American V10 for Saab 9-3
2011-05-17 08:48
VIPER VENOM: Matt black finish. Oversized alloy wheels. Rear fender extensions. This is what a V10 powered Scandinavian station wagon looks like…
Vehicle Specs
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Manufacturer
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Saab
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Model
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Viper Sport Combi
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Engine
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8.4l V10
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Power
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447kW
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Torque
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760Nm
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Transmission
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Six-speed manual
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Despite its crippled (and foreign owned) auto industry, Swedes remain some of the most committed petrolheads around.
The Scandinavian country’s hot rodding scene is especially active, which explains the presence of probably the most extreme example of Swedish/American hybrid engineering yet - a Dodge Viper-powered Saab 9-3 Sport Combi.
Saab’s 9-3 has thoroughly American roots thanks to its shared GM Epsilon platform, but one particular Swedish hot rodder decided it required an engine transplant of substantial capacity to comprehensively transform it into the ultimate soccer mom’s supercar.
The donor vehicle? None other than America’s baddest supercar, Dodge’s Viper.
TEN INSTEAD OF FOUR
Transplanting a truck converted diesel-to-petrol engine of 8.4-litres into the transverse configuration engine bay of the Saab 9-3 (usually host to a mere 2-litre four-cylinder engine) was obviously going to be a challenge akin to playing putt-putt against Charl Schwartzel.
To accommodate this most ambitious of power- and drivetrain swaps, the 9-3 Sport Combi’s structure was significantly re-engineered, with a central transmission tunnel crafted to accommodate the Viper’s six-speed manual drivetrain.
Dodge's 8.4-litre V10 Viper engine was mounted behind the Sport Combi's front centre wheel-line, ensuring the best weight distribution possible.
The result is a stylishly proportioned Swedish station wagon, with 447kW (supported by 760Nm) spinning the rear-wheels, and proper manual control for the driver, thanks to the gated six-speed transmission. There are properly oversized Dodge Viper brake rotors too, measuring 355mm and gripped by Brembo calipers, to ensure deceleration is commensurate to this Sport Combi's straight-line shove.
Is this Swedish Saab hot rod pure madness? Well, of course it is. But if you are a hot rodder in the land of the midnight sun, you're probably more prone to dream-up and execute projects such as a this Dodge Viper Sport Combi. It really is the ultimate soccer mom's supercar.
