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Saab 9-3 to Challenge Pikes Peak
Posted by The Saab Network (more from The Saab Network) on Fri, 28 Jun 2002 11:22:23
In Reply to: , Kok Chen, Sat, 17 Dec 1988 12:00:00 

Saab 9-3 to Challenge Pikes Peak Hill Climb in Unlimited Class

Swedish rallycross racer Per Eklund will return to Colorado to compete in the
2002 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on Saturday, June 29.  At the wheel
of the most powerful Saab car  an all-wheel-drive, 750-hp Saab 9-3 Viggen
former open-class winner Eklund will now be competing in the unlimited class
during his third race on the mountain.

Norcross, GA--Known as 'The Race to the Clouds,' the Pikes Peak International
Hill Climb is a unique challenge to man and machine.  It's a 12.4-mile course
of both pavement and gravel that starts at an elevation of 9,402 feet and
ends at 14,110 feet, featuring 156 turns with no guardrails.  Former European
Rallycross champion Per Eklund captured a win during his first entry in the
fabled hill climb, racing to the finish line in an open-class record time in
2000.  After suffering a blown tire last year, but still finishing second in
his class, Eklund is confident that he has a strong chance at setting a new
record on the mountain this year.

For the event, Saab and Eklund have fine-tuned the same race car that tackled
the mountain the two previous races. It's the most powerful Saab ever  an
all-wheel-drive 9-3 Viggen with a Garrett turbocharged Saab 2.0-liter engine
that delivers 750 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and 545 lb.-ft. of torque at 6,500
rpm.  With this amount of power, all-wheel drive and a 6-speed
sequential-shift transmission, the 9-3 Viggen's acceleration is in the
Formula One class: 0-60 mph in 2.3 seconds.  The car is geared for a top
speed of 155 mph.  The vehicle is constructed on a sturdy tubular frame that
gives both high torsional stiffness and good crash protection.

This year marks the 80th running of the second oldest automobile race in the
U.S. (after the Indy 500) at Pikes Peak.  Speeds on the course can reach in
excess of 100 mph on the few short straightaways, although 42 percent of the
course is curves, including many first- and second-gear switchbacks.

'In the unlimited class this year, we were allowed to make more modifications
to the car's aerodynamics,' Eklund said.  'We have created more downforce
with spoilers and a smoother underside, and that will help me be more
aggressive in the corners.  In addition, we're using a new, even larger
Garrett turbocharger that increases torque by about 5 percent.'

Eklund has been competing in rallies, rallycross and other races since the
early 1960s, most often behind the wheel of a Saab.  Throughout the 1970s,
Eklund was one of Saab's most successful factory drivers, and won the 1976
Swedish Rally in a Saab 96.  In an impressive rookie performance, he won the
open class at Pikes Peak in 2000 with a class-record-setting time of
11:21.38, the second fastest overall time of the day.

Eklund commented, 'If the road conditions are good and the surface is smooth,
we have a real chance at winning the unlimited class this year, and maybe
even setting a new record in the process!'

History of the Race to the Clouds
The first automobile to make it to the top of Colorado's Pikes Peak was a
Locomobile Steamer in 1901.  It took nine hours to drive, and push, the
vehicle to the top.  The first race was held in 1916 and the fastest time was
18 minutes, 24 seconds.  The current race record is 10 minutes, 4.06 seconds
set in 1994 by Pikes Peak veteran racer Rod Millen.

Technical specifications of Per Eklund's Pikes Peak Ecopower Saab 9-3 Viggen

Engine:
--Original Saab engine block and cylinder head.  Engine tuned by Trollspeed of Trollhättan,
Sweden.  Longitudinally mounted, four-cylinder, 16-valve with twin overhead camshafts

--Garrett turbocharger with intercooler (3.0 bar or 42.8 psi)
--Displacement:  2.0 liters
--Bore/stroke:  92/77 mm
--Compression ratio:  9.0:1

HP Rating           750 HP at 8,000 rpm
Peak torque        545 lb.-ft. at 6,500 rpm
Transmission:  Four-wheel drive with programmable active differentials and
six-speed Prodrive gearbox

Weight                 2,090 lbs
0 - 60 mph           2.3 seconds
Top speed          155 mph
==================
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