly similar. How can this guy be serious? For those not familiar with the Verona’s intimidating specs, it has an inline six good for 155 horsepower and a not-so-stump-pulling 177 lb-ft. of torque. Let’s say dead sapling-pulling.

In the other corner, we have the Saab 9-3 TurboX. It ekes out a “paltry” 280 horsepower and a very modest 295 lb-ft. of torque from a turbocharged, 2.8 liter V6. That’s only a bit more than the Suzuki. Nevermind the Saab’s XWD all-wheel-drive system or the fact that it rides on super-grippy Pirelli P-Zero tires.

So a fair fight, then? Fair like Lennox Lewis squaring off against Steve Urkel.

Sadly, there was a fair amount of traffic on the highway, so I didn’t really have the chance to execute a proper Gone In 60 Seconds maneuver on this overly optimistic wheelman. That said, I was always in front and it certainly didn’t take much effort: half throttle or less. We’d reach an open stretch of road and I’d goose the throttle a bit and launch away from the Verona. I’d look back to see his speed gradually build until all the power his inline 6 had come in sort of a lump at the end and he’d finally catch up. Of course by that time I’d caught traffic and already let off the gas 10 seconds ago. Poor kid probably thought he was keeping up.

After 10 minutes, I reached my exit and halfway expected him to follow me to extend this Tour de’ Futility. His one good choice for the day was continuing on down the road. I can only assume that he had an appointment to keep at the local tuning shop for an exhaust install.

How does it look?
While going fast is great, it’s always nice to be able to look good while passing that Ford Expedition going seven under the speed limit. The Turbo X has you covered on both fronts. While Saab’s “Born from Jets” tagline may incite marketing-induced eye-rolling, the 9-3 really does have an aerodynamic, stealthy look.

Of course, only being available in Jet Black Metallic doesn’t hurt its sinister aspirations either. Adding to the aggressive look is the “eyebrow” light bar that runs across the top of the headlights. This small feature manages to give the Saab a dose of emotion—anger. It’s awfully close to being as cool as Audi’s LED daytime running lights. The 18-inch, double spoke wheels chosen for this ride are some of the best I’ve seen. Out back, a sportier diffuser panel and two huge, titanium exhaust tips cap off the look of a car that could almost carry a name like “Black Arrow.” Simply “Turbo X”, a light nod to the Saab’s heritage, is enough for us.

And inside?
Even with the Turbo X pining you back in your seat on a regular basis, you’ll welcome it and be damn comfortable doing it. Bad seats can ruin a car, but the sport bucket seats in the Saab are nothing less than tiptop. Comfortable enough to sit in all day, which is exactly what I did.

One of the time-honored complaints you’ll see in car reviews refers to a “sea of gray plastic” on the inside. Well, how do you feel about a sea of black plastic? If you enjoy contrasting colors, the 9-3 Turbo X probably isn’t for you. The entire interior is black just like most of the outside. It’s a fairly minimalist interior with only a modest chrome ring around the upper controls and gauge cluster and some carbon fiber trim around the shifter, on the door panels and on the dash. It’s not that the interior looks bad; it just isn’t that interesting to look at it. It’s certainly not an interior that competes on the same field with BMW or Audi, but it is pleasant enough.

But does it go?
The turbocharged V6 lurking under the bonnet certainly qualifies as great. It makes the Turbo X one of the most enjoyable drives I’ve had in the last few years. Yes there is a bit of turbo lag, but once things are spooled up and you’re going down the road at speed, you’ll probably find yourself not really caring that much that you didn’t launch a few tenths faster.

Once your up to speed and you nail the throttle, two things happen: The turbo boost gauge flirts with the red zone (good) and your back and butt will be pinned further back into the seat than it was a moment ago (better.) With 295 lb-ft. of torque available at just 2,150 rpm, it’s a motor than never seems to run out of power and begs you to keep your foot down.

By now, you’re probably assuming the Saab must handle like a dream. For the most part it does. The Turbo X rotates through a corner phenomenally well and holds a line as tightly as several of its European competitors.

That said, there is one flaw that just barely bumps it a notch down from “great.” The bugaboo is the handling at high speed. The front end sometimes felt a little jittery or nervous, which at high speeds, makes the driver feel exactly the same. Now, when I say high speed, I’m not really talking about a speed you see posted on a highway. That said, this kind of driving is exactly what the Turbo X is supposed to be about, so it ought to do it well. Compared to the more planted Audi A4, the Saab doesn’t feel as stable or confidence-inspiring.

Another area in which the Saab doesn’t quite stack up to the competition is the shifter. It’s a little rough and will, on occasion, have you jostling to find a gear. Not a welcome surprise as you look for 2nd gear on a 90 degree, uphill corner.

Back on the plus side, the Saab’s Pirelli Pzero performance tires have to be the grippiest tires I’ve ever had the pleasure of abusing. So much grip that diving into a hairpin corner more than a little late didn’t even produce the slightest squeal. However these tires do seem to have a knack for following seams in the road, which can cause a sudden shift of a few inches one way or the other.

The biggest problem you’ll run into with the Saab 9-3 Turbo X is the price. Leftlane’s test model came in a few dollars under $44,000. That seems like an awful lot of money for a Saab sedan, especially for a one that didn’t have satellite navigation, though, you could have added it for another $2,145. That would boost the price to just over $46 grand and, for that money, you’re dangerously close to a BMW 335i with more power and better handling. It’s nearly the same story with Audi’s new A4.

The other big issue is availability. Only 600 of these cars will ever see the light of day in the U.S., which could probably make you think it’d be really cool to have such a rare car. Unfortunately, it’s going to get harder and harder to find one since Saab in nearly sold out.

Why you would buy it:
Emotion reigns supreme and you don’t care what it costs. You want a car that’s a ton of fun to drive that almost no one else will have. Drop your mouse now and go to the Saab dealer because Trollhattan’s spicy meatballs are limited production.

Why you wouldn’t:
While the exclusivity is supposed to justify the premium price, the Turbo X still feels, and has an interior of, a car that should be priced four or five grand less.

2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X base price, $41,765. As tested, $43,955.
Cold weather package, $550; Touring package, $895; Destination, $745.

Words and photos by Chris Doane

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