At the Hirsch Performance development centre in St.Gallen – Switzerland, Saab cars are brought to a new level of performance and style. As the only official Swiss partner of the Swedish premium brand, Hirsch Performance offers more performance packages as well as sports accessories such as suspension and brakes with a factory warranty.
Unfortunately, Saab cars are gone, but Hirsch continues to offer Saab car owners around the world additional upgrades for their favorite cars. We find another such upgraded car in Taiwan, (again) thanks to Mr. Salo Yang.
This time it is another exceptional executive sedan – 2004 Saab 9-5 Hirsch Performance Troll R. The Toll R is owned by Mr. Zhong, and he has traveled over 300,000 kilometers with the car so far. Despite so many miles traveled, the car is almost in factory condition thanks to good maintenance and care.
Here’s what the car owner Mr. Zhong says about his beloved Swedish-Swiss jet: “I usually buy a new car every 5 to 6 years due to gradually increase fuel consumption and power loss, it is also my excuse for buying a new car. But, I have been driving this Saab 9-5 Aero for more than 15 years. I can not find any reason to get a new one because I feel its every condition better than the original.”
In addition to the many upgrades to the Hirsch Performance package, the car has undergone many changes, here’s a list of great improvements that make this Saab truly exceptional and unique in the world:
＊ Hirsch Performance Troll R
‧ Upgrade software 305PS / 400Nm
‧ Sports downpipe & Dual exhaust system
‧ Sports intercooler & intake pipe
‧ Garrett TB28 Turbochager
‧ 3.5 Bar Fuel pressure regulator
＊ JE Forged Pistons
＊ Pauter Forged Connecting Rods
＊ Top-End Sports Porting & Polishing Cylinder Head
＊ Abbott racing Delivery Pipe
＊ Forge Blow-Off Valve
＊ Hirsch Performance 331mm Brake Kit
＊ Hirsch Performance Suspention kit
＊ Hirsch Performance 8.0 x 18 inch Light Alloy Wheels
＊ Hirsch Performance Honeycomb Grilles
＊ Hirsch Performance Side Skirts & Rear Lower Spoiler
＊ Saab Rear Spoiler
＊ DynaQuest DMV-712 Multimedia Unit
＊ Hirsch Performance Sports Steering Wheel
＊ Hirsch Performance Aluminum Pedals
＊ Carbon Fiber sill panels & Door Handles
＊ Defy Monitor Gauges
＊ South Star Blinder Hp-905
＊ Valentine One Radar Detector
＊ South Star GPS-9900
＊ 3M Tire Pressure Sensor
＊ Osram LED Daylight & Foglight
Troll R, finally put in context
For years, the Troll R designation circulated without a clear explanation — often framed as a vague factory special or an unofficial Saab experiment. That ambiguity is now resolved.
Based on period road tests, original Hirsch documentation, and Swiss registration records, we recently published a detailed analysis that explains what the Troll R actually was, how Hirsch defined it, and why the name caused so much long-lasting confusion.
The full breakdown — including a documented Hirsch Troll R currently offered for sale in Switzerland — is available in our new reference article.
Official Saab documentation about the Troll R can only be found through HIRSCH, not in Saab’s own factory documentation. At the time, you could order a Saab 9-5 Aero and have it modified by Hirsch for an additional cost. This is because the names SAAB and HIRSCH are often misunderstood. It was not an official Saab factory model like the Viggen or Aero, which is why it does not appear in the standard Saab catalogue.
The Saab 9-5 Troll R was mainly a creation of Hirsch Performance (the Swiss Saab specialist that later became an officially recognised Saab tuner). It was a highly exclusive conversion based on the 9-5 Aero: the engine, turbocharger, exhaust system, brakes, suspension, wheels, and interior were all upgraded.
Typical features of a Troll R:
Saab 9-5 Aero base model
2.3 Turbo engine (B235R)
Around 305 hp and approximately 400 Nm of torque in the well-known versions
Hirsch suspension and brakes
Special bumpers, wheels, and interior details
The confusion comes from the fact that some people believe it was a “Saab factory special”, whereas it was more comparable to what Alpina did with BMW: a high-end tuner operating very close to the factory level.
The Troll R belongs to the most desirable modern Saabs, together with the 900 Turbo, 9000 Aero, and 9-3 Viggen. It is essentially the ultimate evolution of the classic Saab philosophy: a discreet car capable of surprising much more powerful vehicles.
Estimates from Saab specialists generally put the number at only a few dozen examples. Some enthusiasts mention a figure close to 30 to 40 cars, but this has never been confirmed by an official registry.
This means that, as long as a Saab or Hirsch specialist has not inspected the vehicle thoroughly from top to bottom, doubts can remain about its authenticity. Many cars today carry the Troll R name, while they may actually only be a 9-5 Aero fitted with Hirsch parts or a partial Hirsch upgrade.
Danke, ganz korrekt erklärt.
In SAAB-Unterlagen war lediglich Werbung beziehungsweise Hinweise und Beschreibungen betreffend SAAB-PERFORMANCE zu finden, daß von HIRSCH stammt und zum Teil in Zusammenarbeit von und mit SAAB entwickelt wurde. Eines mehrerer Beispiele: das Modell 9.5 BioPower100, daß heute im Museum-Trollhättan steht.
Wir hatten in unserer Werkstatt einen original TROLL-R 9.5-SC für 17 Jahren, bevor er von unserem Garage-Inhaber verkauft wurde.
Wichtig ist, daß das Fahrzeug von HIRSCH offiziell zertifiziert ist. Dafür hat es mehrere Unterlagen die gesetzlich geprüft und entsprechend abgestempelt wurden. Nur mit diesen zertifizierte Unterlagen handelt es sich um einen von HIRSCH umgebauten TROLL-R, daß bei jeder offiziellen Fahrzeugprüfung Gültigkeit hat, sowie offiziell anerkannt wird (jedenfalls bei uns in EU)!
yeah, there were two Hirsch options then, 280 and 305 hp. I opted for 280 then for my 2002 9-5 Aero sw.
Fast forward a few years. In the summer of 2006 there was (in the Netherlands at least) only one Hirsch option available: 300 hp, and that included the necessary hardware.
What great cars they were.
To drive this 9-5 Hirsch is really Understatement. The car is incredible fun to drive and much faster than it appears. A real sports car as saloon. I have never afterwards driven a car such relaxed and comfortable.