Saab
9000 Turbo 'Long Run' Talladega record cars

Why it matters

The Long Run was Saab's 1986 public durability demonstration for the new 9000 Turbo. Three cars taken from the production line ran 100,000 km at Talladega at an average of more than 210 km/h and set international and world records.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

Saab selected the cars from the Trollhattan production line under supervision of FISA, the sporting authority, sealed them before shipment, and ran them at the Talladega speedway in Alabama in October 1986. Motor Sport reports the run lasting from 8 to 26 October, while the Saab Museum dates the start to 7 October. According to Motor Sport the plan came from Olle Granlund, Saab engines and transmissions chief, in 1984. SaabPlanet counts 25 drivers, mostly Saab engineers; the museum counts 31.

The fastest car covered 100,000 km at a mean 213.299 km/h, the other two averaging about 210 and 208 km/h. Motor Sport says heavy rain hindered the early running. The cars needed little beyond routine service: the main problem was fuel starvation on the banking when tanks ran low, so two cars needed exhaust valve repairs and one a fuel pump.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Rally successes Level A The Saab Museum (independent enthusiast archive)

   • three Saab 9000 Turbo 16s, in guaranteed standard condition

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Saab Car Museum – 'Saab Turbo – In the Long Run' exhibition Level A

   • 3 record cars in the 1986 test

   Accessed 2026-11-11
3. 3
   The Long Run Level B Motor Sport Magazine · 1987-01-01

   • usual iron block 2-litres
   • production 175 bhp at 5,300 revs

   Accessed 2026-11-12