A 1998 Saab 9000 that cost just €300 is now producing 486.8 kW at the wheels, roughly 653 wheel horsepower, from a B204 that still uses its original crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, camshafts and valves.
The car belongs to Kris-Sven Sommer and was built together with Sander Võrel in Estonia. Their original target was not a dyno number. Kris-Sven had wanted for years to drive a Saab beyond 300 km/h in the standing mile, and the 9000 gradually became the car intended to do it.
A €300 Saab That Was Supposed to Be Driven
The project began during an evening conversation about an earlier Saab 9000 that had caused repeated clutch slave cylinder problems. That memory eventually led Kris-Sven and Sander to call a friend known locally for his Saab knowledge and ask whether another 9000 was available.
There was one. They looked at it that same evening and bought it the following day for €300.
The car was a 1998 Saab 9000 2.0t rated at 110 kW from the factory. Its main problem was a rusted front left brake line. Sander repaired it, the car passed inspection, and it remained in normal use for approximately a year.
Then the 300 km/h idea became serious. According to Sander, Kris-Sven mentioned the long standing goal while talking with friends. When the estimated cost came up, those friends encouraged him to start building the car rather than continue talking about it.
The B204 Is Modified, but the Expensive Parts Are Still Saab
Calling this a completely stock B204 would be inaccurate. The engine was rebuilt with a Cometic head gasket, KL Racing head and main studs, ACL race bearings, stronger KL Racing valve springs and a balance shaft delete. The piston rings were also replaced and set with a 0.65 gap.
What makes the current dyno result interesting is what was not replaced. The engine retains the original crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, camshafts and valves. The cylinder head itself has not been ported. The rev limiter is set at 7,500 rpm.
Sander says keeping these components was partly a financial decision, but it also became an experiment in how far the original B204 hardware could be pushed.
2.7 Bar Through a Pulsar 6262G
The turbocharger is a Pulsar 6262G, currently running at 2.7 bar of boost. Boost control is handled by two 32 mm wastegates. Sander fabricated the exhaust manifold himself, while the original intake manifold was modified to accept an electronic throttle body.
The engine runs on E85. Fuel delivery comes from a Walbro 525 and Walbro 535 mounted in the tank, AN8 fuel lines and 1,700 cc Bosch CNG injectors. The ignition system uses R35 GT-R coils.
Management is currently handled by an ECUMaster EMU Black, although the team plans to replace it with a MaxxECU. Charge air passes through a 3 inch FMIC intercooler with 2.5 inch aluminum intake piping, while the exhaust is a full 3 inch system ending in a Simons muffler.
The car also has nitrous, but the strongest dyno run was made without it. At 2.7 bar, the engine did not respond well to additional nitrous, something Sander suspects may be related to airflow limitations in the current head and camshaft configuration.
From 395 kW to 486.8 kW at the Wheels
Before its first standing mile event, the Saab produced 395 kW at the wheels at 2.3 bar without nitrous. With nitrous, output increased to approximately 440 kW.
After the event, the alternator was replaced with a higher output unit from a Saab 9-5 and the fuel pressure regulator was changed. Back on the dyno, the car reached 486.8 kW at the wheels without nitrous.
The run was performed at Raketibaas in Estonia by tuner Janno Kuiv on a Dynomax dyno. The dyno displayed 558.3 kW as calculated engine output, equivalent to approximately 749 hp, although the team does not know exactly how the dyno software calculated that drivetrain correction. For that reason, the directly measured 486.8 kW wheel figure is the more useful number.
The team has wondered whether this could be the most powerful B204 still using stock pistons, rods, crankshaft, camshafts, valves and an unported head. Without a complete record of comparable builds worldwide, that claim is difficult to verify. What can be documented is the combination itself: 653 hp at the wheels from a B204 whose major rotating components remain factory Saab parts.
The Stock Gearbox Is Still There Too
The transmission is currently a stock FM54. The flywheel is also original, paired with a six puck sintered KL Racing clutch disc and Sachs Performance pressure plate.
An Aero FM57 gearbox had originally been prepared for the car, but it began grinding second gear on the dyno shortly before the first competition outing. The Saab still managed 269 km/h in the standing mile despite a broken second gear.
Suspension modifications remain relatively straightforward: adjustable Koni rear dampers, Bilstein B6 front dampers, Lesjöfors lowering springs and a Maptun front strut brace. The brakes retain the original dimensions with Rotinger drilled and slotted discs and ATE pads. A roll cage was added during the build.
The Next Target Is 1,000 HP
The engine has covered only around 100 km at its current power level, much of that mileage accumulated during dyno testing. So far, there have been no major engine failures.
Sander and Kris-Sven plan further testing during 2026, with the 300 km/h standing mile target still defining the project. The next development stage is considerably more ambitious. They are looking for support to add performance camshafts, larger valves, forged internals, MaxxECU management and eventually a VAG DSG transmission conversion.
The longer term target is more than 1,000 hp.
The team jokingly calls the 9000 their “shitbox,” largely because performance has always taken priority over appearance. For a car purchased for €300, now making nearly 487 kW at the wheels while still relying on Saab pistons and rods, that description is becoming increasingly misleading.
The project is currently looking for sponsors, and T-shirts and sweatshirts featuring the Saab are also being sold to help fund its next stage. Potential supporters can contact the team through their Facebook project page.
What kind of driveshaft do you use? We have one that only has 300 horsepower but the driveshaft keeps breaking down. I don’t understand why this is happening.
To Szabó Péter: we using original. check that something is not aligned correctly i think. I never had this kind of issue.
Once had the problem with original engine mounts was broken and when accelerating the engine lifted so much that the driveshaft change into in wrong angle.
Impressive! Could you do head modifications and get the same power with less boost, stuff can go bang at your levels of boost with just a tiny amount of detonation.