2004 Volvo S60R - On Par With Europe's Best
When you think of European performance sedans, Volvo doesn't usually jump to the top of most people's list.
The company that has made a name for itself with safety and practicality has built some sporty and dynamic cars over the last several years, but their attempts to penetrate a market largely dominated by the German marques have met with limited success. Case in point, the 850 T5-R model from the mid-90s was not exactly the most easily driven performance sedan, with its turbo lag and torque steer.
Well, now the Swedes have got more serious about performance, and the S60R is the result. The general architecture is the same as that original 850, with a unique transversely-mounted five-cylinder engine primarily driving the front wheels, but years of development and modern technology have resulted in a sedan that can match up in many respects with any of the vaunted models in this class.
In many ways, that engine defines the personality of the S60R. In its various states of tune, it is the only gasoline-fuelled straight-five sold in this part of the world, and its sound and harmonic characteristics, in particular, will forever remind the S60R driver that he or she has chosen a unique path to high performance, just as Volvo has.
When you think of European performance sedans, Volvo doesn't usually jump to the top of most people's list. The company that has made a name for itself with safety and practicality has built some sporty and dynamic cars over the last several years, but their attempts to penetrate a market largely dominated by the German marques have met with limited success. Case in point, the 850 T5-R model from the mid-90s was not exactly the most easily driven performance sedan, with its turbo lag and torque steer.
Well, now the Swedes have got more serious about performance, and the S60R is the result. The general architecture is the same as that original 850, with a unique transversely-mounted five-cylinder engine primarily driving the front wheels, but years of development and modern technology have resulted in a sedan that can match up in many respects with any of the vaunted models in this class. In many ways, that engine defines the personality of the S60R. In its various states of tune, it is the only gasoline-fuelled straight-five sold in this part of the world, and its sound and harmonic characteristics, in particular, will forever remind the S60R driver that he or she has chosen a unique path to high performance, just as Volvo has.