|
From Swedespeed.com Events Coverage
XC70 All - Terrain Expected and well excecuted was the XC70 All-Terrain. Inspired by Volvo’s Baja excursions with journalists earlier this year ( LINK HERE ), this car actually began life as one of the unfortunate XC70s that was pushed from one end of the Mexican Baja peninsula to the other, hitting every washboard and rock-laden dirt road in between. Such trials didn’t seem to scare long-time Volvo tuner IPD much. Once rolled into the company’s Portland Oregon shop, the XC70 was stripped down and rebuilt. In went an R engine, and on went a coat of paint most early generation R owners will find most familiar. The car’s been beefed up in other ways too with IPD’s 400hp turbo kit, lifted suspension and 20-inch off-road wheels we also found on a modified Dodge Ram elsewhere in the show. The XC70 AT is one cool car indeed, with more of an SUV stature thanks to its taller ride height. It’s not your typical high performance hot rod as per SEMA tradition, but it shows a wild side to Volvo’s usually staid off-roader wagon. (www.ipdusa.com)
T6 Roadster More a surprise was the Volvo T6 Roadster. When we first heard of the car, we believed it was a modern-day hot rod used to showcase the new and rumored T6 engine. We were half right. The car is one cool modern rod, but the engine is the outgoing T6 powerplant offered in the XC90 and S80 previously. Only disappointed we weren’t going to see the new Volvo motor, there was nothing else to be let down by with the T6 Roadster. Excecution and build were top notch, and the car drew lustful onlookers despite being parked near some very high-end displays such as Ford’s targa-topped GT sportscar. This modern rod was built by a startup company by the name of Caresto. The company’s owner and the car’s mastermind Leif Tufvesson is a former employee of Volvo and super car builder Konigsegg. Caresto specializes in restoring old and classic cars, but from the looks of the T6 Roadster, they’re not adverse to making one-off modern designs either. Press materials report that the T6 Roadster was awarded ‘Hot Rod of the Year’ by ‘Hot Rod Magazine in 2004, making us wonder how we ever missed such a high caliber Volvo-based vehicle at that time. The car itself features a tubular steel frame with front and rear sub frame skinned in hand crafted aluminum body and a hood made of carbon fiber. Suspension design is based on double A-arms of stainless steel, composite springs and inbound mounted Ohlins shock absorbers at the front and double A-arms and Ohlins coilovers mounted inboard at the rear. The engine is at the rear, pushing out 330 hp at 5400 rpm and mated to the factory 4-speed automatic Geartronic transmission pushing power through the rear wheels.
Weighing in at just 2370 lbs., the car will build up speed rather quickly. Tar-Ox 6-piston calipers help scrub off the speed rather effectively and ABS functionality has been maintained. Having won prestigious awards and now displayed in the USA at SEMA, some might say the T6 Roadster has hit its pinnacle. What next is in store for Caresto? At SEMA the company announced they’d next tackle a modern hot rod built using even newer Volvo hardware. Still rear-engined, the next car dubbed “V8 Speedster” will use Volvo’s narrow angle V8 engine and 6-speed automatic Geartronic transmission. The design of the V8 Speedster is said to be more upright than the T6 Roadster. Look for more of an upright design with Volvo cross-hatch grille rather than the Plymouth Prowler style sloped grille. Weight will be slightly higher at 2646 lbs. From what we hear, the company already has a rolling chassis as well. Caresto plans six ‘turn-key’ incarnations of the V8 Speedster, four of which will be tailored to customers’ wishes. (www.caresti.se)
S40 Touring Car We’ve heard of Duane Matejka’s fledge wing touring car campaign planned for next year, and rumors have trickled in with some regularity on the cars development. Not fully built yet, the Matejka Speed World Challenge S40 Touring Car sat in SEMA’s North Hall showing its race livery, full roll cage and more, though not quite fully built. The Matejka touring car was the only other Volvo we found outside of Volvo’s own stand this year. Wheels Wheels are big business at SEMA. There’s a whole hall dedicated to this facet of the aftermarket, though they pervade the other halls as well as a key component to product offerings. From 30” hummer wheels to multi-million dollar jewel-encrusted chromies and vintage spoked wheels, there’s literally something for everyone. Replica wheels in particular seem to be a healthily growing niche. Numerous companies selling aftermarket replicas of factory wheels could be found in the wheel hall, all with interesting niche offerings. However, we picked up a catalogue with the most complete offering from a company called 1-800-Used Rim. Inside their “European Collection” Catalogue was a treasure trove for those looking for the factory plus upgraded look for their European car. Volvo owners haven’t always been able to make wide use of replica wheels. The turbo fan from the 850 days (known as Perfo internally) has always been widely available, but other offerings for Swedish iron remain a bit of a mystery. In the replica wheel catalogue, we found several other offerings including the Atlantis split spoke from the XC90 in 17 and 18-inch versions, S40 Medea 5-spoke in 16, 17 and 18-inch, a new 5-spoke for the XC90 that we’ve never seen before in 17, 18 and 19-inch, the S60 Nebula wheel also usedin the S60 Challenge in 16, 17 and 18-inch. Less ground-breaking, there’s also availability of the V70’s Amalthea in 16 and 17-inch and the lesser known Volvo Canaveral in 15 and 16-inch.
Speaking of wheels, everyone’s favorite German rim manufacturer BBS is continuing to push the technology envelope with its Air-Inside technology. Hollow spokes on production wheels have been around for years, notably offered on the Porsche 911 Turbo. BBS takes this further utilizing several patented processes that allow them to create hollow spokes as well as hollow inner and outer flanges. Tire pressure is maintained by a valve positioned on the spoke of the wheel for easier access. This also means greater air volume within the wheel/tire setup adding the volume of air in the spokes to the volume of air in the tire for improved ride quality and lower weight. The technology certainly looks promising, and BBS promises further details as they develop between today and full production launch sometime early next year. Other Finds Blutooth Streaming for iPods There may not be two hotter buzzwords in the electronic industry than “iPod” and “Bluetooth”. Most owners and enthusiasts own iPods and are constantly seeking out the best way to network Apple’s musical wonderbox with their car. Volvo has already offered direct connectivity for iPod for some cars in the range, but others make use of an FM broadcasting technology. Streaming Bluetooth offers higher quality than FM and less likelihood of signal overcrowding as is common with FM devices in urban areas. We found an iPod integration kit utilizing Bluetooth from Oxnard, CA-based Scosche Industries at SEMA that appears to be available now. They don’t currently have an OEM Volvo fitment, though their standard kit, as we understand it, seems as if it could be hooked up in place of a CD changer by a qualified stereo installer and some OEM Volvo harnesses. As explained to our staff on hand, the kit’s receiver is installed much as a CD changer might be to a factory head unit. Once done, and switched to CD changer, an iPod connected to Scosche’s Bluetooth transmission attachment can stream audio to the car from up to 30 feet away. The kit also comes with a rechargeable cradle for the Bluetooth transmitter as well as basic wiring and the receiver. The general kit also appears to work with wide range of aftermarket head units with an auxiliary input for devices such as a CD Changer.
Summary SEMA may not be a Euro-centric show, and it’s certainly not specifically geared for the Volvo aftermarket. That said, if you were willing to dig, there are interesting things to find of Volvo interest… even if you aren’t into the amazing array of muscle cars, sport compacts, pickups and more that dominated the show.
All information Copyright © 1999-2003 Swedespeed. All rights reserved. No photos, news stories, graphics, or Swedespeed logos may be used or reproduced without written permission. Volvo is a registered trademark of Volvo Car Corporation and Ford Motor Company. Swedespeed is an independent media publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Volvo Car Corporation |
