Currently reading: Volvo shows off hardcore C30
Official Volvo racing partner reveals this ultimate road-going version of the C30

Volvo's racing and performance partner, Polestar, has revealed this hardcore version of the C30.

The car has been commissioned by Volvo to see what Polestar could achieve "when racing engineers and designers get free hands to build a street car without any limitations set by a specific racing regulation".

See the Volvo C30 Polestar Performance Concept Prototype picture

Polestar - which helped Volvo to win the Swedish Touring Car Championship with a C30 last year - has fitted a larger turbo and intercooler to the car's 2.5-litre T5 engine to boost power to 399bhp and torque to 376lb ft. Other engine modifications include modified pistons, inlet camshaft and conrods.

The Volvo C30 Polestar Performance Concept Prototype uses a Haldex all-wheel drive system and a Quaife mechanical differential. Upgraded springs and dampers have also been fitted, while the steering rack has been made more responsive with a quicker ratio.

Large Brembo brake discs are fitted front and rear and the car rides on 19-inch black alloys with Pirelli P Zero tyres. Interior upgrades include racing leather seats with a four-point harness, while the car features an aerodynamic kit developed from the STCC racer.

The car is on show from today at the Gothenburg motor show.

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SAS32 23 April 2010

Re: Volvo shows off hardcore C30

MattDB wrote:
Can anyone remember the late 70's and BL did a blue colour very similar to this car.

I think it's Pageant Blue you're thinking of as my mate's Triumph Spitfire was in the same colour back in the early 90's and we were at uni at the time. Damn I feel old....

As for the Volvo, well I like it and something like that would provide the C30 range with a great halo model and maybe raise Volvo's profile with those under 40. I think Volvo were heading on the right direction with the 850 T5R back in the 90's but they seemed to lose confidence in their performance models and subsequent models failed to move the game forward.

The S60/V70 R models are a prime example of far too little and too late, whilst Volvo's doesn't even have a single R model at the moment, with the R branding having now been applied to body kits. Shame they didn't have the conviction to maintain the impetus as sex sells in the automobile industry and halo models do work; you only need to look at the likes of BMW's M division, Audi's S-Line, S and RS models, and MB's AMG range.

I for one would like to see a range well engineered Volvo R models.

MattDB 22 April 2010

Re: Volvo shows off hardcore C30

Can anyone remember the late 70's and BL did a blue colour very similar to this car. I have an uncle who had a MGB GT in almost the same colour and the car was S reg so about 1978.

Peter Cavellini 22 April 2010

Re: Volvo shows off hardcore C30

Unless it goes racing and wins first time out and indeed wins a race category the Chinese will never build it, still it looks good, just hope it hasn't got a ferocious appetite for tyres like previous hot Volvo's!