Renault R8 vs Saab 96

From Sweden, the Saab 96 with either a V4 or two stroke 3 cylinder and front engine front drive.

From France, the Renault R8 or 8 with a inline 4 and rear engine rear drive.

SAAB! BTW the 96 never had the two cycle tripple.

HappyAndy wrote: SAAB! BTW the 96 never had the two cycle tripple.

I am 99% sure it did.

Saabs are cute quirky and quaint but for me I will take all that oddness in the Renault package

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF0OxfXevEs

I LOVE R8's. Hell I actually own an R10

Cue the french bashing in 3.....2......1.....

I thought they stopped that with the 93 models, but the SAAB Museum says otherwise.

http://www.saabmuseum.com/96/techspec.html

Saab's got it all over that Frenchy.

Give me the "right wheel drive" Renault. Other than that one point, call me not too impressed with either, but I've never driven either of them...

914Driver wrote: I thought they stopped that with the 93 models, but the SAAB Museum says otherwise. http://www.saabmuseum.com/96/techspec.html Saab's got it all over that Frenchy.

Thats what I thought too. The two cycle 96 looks so much like the 93 that its an easy mistake.

My ol' man had a saab 96 monte carlo with the 2stroke.. he remembers it being a nimble little beast.

Saab all day, every day.

RossD wrote: Give me the "right wheel drive" Renault. Other than that one point, call me not too impressed with either, but I've never driven either of them...

You would have to drive a saab to understand how well they handle. They are one of the few FWD cars that it is hard to tell what end is driven.

I am just a sucker for 3 lug wheels

The Renault must be the perfect city car. The doors are like 20 inches wide and the car is narrow so when they are all the way open the car is still narrower than any parking spot.

I have always considered saabs to be the coolest cars I have no interest in. I want to want to own one but it just doesn't happen.

In reply to ditchdigger:

I was wondering if the R8s where three lugs. Do aftermarket wheels exist for R8s?

Yes. Gotti still makes them.

http://www.gbsalpine.com/wheel/gotti/eng.html

I had a '66 SAAB 96 Special Sedan with the three carb, three cyl. two stroke with oil injection. The V-4 wasn't intoduced until the '67 model year. The 2 stroke '96 started production in 1961. The two stroke was carried through '68 at a smaller displacement.

SAAB...but I would go for the 95.

I've made my decision many times over.

• Current owner of two 96s and one 95.

SAAB 92, Bonneville edition

ditchdigger wrote: Saabs are cute quirky and quaint but for me I will take all that oddness in the Renault package http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF0OxfXevEs I LOVE R8's. Hell I actually own an R10 Cue the french bashing in 3.....2......1.....

Vive la France! I'd have the Renault as well.

Although never driven or even been around either one and don't know that much about them. I still choose the Saab.

SAAB

96 was my first car:

hot rod 1700, f66 cam, 2-bbl weber, exhaust etc. Fun little car. Customer of our ended up making me an offer I couldn't refuse.

subrew wrote: 96 was my first car: hot rod 1700, f66 cam, 2-bbl weber, exhaust etc. Fun little car. Customer of our ended up making me an offer I couldn't refuse.

I've had that pic saved for a while now...liking the widened front wheels.

In reply to JFX001:

Those are period pieces too! 15x7 wide steelies that pops ran on his '68 Sonett Racer from new. Pic would have been taken in 1992.

I'd rock the R8, and crank up Operation S on the stereo...

oldeskewltoy wrote: SAAB 92, Bonneville edition

In reply to oldeskewltoy:

This ain't no two-stroke, ain't got three cylinders, and ain't naturally aspirated, but it is in that green Saab (400 hp):