Saab 9-5 2000-2005 Model Years - v1.0 Showcase

Back in 1998, I worked for a Saab dealership in Exeter, New Hampshire. Starting in the service department before transitioning into a hybrid sales and service role, I took immense pride in our reputation. We held the highest customer service rating in all of New England. Because buying and owning a Saab was a significant investment, I wanted our clients to love these unique vehicles just as much as I did.

My dedication didn't go unnoticed. As the sole customer service representative leading the department, my passion for the job inspired the dealership's owner to send me on an unforgettable trip to Sweden in the summer of 1998.

The highly anticipated Saab 9-5 was preparing to launch worldwide, and I can still remember that summer like it was yesterday. The Swedish engineering development team took me on an exclusive tour of the main factory in Trollhättan. The highlight of the trip was my official introduction to the 9-5. It featured a closed-door viewing of pre-production demo cars, access to a top-secret development building that was strictly off-limits to the public, and a meeting with the "Green Team"—Saab's elite product improvement specialists.

The finale, however, was a trip to the test track. It turned out to be one of the most exhilarating, terrifying moments of my life.

A striking blonde Swedish woman stepped onto the asphalt, locked eyes with me, and smiled. "Someone wants to experience what the 9-5 can really do," she said.

I swallowed hard, thinking, Oh no, what have I gotten myself into?

A brand-new Saab 9-5 clad in sparkling silver metallic paint purred up to the curb. We piled in. She introduced herself as our driver, I introduced myself, and before I could even click my seatbelt, boom—we were flying.

Suddenly, we were motoring around a steeply angled racetrack at well over 100 mph. The centrifugal force pinned me to the leather. I was trapped in the backseat, screaming my absolute brains out, while our driver laughed hysterically, effortlessly handling the car. In the front passenger seat sat another Saab engineer whom I had met back in New Hampshire that spring. He looked back at me, joining his colleague in roaring laughter at my sheer terror.