I am planning on upgrading the clutch in my 97 9000 CSE 2.3T, i am deffinatly going to get a new clutch disc, but im not sure if i will need a new pressure plate. if i plan on having around 300 to 320 hp in the future, would the stock pressure plate be ok with that if i have a racing clutch disc, or would it probably not hold and need and upgraded pressure plate, one place i saw had an upgraded pressure plate and clutch with bearings for $659 from http://www.specclutch.com/specMain.html. Should i get a pressure plate as well?, also any info on a better place to get the stuff would be appreciated, thanks.

I'm in the same situation:
Car has done 120k miles and with approx 290bhp/310-320ftlbs my clutch slips (especially with a heavy load).
I reckon this is near the limit of a standard clutch and although it 'should' be fine the cost of fitting is too high to take a chance (imho).

The only decent clutch options are as follows (after much trawling!)
1) Sachs uprated pressure plate - but with new standard friction disc. Rated 600nm + and gives heavy pedal but smooth action. Hard to get hold of.
PP, FP and release bearing is about £550 for me in the UK. Well proven.

2) AP Paddle friction plate - Standard pedal weight, but harsh action, can eat flywheels, less life. Well proven.
New PP, 'AP' FP, release bearing about £320 for me

3) SPEC - I have looked into these and they look very good but unless I find someone else who has fitted them to a 9k I am unwilling to take the risk of shipping here ($175!) only to find it doesnt fit.

Currently I might go for the sachs as I plan to keep the car for a long time, next is the AP. SPEC is the best on paper but unproven to me.

centerforce is another clutch to look at it is only $400 for the kit and it has a slightly stiffer pedal but the action is smooth and it lasts a long time, u can look at it at group9performance.com, i would pick this clutch over the sachs one and any of the others

Has anyone used a Centerforce or Spec clutch in a 9K Saab?

To add to this, I called Group9 and they quoted me the following for the post 1994 full turbo clutches:

$695 for uprated pressure plate and kevlar 6 puck FP
OR
$500 for the PP alone.

Make sure when you get the quote that its for the full turbo clutch size - 240mm as I think their (Group9) current site only shows the smaller size up to 1993 for which they charge less.....

By the time I ship to the UK and pay duty its almost the same as the well proven Sachs uprated setup. :(
The hunt continues....

The weak-link with modified 9000's is the pressure plate. With torque levels above ~290 ft-lbs, it's only a matter of time before one notices slip. Some people think that it's the disk that has to be changed, but the truth is the stock disk is good for ~400 ft-lbs - IF it is used with the Sachs Race Engineering pressure plate. Although it's pricey, it is the best set-up, so far, for high-powered applications. All the fancy kevlar and other after market disks will work for a while - until they destroy the face of the pressure plate.
The Sachs Race Engineering pressure plate with a stock disk was more than sufficient for all of the +400 hp 9000's I got to ride in when I visited Stockholm, last fall. I've had one in my MapTuned 9000 (~300 hp) for over 15k miles and it handles it beautifully, although with a slightly heavier clutch pedal. The only thing I should warn you about, though, is the hydraulic line to the slave: it should be replaced with one more capable of withstanding higher pressures, due to the increased spring tension on the up-rated PP.

Have come to the same conclusion. Check my post below: I need 5+ buyers to get a good discount on the sachs uprated PP plate. Anyone interested? PM me for details.