The GM/ Saab relationship was like an arranged marriage doomed to fail because the bride’s wealth was tied up in an exotic fruit that tastes like a common one.

That Saab Viggen medical commercial was pure gold! I’ve got to rewind and watch again

SAAB BOY HOURS

The Viggen, V6 Aero, and Turbo X were the last gasps of Saab turbo fun, and I'm glad they existed.

The Viggen is one of those cars I am always keeping an eye out for, because it is rare and obscure enough for people not to know what it is.

“With a Turbo that lags more than counter strike on dial up”. This writing is top notch

"Considerate people don't buy BMW's" probably the most true quote i've ever heard!

That “commercial” was amazing! The fine print was the cherry on top.

Saab, visionaries without the means to fulfill their ideals. Since I happen to live in Sweden, Saabs of that generation are plentiful and reasonably priced. We've driven Saabs in my family since my dad bought his first 9-3 in the late 90's/early 2000's. In 2006, he bought the newest 9-3 estate, completely optioned out (except for the "Aero" package). His forum posts still exist out there of that car. You can really tell he loved that thing, and he must have been devastated when he was forced to sell it only a couple of years later. Saabs are not the best cars, they never had the means to push that far. What Saabs are however is something immensely special, whilst also being fun, practical and safe for their time. As a Swede, I am going to do my utmost to ensure that whatever Saab I get is taken care of, and is able to stay on the road as long as it possibly can.

"Like an incel whose only allergy is portion control" is an amazing, quality line.

GM did to SAAB what EA does with it's studios, force them to follow a certain mold , and then when they inevitably don't turn a profit, just kill them off and onto the next one.

I remember going west on i70 at triple digit speeds so my brother could see how fast my lightly modded Talon was. A Viggen passed me like I was standing still 😂.

This might be my most favorite episode of RCR in the past couple years. Something about the comedic gut punches and that mid-episode “commercial” make this truly special. Bravo team!!

SAAB’s accurately hit my G spot for some reason

Even as a Volvo guy, I still love Saabs. It's sad they never got the funding they deserved.

Saab really missed out on a golden opportunity here, the "Black Saabath" edition

The thing thats always struck me about the turn of the millenium 9-3s is how good the front seats are. No other car seat fits me as well as they do.

I will always have a soft spot for SAAB. I used to have a 2001 9-5 Aero wagon with a stick. Wonderful sleeper of a car when you put a tune on it. Those 2.3 engines will take a lot of power without complaining. It was still pulling strong and smooth at almost 300k miles when the body rusted out around it. I wish I had the money to have kept it pristine but the New England winters had taken their toll.

I remember my dad's Viggen. I loved that thing so much. I remember when a good friend of mine died right when we got out of high school, my dad handed me the keys to his black convertible Viggen. In the CD player was Radiohead's The Bends album. I never cried so much while simultaneously smiling. I remember picking up my friends and quietly sitting by the lake in a park with the top down and heat blasting. One of those sad moments we always look back on fondly.

I bought a used 9000 Aero in college for $2500 - it just needed a new exhaust. I was obsessed with the 2nd gear rush, and had my friends drive it to experience it. Was a great college car and was also great in the snow. I had that from 2008 to 2013, and still miss it 10 years later!

Man. No other channel puts the effort into the bits like RCR. Bravo boyos

Karma is an airstrike you call in on yourself. Pure gold.

I didn't think I'd see another Saab on this channel so this was a pleasant surprise. I really miss my 9-3.

That drug commercial was the cherry on top. I feel like RCR is getting back to what made it great in the first place.

The Hank Hill impersonation was enough on it's own to deserve another "like" but your Saab Viggen pharma-Ad was just absolutely fkn brilliant hahahaha

The Finnish car plant which made cabriolet versions and these had interesting project brewing in the background. They made five prototypes of Saab 9000 with 4.0 v8 engine with 300 hp. The engine was made from two inline four blocks hitched together. Unfortunately GM buyout probably killed that project.

Easily my favourite road legal car, can’t wait to see you review the other Viggen. Haven’t driven one myself but I heard they’re built to handle well on roads (it’s a Cold War thing). Turbo doesn’t lag as much as it’s little brother, although you get the best performance at about 15000 ft in the sky. Fuel economy is ok, 28 miles to the gallon which is better than most fuel guzzling trucks ford puts out, plus it comes with drop tanks. Would recommend as a first time car for any students out there, it’s affordable, handles well on country roads, and once intercepted an SR 71 Blackbird over the North Sea.

Mr. Regular's videos are the best part of my Mondays.

The detail of the "skip ad" countdown on the Viggen commercial was absolute perfection!

When I saw the title was like: "Wait you're doing jet reviews now?!"

GM took a lot of Saabs safety features though.

With that Rollercoaster Tycoon reference, you are really speaking to a specific age of people out there and I finally feel seen.

I've owned about 14 SAABs in my lifetime, among them was a Viggen - a wonderful expression of individuality and passion! Thanks Mr R!

What a stunning car. What a stunning beard. Everything you could possibly want in a review

Used to own a 9-3 2001, loved it. It was base model with 150hp, joined the Saab club and had a mate flash the ECU for 100€. 5min swap job later, FlexFuel with 230hp and 400Nm. Worked like a charm with E85 for years.

OMG this whole Saab Viggen drug advert is awesome. Great writing, delivery, the music and stock footage are spot on. This is awesome

I’ve got a Monte Carlo Yellow 5-Dr Viggen and love telling people about it and the brand at gas stations, parking lots, local car shows to people that know nothing about the brand or the car. SAAB was truly unique and special. Thank you for taking the time to put a piece like this out there for more people to appreciate.

This one was near poetry. Roman's Viggen drug advert was spot on and hilarious. A new high bar gentlemen!

I spent $700 on a 07 Saab 9-5 manual. It was misdiagnosed to need spark plugs and a coil. The previous owner wanted it gone when all it needed was a crankshaft position sensor which cost me $50. Now, it's my 2nd daily 😅 . It needs a clutch (pretty badly) but I love the car and I'm gonna have one put in. I never knew I'd love a Saab but here I am. Lusting for a second one.

That real quick Ferengi comparison was great, always makes me happy to see a random Star Trek reference in the wild

I miss Saab. The first car I bought myself was a 9-3 Aero, and it was a good car. It felt like a rocket compared to the 90hp teenage economy cars that preceded it. Hugely practical too, the 5dr hatch was almost wagon-like in its carrying capacity, and the seats were great for long distances.

I think this might make the top 10 RCR episodes of all time but time will tell

There's a funny thing about when they made the 9-3 in 2005. They took a Vauxhall Vectra and it was meant to be just a badge swap. It was so different that the wheel base was changed, which meant some of the parts from a Vauxhall couldn't fit properly.

my dad got a 9-5 wagon in the 90s years before he had kids and liked it so much he ended up owning THREE more after that until the final one chose to die one fateful day. at the time I was still in elementary school but I still remember how much he loved his Saabs.

i miss saabs. such good cars pre GM

Very interesting perspective on Saabs. they are well liked vehicles in Europe, as ive come to find out with recently coming into possesion of one.

I remember when these came out when I was 15 and reading every car magazine’s review of the Viggen I could get my hands on and completely lusting after these. I remember going to Auto Shows and sitting in them and thinking wow these seats are comfortable and thinking I’d pick one up used in a few years but it was not be. I really miss SAAB.

As a 3 SAAB owner, I appreciate the depth of research this channel puts in to the minute details of a brand or particular cars history. I learned alot here

Deadset thought you were reviewing a swedish jet when I saw this notification

The timing of that Challenger pulling out at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="854">14:14</a>. Dont know if it was intentional, but... priceless. It signified that America wanted buffet wings, strippers, and MOPAWAH, not refinement, quality, and vehicles that had culture.

recently had some pressure to retire our 2001 9-3 for a low-mileage 2010 fusion from the family and we just couldn't do it. the most practical impractical car out there! the things we've hauled! and so pleasant to drive, whether you drive it fun like my wife does or like a trolley driver the way I do

When I was in middle school, my family bought a black '07 Saab 9-3. We loved it so much a red '07 9-3 joined the family a year later. I'm now a sophomore in college, and I drive the red 9-3. Drove it during high school, during the pandemic, and now during college. It has a stage 1 tune from Maptun Perfomance, and they're front strut brace. Absolutely awesome car to have. Both cars still remain in the family, and i hope they never have to leave our family. Saab has a special place in my heart for how fun, quirky, and safe they are. GM really dropped the ball with this brand.

OH MY GOD EASILY MY FAVORITE RCR VIDEO OF ALL TIME

I strongly believe GM had the chance to make Saab their european Audi/Bmw contender. They should've let Opel/Vauxhall build a base platform, then let Saab spend more money on tweaking and perfecting them and selling them as a true premium product. If they had started doing this in the early 2000's, and let the Saab engineers do more of what they wanted, I do think we would still have new Saabs rolling of the production line today. //A sad Swede living 100kms from the old Saab plant in Trollhättan.

Saab and Mazda were 2 brands I always had a lot of respect for, and I felt like they both shared the same spirit as a company. I am very sad to see Saab gone now

I owned one of these and loved it. It met its end at the hands of a drunk driving a Saturn Outlook, ran right into it while it was parked on the street. Probably one of the rarest combinations of vehicles in a collision.

Dr Roman with the brilliant infomercial 😂😂😂

“once you have their money never give it back” Ferengi Rules of acquisition 👍

Slow clap. This is easily my favorite RCR of the last year. I can't put my finger on why, but this tickled me in places I did not know that I have.

The ad and the sabotage cutaway make this an instant classic.

I owned a 99 Saab Viggen - it was a fantastic vehicle....I kept it until I picked up a new 2014 Fiesta ST when they launched in North America.

This. This is the kind of content I come here for. This was spectacular. Over the years I have occasionally found myself wondering how much different things could have been had GM just given SAAB money and didn't put any restrictions on them. How much better SAAB would have been, how much better GM could have been.

Oh the commercial... that commercial... boys you hit every single note. That was priceless. Thank you. My day just bloomed.

"In the land of the dollar, the king is whoever makes the boss look good to the shareholders." Legendary

This is a very bold statement as I have been a fan of this channel back in its weird, short video days, this is with out a doubt, the most hilarious video yall have dropped yet

Never driven a Viggen, but a good friend of mine used to own a 9-5 Aero 5 speed. He let me drive it, and it was actually the second turbocharged car I ever drove (behind my dad's old 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan which I got my driver's license in). That thing embodied what I love in turbocharged cars, that surge of power that hits you like a truck when boost builds. I bought myself a turbocharged performance car a few months later, a 2009 Mazdaspeed 3. And it had all the good attributes I liked about the Saab, but in a more practical package. It had an old school turbo that felt very punchy on boost.

I had a small poster of the 93 Aero and the Viggen. I loved the angular look and the fighter plane name badge.

I waited all day to watch this video because I miss my 96 900 Turbo so much and I didn't want to be depressed. The only turbo that can run 87 and still thrill you. This is a great tribute to the best brand.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="495">8:15</a> I was legit expecting a KUNKLEMAN CHEVROLET commercial to unexpectedly pop up here.

Nice touch with the "skip ads" button in the Viggen ad. I actually tried to click it out of habit lol. Tried at least 3 times before I realized it's not a ad lol.

I haven't seen commercials that entertaining outside of VanZandt

Very well done!! Did not expect to see a Viggen review done by you. Your research and info is fuggin spot on! You put your time into this one! I have had my 99 LB Viggen for well over a decade now and have owned many other high hp fun vehicle's, but this one is one I could never let go. It's just something about it, mine is quite modified and gets rid of a lot of the known Viggen issues they had (and you mentioned), but even stock I didn't have bad boost lag ... even once it was modified and tuned (stock turbo) it still has awesome torque boost. Either way a few things saab SHOULD have done was a LSD which is thee best thing I did to my car and of course the steering rack brace for the torque steer. Both of which transformed this car greatly. It's the one car I will likely keep forever because of all the odd attention it gets when going to car shows or racetracks with it. It's so fun to talk with people that actually know what it is and how rare they are. Thanks again for the review. If you ever wanna come out to WI and review one heavily modified one let me know. Keep up the good content !

Night Panel! Every car should have that option.

OMG. That is Viggen right for you commercial was pure gold! Loved the warnings underneath. 5 years treatment if untreated previously and no ownership history of a dodge ram. Hahaha you guys killed it. Also still a kind of sad story. What a cool car. Last of a cool funky brand. Always wanted a Saab!

Best episode of RCR ever! Without vulgarity to boot

I will say, I've driven a fair number of cars, trucks, and things in-between, either my car, a friend or family member's car, a rental, or for a test drive, and the one Saab I've driven was the only one that I got into and immediately knew where every corner of the car was. No idea how that knowledge invaded my brain, but it did. I had to do a 3-point turn to turn it around in a parking lot and scared everyone by coming within a couple inches of a bollard because I didn't feel like making it into a 4-point turn. Knew, intuitively, exactly where the front corner was. No problems. Fortunately for my wallet at the time, I decided to pass on it because it required premium fuel. I've come to deeply appreciate the amount of progress we've made with direct injection turbocharged engines, because you can get great power out of them while still running 87 octane and it doesn't complain. It doesn't attempt to send the valves through the top of the valve cover to ping off the inside of the hood like a particularly aggressive pan of jiffy-pop. Saab was a woefully underappreciated and misunderstood car company and I wish they had better marketing when they entered the US. It probably would have helped if they also had better styling like the very last generation of Saab vehicles did, but they were just such quirky and well engineered bits of kit and it's such a shame that their proclivities led to expensive and unmarketable vehicles. Admittedly, if given the choice between keeping Saturn and Pontiac or sacrificing Saab, I'd probably opt for the former. Saturn and Pontiac had some really amazing cars at the end, based on the designs from their European market division. But daddy Chevy refuses to pare down their product portfolio to give their subsidiary companies a chance. Like, if Chevy had opted to continue their product line with just their sports cars, some large SUVs, and some large trucks then the rest of their brands would be better off. Pontiac could make a small, quirky little sports car, sedan coupe-styled cars, and crossover vehicles based on Toyota hatchbacks. Saturn could then take over regular sedans, crossovers, and small SUVs based on Vauxhall and Opel designs and potentially keep their own iteration of the tiny sports car that they stole wholesale from Opel. GMC could then actually continue producing small to midsize trucks and midsize SUVs. It would be so much more efficient not to have to keep shelling out just to reskin the same chassis and try to trick people into thinking they're all different vehicles with marketing and different interiors. I'd be more forgiving toward them if it were just a matter of a base brand and a luxury brand, like with Honda and Acura, Nissan and Infinity, Toyota and Lexus, Ford and Lincoln, etc. But with GM, it's just a weird incestuous side-grade bonanza. Back in the early 2000's they had Chevrolet, GMC, Pontiac, and Saturn as "base" brands all sharing related vehicle platforms with a lot of overlap. Then they had Saab and Buick as the semi-premium option. Finally they had Cadillac as their "luxury" brand. Like, it was never going to be sustainable, but they could have allowed the brands to specialize more instead of just axing almost half of them. It just seems like a lot of customer good-willand brand recognition to waste.

The 2006-2009 Saab 9-5 with the 260 horsepower 2.3 Turbo are very fun to drive also

Ah yes, the Saab you NEEDED to drive. This was well done guys, and a great redemption for Saab after letting you guys review my 9³ Wagon

Had 5 93 hatchbacks. Loved all of them! But the old Cavalier underpinnings were horrible! Huge torque steer and brakes that faded to nothing! I cured the issues with 3 of my cars by adding the Abbot rack brace, poly bushes, uprated brakes and double rear antiroll bar. Massive plus points were the HUGE boot, amazing seats and simple dash layout. I traded my last 93 hatch for the new 93SS, hated it, and sold it after 6 weeks!

A few things: 1) A well-sorted Viggen with the factory TD-04 15T turbo should have almost no perceivable turbo lag (peak torque was created at 2,500 rpm). Perhaps the example you drove had T5 camshafts (a common modification to increase top end) or a larger aftermarket turbo. 2) All Viggens (‘99-‘02) were equipped with Trionic 7 (T7); the only 9-3s that came with T5 were the ‘99 base and SE models. 3) No Saab came with forged pistons from the factory; the Viggen had the same weak, lightweight pistons as the 9-5s. All T7 pistons are extremely prone to cracked ringlands, especially when one approaches the ~300hp mark. Forged pistons are a popular upgrade due to this.

That was very well done. It made me smile.

Love this one as always but please try the 9-5 aero whenever you can... There's one waiting for you if you ever come back to the U.K! Any pre 2006 ones still were wasting GMs money being brilliant, after that they really shut off the money tap and what it loses in weight it makes up for in having overboost in 2nd and 3rd instead of nuking power in second (probably because its that much heavier but worth a drive if you get the chance)

I got a 2002 9-3 SE as my first car about 5 years ago. I absolutely love the thing. Who knew leather, heated seats, and turbo lag could go so well together? I'm just hoping that I can overcome the rust (thanks, New England) and keep it on the road as long as I can. Here's to hoping once my car bites the dust, I'll be able to find a Viggen!

I purchased my mothers 2002 9-3 Convertible from her when she replaced it with a BMW X3. It had alot of problems. Costed me most of my monthly incomes the first year to repair and give it the proper maintenance. But while the engine light stared at me from the dash. It still was and is a fun car! Finally got it in good shape with no engine-faults or performance problems, and passed inspections. And the SAAB really shows what good care will provide in return to the owner. the small turbo 2-liter engine is a great platform! Granted it is my first car. but I have promised myself that I will be the last owner this car will ever have. And that i will take care of it and the history the car carries.

I was a Saab salesman for less than a year back in 2000 when this car was new. I loved taking it out of the lot for a drive when the showroom was quiet. Man did it pull! You had to keep both hands firmly on the steering wheel, the torque steer was crazy. I now drive a 2004 9-5 with the same 2.3T engine, it's perfectly suited for the larger 9-5, although not as fast as in the 9-3 Viggen.

Don't we all appreciate a Saab story?

This was my fav car to drive in Forza Motorsport 1 and I have no idea why, but I want one of these IRL now.

This was the car i wanted as a teenager. Still want it now, it looks amazing and i love that its a highly turboed fwd car with tons of crude torque steer

The skip ad button isn't working😂

“Ask your doctor if Saab Viggen is right for you”. Love it!! 😅

I wanted one of these badly in 2008 when I got my license. Saved up all my money from odd jobs and worked extra ones. I knew my parents would approve because of Swedish brand safety. For months, I looked up and down the classifieds in the local papers. I went to dealers. I even scoured used car dealerships that were on the internet. I couldn't find a single Viggen in the area. I ended getting a 2004 Volvo s40, a fun but mechanically miserable vehicle. The Saab Viggen is my unrequited love and despite the pain, I think it would be best to keep it that way. Thanks for the great video RCR

Roman provided a Ad better than a Superbowl ad, that was amazing!

One of my low key attainable dream cars. Not 100% sure I want to finish this review on the small chance it spoils it for me.

I had a 2002 Saab 9-3, it wasn't the viggen but it was still my absolute most favorite car

I've owned a 2001 Viggen convertible for about 15 years now and it's still an addicting drive. Factory exhaust sounds great. Always loved those seats. The VRK (Viggen Rescue Kit) 6-point front subframe brace helps stiffen the chassis.

The Saab Viggen ad might be the best thing ever uploaded to the internet.

2001 Saab Viggen. For the man that likes mash potatoes & gravy. But wants the gravy in a separate bowl.

I am such a mark for 80s Saab...

Wasn't on board with the Viggen/pharma commercial till the warnings at the end. That was exceptionally well put together Roman👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿.

Back in 2001, I used to regularly use a SAAB 9-3 Turbo Convertible that belonged to my then boss. It felt special and I remember it being fairly quick, at the time. This then makes this Viggen sound all the more desirable...