It derives its name from a frenetic eight days in October 1996, when six Saab 900s shattered 40 speed and endurance records at Talladega Raceway in Talladega, Alabama.

All were standard production cars selected at random  from the Saab assembly line in Trollhättan, Sweden.

Their engines and transmissions were sealed by an FIA representative to ensure their integrity while the cars were equipped with internal tubular steel protective cages, special driver's seats and six point race harness as required by the Talladega track. The cars were otherwise completely standard.

Under the supervision of American NASCAR officials the 900s took to the track on Wednesday 16th October, and in the next eight days covered over 40,000km all at average speeds above 200 km/h (over 120 mph)…with no mechanical problems.

Leader of the pack was the 2.0 litre turbo 900, so it seems fitting that it should be the car to acquire the `Talladega' badge.

Comparitively modest boost pressure in the turbo puts136kW of power and 263Nm of torque on tap (the torque being noticeably present as low as 2000rpm), enough to satisfy anyone who prefers to balance handling against blistering straight-line acceleration.

And complaints about the 900's handling would be difficult to justify. Its combination of MacPherson struts at the front and a semi-rigid rear axle with coil springs allow precise dart-like handling with no great sacrifice in comfort.

But it's not all total perfection - maybe we could put it down to unfortunate timing.

If I had driven the 900 Talladega first, and then driven the new 9-5, the smaller - and less expensive - 900 might have seemed more impressive.

Coming as it did right after the 9-5, the most sophisticated Saab ever seen, the Talladega was pre-destined to come off second-best in terms of refinement.

Where the 9-5 is an ergonomic dream, with every control ideally located, the 900 steadfastly insists that drivers do some adjusting of their own.

The recently upgraded seats are wonderfully shaped, and are easy to adjust apart from the backrest turnwheel being squeezed against the door (do any adjusting before getting mobile), but the steering wheel retains its quirky reach-adjustment-only.

Which would be fine except that the angle of the steering column can place the wheel a bit too high for some drivers, so it becomes a case of compromising between where you'd like it to be and where you can get it to go.

Yet everything else inside the 900 is more than acceptable, with a commendably high standard of finish throughout, and there are unlikely to be any complaints from passengers regarding the seats or ride comfort.

Nor from any driver about performance….