Volvo Seriously Showing up at SEMA

[zyajzarc]

Well... as i have stated before, this section of the forums is pretty much dead. I gather that very little of the volvo owner population actually goes online to chat about their car. So, in the mean time, i'll post some AWESOME information about the S60R. If you look back, lbc150 was looking for some mods for his volvo. A very strange request, but they are out there, and as of Nov. 4, 2003, the list has grow... tremendously. I present to you the Volvo S60R modified by EVOLVE [ www.evolvocars.com ]. Enjoy! (pictures taken from www.swedespeed.com )










INTERIOR:








NOW FOR THE ARTICLE:

“The first Evolve S60R, outfitted in a custom PPG Laser Blue finish with color-coded trim, will be displayed in the Ford Motor Company exhibit. Featuring signature EVOLVE aerodynamic front and rear bumpers, sill spoilers, an Evolve-designed grille, lower valance grilles, decklid spoiler and taillight trim, this is one Volvo that is ready to challenge all contenders on the open road.
Its interior is appointed in "Nordkap" blue metallic leather with silver highlights, custom gray carpet, custom speaker and vent grilles, and aluminum shifter, pedals and footrest. An Evolve boost gauge package is integrated into the factory display and the car sports a 13-speaker Dolby Pro-Logic stereo system.
Under the hood, the Volvo's engine develops an estimated 500 hp with EVOLVE's turbo and intercooler upgrade, ram-air intake and engine dress-up kit. An EVOLVE adjustable coil-over suspension anchors the car's semi-active suspension system with three dynamic chassis modes. EVOLVE's Big Brake Kit is comprised of braided steel brake lines and 15-inch 2-piece rotors with twin six-piston calipers front and rear. EVOLVE's Graphite 19-inch 3-piece wheels and Pirelli P-Zero Rosso 235/35-19 tires, darkened taillights, Bi-Xenon headlamps complete the package.”


There You have it… one of the coolest Volvo S60Rs I have ever seen. It’s quite literally amazing. Just give EVOLVE a couple of months to get their production line going. They received this S60R in late-August and had it completely modded up by November… so they are quick.. but they are also new.. so it’s just a matter of time before they start accepting orders.

[NSX-R-SSJ20K]

don't like the mesh grille and the orange in the indicators needs to go.

Rear end looks slightly un proportional. I don't like the rear light covers.

I wish volvo would use the F*cking Inline 6 twin turbo that they got for a high end S60R so that it could rip the M3 a new asshole i know they want to do it. Its on their faces. Stroke that bitch to 3.2L balance the crank new camshafts increase the rev limit to 7500rpm change the turbo's for some ball bearings turbo's, some new actuators and set it so that boost kicks in at 2500rpm with 550hp. O not to forget lightened flywheel six speed tranny new suspension. That rev limiter feature that the BMW M5 has wouldn't go a miss either - ie the one where it stops you from using the whole rev range untill the engine reaches optimal operating tempreture.

CFRP body panels and CFRP splitter for the under side of the car (better air flow)
Junk the stupid suspesion work on the Tranction Control. Bigger Brakes and closer 50/50 weight distribution and also lower the roll point of the suspension and have longer wishbones and mount the dampers/struts horizontally and as low as possible to lower the centre of gravity.

not to mention dump the stock cast iron manifold create a fully tuned rear exhaust system with the bends that have inserts in them so they are not crushed when bending them. Using an increasing diameter in the exhaust.

PS the evolvecars.com link doesn't work

[///M3Phreak]

m3 owns j00. volvo would never build a car to perform better than it, its not logical for the company to build a car to do that

[rdollie]

Ummm...things are changing at Volvo these days. They're quite profitable and are getting back into racing (starting with GT in U.S. with Derek Bell as lead driver.)

More to the point, the Volvo S60R in stock form is slower 0-60 than the M3 but it has significantly more grip in the corners and the standard Brembo brakes don't fade on the track like the M3's.

It's odd but now the M3 is the better straight-line machine and the Volvo S60R is the better corner eater. The M3 still gives MUCH better steering feedback at lower speeds while at higher speeds both give adequate but not stellar steering feedback. The Volvo because it oversteers entering corners, is neutral at the apex, and understeers on exit can run corners significantly faster than M3 or S4 with a competent driver.

In summary for an autocross the S60R is a better car but for any sort of high speed racing the M3 should win (of course it got beat at the 24hrs. of Nurburgring last year by a Volvo S60 so who knows...)

Make no doubt about it - the M3 is still much rawer than the S60R. However the S60R's Ohlins developed active chassis allows it to do some things the M3 simply can't.

In a couple of years it should be REALLY interesting. We'll have 400 hp V8 powered M3/M4 and Volvo's if Volvo's new V8 gets the rumored bi-turbo treatment it is supposed to have 450 horses and will almost certainly end up in some of their 'R' products. More competition means better cars usually at better prices...bring it on!

Thanks.

-rollie
rdollie@att.net

Originally Posted by ///M3Phreak

m3 owns j00. volvo would never build a car to perform better than it, its not logical for the company to build a car to do that

[///M3Phreak]

remmember tho, volvo has to drop 2 turbos to give it 50 more horses than a Naturally Aspirated high-revving 400hp v8 animal that bmw will put out. BMW is no slouch i am to eager to see what happens. rdollie whats kool about u is that u say it how it is, i am a fan of those cars that are built to handle at a reasonable price range a la M3, S4, C32 ( i heard 55 version to come out), STi, Boxter S, S60R, and 350Z.

good motoring all

[NSX-R-SSJ20K]

The M5 V8 is not quad turbo - edit because of fuckup.

new M5 is 500hp with 7 speed gearbox

note also that BMW uses Variable Valve timing and lift coupled with a cam advancing system. This is also how BMW achieve high outputs it also has to do with the way they built the car because of reliability problems should you revs it to red line from cold start. IE the engine can't take it you have to wait 15 minutes to use the whole rev range. BMW put in alot of fancy tricks to make the car work. The new one probably has alot of technology derived from the F1 world. Volvo does not have these systems though now it has been bought by Ford some of the Variable Valve timing and igition advance technology might be implemented. Note the S60 was designed before Ford bought Volvo. Though Ford doesn't make the best engines and lets face it the output is never going to be as high as an M5 the better comparison would be with a 3 series sedan as they both have the same target market. M5 is the same sort of size as the S80 which is undergoing changes.
Which also means 300hp versus 333hp M3 isn't that bad though an M3 will still outperform the S60 R any day of the week.

[rdollie]

I'm afraid your knowledge of Volvo is VERY lacking.

Volvo already has continuously variable valve timing (inlet and exhaust) along with ignition advance technology in production. The current (outgoing) series of Volvo inline engines was developed through a joint effort with Volvo and Porsche. The new upcoming inline engines are even better and the new V8 is sorely needed (and a bi-turbo V8 mule is running at 450 hp already - no confirmation if it will make it into a R Volvo yet though.)

Your assertion about the M3 vs. S60R is a bit off as well. In straight line racing the M3 should win everytime as long as the roads are dry. In the corners it's a different thing completely. The Volvo Rs simply corner faster than the M3 - there's no escaping it. The Ohlins designed active chassis system on the Volvo R is the only one I know of that allows a car to oversteer entering a corner, exhibit neutral behavior at the apex, and understeer on exit. Once you get used to it you will easily outrun other cars in the corners (not too surprising if you recall that C&D tested the S60R in its medium chassis setting and it outgripped M3 and S4.) The S60R also brakes better in racing situations as the standard 13" 4-pot Brembos don't fade like M3 brakes do. The M3 gives better steering feedback at lower speeds. Again, for any type of high-speed straight line racing the M3 wins. If you toss in enough corners (like an autocross) the S60R is much more competitive and in some course setups will readily win.

When you consider value it's another story as well. There's $15k difference between these cars when fully loaded and you can chip a Volvo S60R for about $1k or less and it will have significant power advantage.

The new M5 - well it's going to be a beast! Of course it's going to be staring at E60 AMG tail lights sailing off over the horizon but that OK. There's always something faster, more powerful, and or more expensive...

Thanks.

-rollie
rdollie@att.net

Originally Posted by NSX-R-SSJ20K

The M5 V8 is quad turbo

new M5 is 500hp with 7 speed gearbox

note also that BMW uses Variable Valve timing and lift coupled with a cam advancing system. This is also how BMW achieve high outputs it also has to do with the way they built the car because of reliability problems should you revs it to red line from cold start. IE the engine can't take it you have to wait 15 minutes to use the whole rev range. BMW put in alot of fancy tricks to make the car work. The new one probably has alot of technology derived from the F1 world. Volvo does not have these systems though now it has been bought by Ford some of the Variable Valve timing and igition advance technology might be implemented. Note the S60 was designed before Ford bought Volvo. Though Ford doesn't make the best engines and lets face it the output is never going to be as high as an M5 the better comparison would be with a 3 series sedan as they both have the same target market. M5 is the same sort of size as the S80 which is undergoing changes.
Which also means 300hp versus 333hp M3 isn't that bad though an M3 will still outperform the S60 R any day of the week.

[///M3Phreak]

the only reason the s60r might have ups on the m3 is because it came out 3 years after it. volvo looked at the competition and tried to make it better. i mean when the m3 first came out who beat it? no one 1. so if volvo couldnt improve on some parts over the m3 that wouldve been a shame. also if u didnt know this other manufactuers by m3s to study n work off it to improve there own cars.

and as for the m5 well don't get to cocky amg got no shot. the older 5 beat the older E. well the new e came out off course it will beat the older 5 because there newer they should, n its totally unfair to compare those. as for the new m5 550HP, 7 speed SMG, V10, redline of ( i saw 2 9200, and 8500 not sure which). it will be an animal.

and NSX-R-SSJ20K the m5 is not quad turbo

[NSX-R-SSJ20K]

I'm very interested in some of the points brought up.
IE M3's losing to Volvo's on circuit. I've heard of the brake fade on M3's
Also - I made a report given in a visual presentation for some stupid class called Engineering Communications - which as you guess was just about communication nothing to do with content.
I found that finding out about Valve timing and who has it and who doesn't to be a bastard. But i am very interested in the Porsche-Volvo collaboration? I would like to know about the Variable Valve timing used as i know they developed it for their boxer engines and Subaru has used the same technology on their new Legacy's.

Though i find it hard to believe that the Volvo can be faster around a track. - though i am an avid enthusiast of all things volvo because of BBC's top gear as they timed both cars around their Lotus designed test track and the M3 was miles faster and i would like to find out more.

I would be grateful if you could point me in a direction that would let me find out more about their active chassis settings since on first indications i thought it was just air suspension that all the reporters are getting pissed off about.

I found out recently the M5 is not quad turbo. I have no idea where i picked that up. All i do know is that it is a 5.0 liter double vanos V8. I screwed up

[rdollie]

Go to www.swedespeed.com and check out the R forum for technical details. You can also go to www.r-series.org.

Also, Volvo's website has a lot of techincal material available about the cars including the variable timing system, active chassis system, etc.

Regarding Volvos being faster around the track it all depends. On an autocross circuit it's not that surprising after you've spent some time there. On a high speed track it's a different story. The average Volvo isn't going to corner like the average BMW. The S60R though is not your typical Volvo. Although racing isn't synonymous with the Volvo name they have many ears of experience including the random odd BTCC championship, 24 Hrs. of Nurburgring Championship (last year where the S60 beat out the M3 and this past weekend for the 2004 title), etc. (Also, they're championing S60Rs under Derek Bell later this year in Speed GT series.)

Thanks and good luck.

Originally Posted by NSX-R-SSJ20K

I'm very interested in some of the points brought up.
IE M3's losing to Volvo's on circuit. I've heard of the brake fade on M3's
Also - I made a report given in a visual presentation for some stupid class called Engineering Communications - which as you guess was just about communication nothing to do with content.
I found that finding out about Valve timing and who has it and who doesn't to be a bastard. But i am very interested in the Porsche-Volvo collaboration? I would like to know about the Variable Valve timing used as i know they developed it for their boxer engines and Subaru has used the same technology on their new Legacy's.

Though i find it hard to believe that the Volvo can be faster around a track. - though i am an avid enthusiast of all things volvo because of BBC's top gear as they timed both cars around their Lotus designed test track and the M3 was miles faster and i would like to find out more.

I would be grateful if you could point me in a direction that would let me find out more about their active chassis settings since on first indications i thought it was just air suspension that all the reporters are getting pissed off about.

I found out recently the M5 is not quad turbo. I have no idea where i picked that up. All i do know is that it is a 5.0 liter double vanos V8. I screwed up

[Dr.Gonzo]

How much aftermarket does the S60R have? Are there any shops in Sweden, Europe, or the US that could help modify the turbo? That's one of the cool things about turbos is that they usually respond better to modifications than N/A engines. The S60R is one of my dream cars and if I were to win the lotto know one would be in my garage.

[rdollie]

There's quite a few established Volvo tuners out there including TME (Sweden), IPD (USA but they also distribute some of TME's good), BSR (Sweden?), SCT-Tuning (Sweden?), Heico-Sportiv (Germany), etc. etc.

However the most aggressive so far seems like it is going to be the new upstart - Evolve. Their initial products focused more on cosmetics but they've been working on performance mods for some time (a few folks at Swedespeed already have their ECU chip tuning and others have ECUs from some of the Euro tuners.) Also, Evolve is trying a unique approach compared to other Volvo tuners and is working closely with Volvo to try to offer their products through the dealerships and possibly with warranties (TBD.)

They are also working with the AtSpeed team which is running S60R in Speed GT so they're getting access to good tech from this team and their partner Cosworth. Also Evolve has been working with Haldex on some sort of custom torque split bias product and from what I've read and been told its about ready to ship.

I think within the next 6 months or so there will be some real significant upgrades available for the S60R/V70R.

Originally Posted by Dr.Gonzo

How much aftermarket does the S60R have? Are there any shops in Sweden, Europe, or the US that could help modify the turbo? That's one of the cool things about turbos is that they usually respond better to modifications than N/A engines. The S60R is one of my dream cars and if I were to win the lotto know one would be in my garage.

[Jaguar D-Type]

Originally Posted by NSX-R-SSJ20K

The M5 V8 is not quad turbo - edit because of fuckup.

new M5 is 500hp with 7 speed gearbox

note also that BMW uses Variable Valve timing and lift coupled with a cam advancing system. This is also how BMW achieve high outputs it also has to do with the way they built the car because of reliability problems should you revs it to red line from cold start. IE the engine can't take it you have to wait 15 minutes to use the whole rev range. BMW put in alot of fancy tricks to make the car work. The new one probably has alot of technology derived from the F1 world. Volvo does not have these systems though now it has been bought by Ford some of the Variable Valve timing and igition advance technology might be implemented. Note the S60 was designed before Ford bought Volvo. Though Ford doesn't make the best engines and lets face it the output is never going to be as high as an M5 the better comparison would be with a 3 series sedan as they both have the same target market. M5 is the same sort of size as the S80 which is undergoing changes.
Which also means 300hp versus 333hp M3 isn't that bad though an M3 will still outperform the S60 R any day of the week.

The current BMW M3's engine is high-tech but just check out this website...

http://members.roadfly.com/jason/m3engines.htm

How many times has BMW won (V-10-powered) F1 races?