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Location :
Arizona Test Center, Arizona, U.S.A.
Record : Average speed of 223.345 km/h (World Speed Record
certified by the FIA)
Vehicle : Legacy RS
In 1989, from January 2 through 21, the first-generation
Legacy established a new 100,000-kilometer world speed
record at the Arizona Test Center located on the
outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. The 100,000-kilometer
distance was covered in 447 hours, 44 minutes, and 9.887
seconds, with an average speed of 223.345 km/h, thus
setting a new World Speed Record.
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The vehicles that
challenged the World Speed Record were based on the first-generation
Legacy AWD four-door sedan RS, which had a five-gear
manual transmission. Partial adjustments were made to the
vehicles in keeping withthe F d ration International de
l'Automobile (FIA) international sports regulations, but
the vehicles were virtually the same as mass-produced
models. The first-generation Legacy was entered to
challenge the world records for 100,000 kilometers and 50,000
miles, as well as the international records for Category
A (vehicles not having an annual mass production of 5,000
or more units*)/ Group I (gasoline engine)/ Class 7 (1,500cc-2,000
cc).
*The attempt took place just prior to the announcement of
the first-generation Legacy, so permission had not yet
been obtained for producing 5,000 units. Consequently,
the challenge had to be made in Category A.
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The setting for the
attempt, at the Arizona Test Center, was an oval course 9.182
kilometers in circumference. The vehicle had to travel
continuously for 100,000 kilometers, and its average
speed would be calculated. Naturally, the pit time was
included in the calculation. During the attempt,
refueling, tire changes, and driver changes could be done
at will, but the more pit stops made, the greater was the
loss in time. Three Legacy vehicles started the long
attempt to conquer the seemingly endless 10,891 laps
around the oval course at the Arizona Test Center.
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The time was 11 minutes
and 56 seconds past 3:00 a.m., January 21, 1989. It was
447 hours, 44 minutes, and 9.887 seconds after the start.
This was the moment when the Legacy outdid all
automobiles by completing the 100,000-kilometer distance
in the fastest time ever. What's more, this was a perfect
accomplishment, with all three cars breaking the existing
speed record by more than 10 km/h.
This attempt to break the world and international speed
records was part of a competition officially recognized
by the FIA and was conducted in compliance with the
strict rules set down by the FIA. Further, the measuring
instruments that calculated the automobile's speed and
the people judging the attempt must have official FIA
approval. The competition was supervised by the
Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS)
and its subordinate organization, the United States Auto
Club (USAC).
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| Reproduced from original found at Turbo Legacy City
Website |
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