It started, as all great legends do, with a braai (BBQ for non-SA people), a bet, and a bakkie (oddly no beer though). What began as some mates with tongs in hand and a camera rolling for a South African motoring channel quickly turned into a headline-stealing feat for JAC. The T9—the Chinese ute making waves in Kiwi job sites—just proved it’s not just a show pony, but a true endurance champion.
At the iconic Gerotek Testing Facility near Pretoria, four seasoned drivers tag-teamed behind the wheel of the JAC T9, clocking more than 1,350 laps in 24 relentless hours. Their target: break the 14-year-old national endurance record held by Isuzu. Mission very much accomplished—the T9 not only broke the record, it utterly thundered past it, covering 4,084 km at an average 170.1 km/h, beating the distance by over 20 km and doing it on an efficient 16.5L/100km fuel burn.
Forget pit lane glitz and high-tech fanfare—this was endurance, grassroots-style, fueled by determination and good-old braai spirit. The only flames were coming from the BBQs and the T9’s relentless pursuit of the record.
The result? The T9’s reputation as a true “JAC of all trades” is now turbocharged. As Andrew Craw of JAC NZ puts it, the feat provides ironclad reassurance for Kiwi tradies: if you want to know whether these utes are reliable, tough, and ready for hard work under tough conditions, South Africa’s record run answers that with a resounding yes.
The South African T9 2.0L CTi may not be an exact clone of the NZ 4WD Auto variant, but its DNA—and its stamina—are a testament to what you can expect wherever this beast of a bakkie turns up. Bottom line: it handles the hard yards, takes the heat, and keeps you moving—even when the steaks are high (get it?).
