Last week in the world of cheap Swede speed, I wrote about the sports car that started it all for Volvo’s performance aspirations: the P1800. That’s an often-overlooked classic that remains affordable to this day. This week, the spotlight shines on a more modern Scandinavian hot rod, and one that offers a substantial horsepower-to-dollar ratio for forced-induction fans: the Volvo V70 R.
It’s only fitting, given the P1800’s available wagon body style, that the most interesting modern day high-performance Volvo is also of the family persuasion. Built between 1998 and 2007, the Volvo V70 R paired a turbocharged five-cylinder engine with standard all-wheel drive and a box-like wagon shape that had long been the brand’s trademark. Compared to contemporaries like the Audi S4 Avant, the V70 R has largely flown under the radar of all but devoted Volvo fans, which means very few were actually sold in North America.
The dual-exhaust and R badge are the biggest giveaways for this street sleeper.
First-generation versions of the V70 R started out with a 236 horsepower, 2.3-liter five-cylinder mill, matched with a four-speed automatic transmission, stiffer suspension setup, and slightly sportier exterior trim. By the year 2000, Volvo boosted engine displacement in the R to 2.4-liters, giving it 261 horsepower to play with, along with a new five-speed autobox, dual exhaust, and better brakes.
A complete facelift of the Volvo V70 occurred in 2000, but it wasn’t until the 2004 model year that the R model reappeared in American showrooms. This time around, the automaker got more serious about luring lead-footed family chauffeurs into its clutches: the car’s 2.5-liter, five-cylinder turbo produced 300 horsepower and almost as many pound-feet of torque, and for the first time in the United Sates it was possible to choose between either a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission. (That’s a five-speed from 2004-2006, then six-speed from 2006-2007.) The extra power trims nearly a half second from the original V70 R’s sprint to 60 mph, with the second-gen turning the trick in a swift 5.4 seconds. Suspension for the all-wheel drive, seven-passenger chariot was sourced from Ohlins, while Brembo provided the car’s stoppers.
Three-hundred horsepower are unleashed by the 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder motor found under the hood of the 2003-2007 V70 R.
Fortunately, unless you’re buying from someone who realizes just how scarce the V70 R truly is, prices are quite reasonable for the original version of the car. You can pick them up for between $5,000 and $12,000. Models from 2003 of later run a much wider gamut, with project cars starting at the $5,000 mark and well-maintained manual transmission examples cresting at $15,000. It’s a challenge to find them for sale given that there are so few in the country, which means you should target Volvo hot spots like the Northeast (Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine) when seeking out your V70 R.
Second-generation V70 R models give off a slightly more muscular vibe.
You’ll also notice the word “project” being used in relation to a modern European automobile, which always raises red flags at buying time. That’s because some of the V70 R’s components—specifically its suspension and all-wheel drive system—can be expensive to replace. Make sure you know exactly what you are getting into before buying one of these Volvo wagons that “needs a bit of work,” or you could be staring down a repair bill that’s greater than the actual value of the car.
The Volvo V70 R is a unique, and stealthy, entry into the world of Euro performance. With a few software tweaks it’s possible to squeeze substantial horsepower out of the car’s stable of robust five-cylinder turbos, and if you keep the exhaust quiet no one will know you can smoke them from light-to-light, until they are receding in the rear view mirror.
See Xenon Light Bulbs for 2007 Volvo V70 for sale on eBay.
