Per Eklund at Pikes Peak: Time for Tea?

An 800hp Saab 9-3 racing to the clouds, what more could you want?

By Dafydd Wood / Sunday, 2 July 2017 / Loading comments

The name Per Eklund might not be a familiar one but, if you call yourself a fan of sideways Scandinavian speed merchants, it ought to be.

The 71 year-old Swede is synonymous with all things offroad. From 1973 to 2014, he at various times competed in the World Rally, European Rallycross and WRX Championships. From Triumph TR7 V8s to MG Metro 6R4s, and Toyota Celica 2000GTs to Porsche Carreras, Eklund has raced them all. But it was in Saabs that he found the most glory. In 1999, driving a 9-3 T16, he was crowned European Rallycross Champion, prompting his entrance into the event where he became a star, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

At the wheel of his 800hp Saab 9-3 Viggen 4x4, he not only beat the competition but shattered records too. In 2001 he won the Open category with a record setting time of 11:21.58 - it wasn't bettered until 2012 when the course was fully tarmacked. The following year he returned, this time taking victory in the Unlimited class, his time of 11:13:20 beating the second place run of his long-time Swedish rival Stig Blomqvist by over 34 seconds.

It's video of the former run which we have here though, firstly in onboard form and secondly a few shots from the exterior. The obscene aero addenda and breathtaking cliff faces setting a scene that is true Pikes Peak perfection!

Onboard here