[rc51kid]

I know this will get some different opinions but here goes. What Volvo platform is the best performing or has the most potential? Say if you look at the 850, S/V70, S60 or new S40/V50. I don't mean racing but for fun fast street use. Mostly it looks like people now are building on the 850, is that because right now it the best platform? Maybe the 850 has the right mix of performance potential and being older/cheap enough that people can afford to buy them and play. If you had to start from scratch, what would you pick up and start to modify and why? One thing, it has to be a standard.
I really like the small size of the V50. I have thought about getting a turbo V50 when they trickle down to the used market in a few years. I started thinking wondering if maybe there was a better platform. Then I started thinking that the S60 wasn't so bad if it was setup right. But I don't know much about either of these models as far as if they share motors with other models or which is good or bad, to big, to heavy, no standard trans, bad weight distribution, ect. What would you choose as a next model? What do you think of the V50?

 

[VTT5]

Re: What Volvo would you get if…? (rc51kid)

Of the newer cars, the V50 seems a good choice. It is available with a stick shift and AWD (only true of the S60/V70R for other recent models offered in the US), and should be nicely tunable. The lighter weight should mostly offset the weaker (stock) engine output vs. the P2 platform cars, and I hear that the P1 platform is fun to throw around corners (without the drag of 4C, which seems hit or miss).

I've never been behind the wheel of an 850, so I can't intelligently comment on it. Certainly, some of them have been made into monsters (something called a SwedeDemon comes to mind....).