Wheels magazine wrote in a July 1978 road test of the 99 Turbo, "Compare the top-gear times and you'll see that the Turbo is almost as fast between and in fourth gear as any five-seater in the world".
In 2012, a roadworthy 99 Turbo was filmed on-the-road, in a feature on Saab's car manufacturing history, on the British Top Gear television show.