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Saab to Attempt Record for Ultimate Spring-Break Drive

11 March 1998

Saab to Attempt Record for Ultimate Spring-Break Drive

   New Saab 9-3 tests real-world performance on 5-day, 5,900-mile record run

    NORCROSS, Ga., March 11 -- Starting in temperatures of 30
below zero, and ending at 80 above, six adventurous travelers will run a
gauntlet of unpredictable spring weather and road conditions in an attempt to
set a record for traveling non-stop from the northernmost to the southernmost
points in the continental United States.  Just in time for spring-break
festivities, the pair of Saab 9-3s are scheduled to arrive Friday, March 20 in
the resort town of Key West, Florida.
    Departing Monday, March 16 from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, this grueling 5,900-
mile driving marathon will test the resolve and determination of the
participants -- and the Saabs -- 24-hours a day, for five days.  Their journey
will take the two Saabs from well above the Arctic Circle, Alaska, through
Canada's Yukon Territory, British Columbia and Alberta Provinces and then into
Montana and ten other states including South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri,
Georgia and Florida, directly to the southernmost point at Key West.  Clearly,
this cross-continent run is not an average spring-break road trip.
    "It's a unique driving challenge that no one has conquered before," said
event organizer Billy Edwards, who holds a number of cross-country driving
records.  "We plan to establish a new endurance driving category and a record
in that category for subsequent challengers to attempt.  The event will serve
as an extreme durability test for the new Saab 9-3 in the harshest of
conditions.  We chose the Saab because it provides the kind of versatility and
performance that this cross-continent adventure will demand."
    Each car will have three drivers rotating duties to maintain a fresh set
of eyes behind the wheel.  Drivers will observe all traffic laws, including
speed limits.  In addition to testing the drivers, this highway marathon will
be the first real-world, long-distance driving challenge for the new 1999 Saab
9-3, which goes on sale May 1, 1998.  The Saab 9-3, the replacement for the
popular Saab 900, will put its new suspension enhancements to the test on the
rugged gravel roads of Alaska.  The steep grades of the Canadian Rockies will
work the Saab 9-3's potent turbocharged engine as it pulls a load of three
occupants and all their gear over the high passes.  The Saab 9-3's improved
automatic climate control system will keep the occupants comfortable, from
Alaska's deep-freeze to balmy Florida.  This adventure will prove to be a
thorough real-world test of every system and component of the 1999 Saab 9-3.
    To follow the progress of the intrepid road warriors, the Saab Cars USA
web site's "What's New" section at http://www.saabusa.com will provide twice daily
RealAudio updates from the crew.  A full report and photo journal will be
posted on the web site at the conclusion of the event.

SOURCE  Saab Cars USA, Inc.