SAAB 9000 Talladega

    The toughest ever high-speed endurance test for standard cars was tackled by Saab on October 7, 1986. The starters flag dropped for three Saab 9000 Turbo cars at the Alabama International Speedway in Talladega, Alabamam U.S.A. - the worlds fastest race track. And the chequered flag lay 100000 full throttle kilometres away!
    Twenty drivers took turns at driving the cars. Every hour, they pulled into the pits for fuel and for changing the tyres, when necessary. True to the Service Manual, each car received regular service every 10000 kilometres. the rest of the time, the cars sped at full throttle, with the speedometer hovering around 230 km/h (143 mph). The cars were in perfectly standard trim, picked out of the production line by representatives of the international motor sport federation (FISA) and checked by a notary public. To be allowed to attempt the test, the cars had to be equipped with roll cages and competition-type seat belts. In addition, each of the cars was equipped with one, two or three lamps in the left-hand rear side window, so that they could be distinguised for the lap-counting at night.
    After almost three weeks of continuous motoring, the three cars chalked up two world records and 21 international records - the most impressive being the average speed of 213.299 km/h over a distance of 100000 kilometres - set by the car in the Saab museum. The second car is still in the United States, and the third is at the Technical Development Department.