Trying to be safe, sporty and a little stylish? Volvo wants to remind that there is more to Swedish style than what’s found in an Ikea store. It’s showing a conservative wild side with the R-Design line of appearance packaging.
Press release after the jump.
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Although Volvo is a company built on safety, a car like the Volvo C30 is just a hot hatch begging for more power at a push of a button. The tuning house Lexmaul revealed today the new tuning kit for the Volvo C30 T5. For those who don’t know, the engine of the car develops 230, but for the folks who want more, Lexmaul offers an extra 30 hp through ECU tweaking.
At the beginning we said something about a button, and we didn’t forget. The power can be summoned through an installed "sport" button. When pressed, he engine’s computer goes to the setting for the extra 30 hp. Also a new suspension system is available, lowering the car with up to 30 millimeters. Price of the kit: $1,500.
Rumors about a hotter C30 version circulated for quite a while now. But today thos rumors were confirmed: Volvo said the company is indeed building a 300bhp, all-wheel drive version of the C30 hatchback. The special edition will be limited to less than 4500 cars over four years.
The hot C30 will be powered by the same engine as the future Focus RS: a 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder petrol engine, the only difference begin that the C30 will get four-wheel drive system.
Volvo has yet to confirm the name the new car will carry, but we know it will be sitting on 20-inch wheels with colour-keyed brake calipers, a special body kit and motorsport seats. The rest of the C30 range will receive a general revamp and facelift at the same time.
Volvo is working on bringing more small vehicles to its line-up. In 2010 Volvo will bring a small multi-purpose wagon to the market, likely called the V30 (possibly based on the C30.) From this car, there may be a derivative called XC30, which would be a small SUV or crossover. Volvo will unveil a first preview version of the V30 next year at the Detroit Auto Show with the production version to be revealed in March 2009 at the Geneva Motor Show.
Volvo will enter the WTCC (World Touring Car Championship) with an ethanol powered Volvo C30 racer.
The car, which is in its first year on track, races in the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) as the only ethanol E85 powered car in that series. In STCC, the car has so far secured three out of seven pole positions and has lead close to half of all laps driven.
The car will be operated by Volvo official motorsport partner Polestar Racing AB, who is also both developing and running the same car in STCC. Volvo will race with Ethanol E85 in the tank and will not be eligible to race for points.
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