Volvo's First Sports Car Turns 60 This Year [w/Videos]

Before the more famous P1800 coupe, Volvo built another sports car, called the Volvo Sport. Launched on June 2, 1954, the two-seater roadster was actually the company’s first sports car.

Volvo V60 Labeled as a Lifestyle Wagon by Consumer Reports

The Volvo V60 Wagon looks very different from traditional boxy Volvo wagons, and Consumer Reports’ Tom Mutchler believes that’s a good thing from a styling point of view. However, when it comes to practicality, the V60 doesn’t live up to its predecessors. That’s why Consumer Reports see the V60 more as a lifestyle wagon.

Polestar Video Teases New Volvo Performance Model, What Do You Think It Is?

Volvo's performance and motorsports partner Polestar is preparing a new model, which will be unveiled to the world in 11 days from now, on Tuesday, November 26.

To put us in mood and get readers interested in what it will bring forth, Polestar dropped a video teaser with an…invisible car undergoing tests in aerodynamic tunnel. Think you can guess what it is from the outline created by the smoke and the sounds of the engine?

For the record, the only Polestar prototype we've scooped recently is a Volvo V60 estate performance model (see it here), which is believed to feature similar upgrades to the production S60 Polestar Edition made available in a limited run exclusively for Australia.

VIDEO

This Volvo Trucks Ad with Jean-Claude Van Damme will Split Your Mind

Volvo Trucks continues its series of creative commercials with a new ad featuring Belgian martial artist and movie star Jean-Claude van Damme. Called “The Epic Split”, the commercial has Van Damme perform one of his world-famous splits between two Volvo FM trucks, as they are driven in reverse!

Just like in the previous hamster commercial, the new ad promotes the new Volvo Dynamic Steering system. According to Volvo Trucks, the stunt is a world first and it couldn’t have been done without the precision and stability of the new steering system.

“The stability and control are so good that you can reverse a truck over a long distance with very high precision, which is exactly what we've had to do in this film. It had to be perfect - right down to the last centimetre," said Jan-Inge Svensson, the engineer behind the development of the system's software at Volvo Trucks.

And indeed it was, as you can see in the spectacular video posted below.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

Volvo Starts Production of the S60L in China Ahead of the Car’s Debut on November 21

In order to do well in China, automakers have to consider making at least one long-wheelbase model. Chinese-owned Volvo knows that very well and has just started series production of the new S60L, a longer version of its S60 sedan, at its manufacturing plant in Chengdu, China. The long-wheelbase S60L will premiere at the Guangzhou Motor Show on November 21.

The first car to roll off the production line was a 'Seashell'-colored S60L. Volvo sees China as its second home market after Sweden, so building cars tailored for the world’s largest car market, such as the S60L, is essential for the premium car manufacturer’s long-term strategy and business plan. The carmaker targets global sales of 800,000 a year by 2020.

Volvo’s sales in China have been strong so far this year, with retail deliveries up over 40 percent compared with the same period in 2012. The most successful models are the XC60, S60 and V60, with the V40 also being received very well by Chinese customers. There are over 150 Volvo dealerships in China at the moment, up from around 100 two years ago.

“We are truly firing on all cylinders in China,” said Lars Danielson, Senior Vice President Volvo Cars China Operations. “The official start of series production in Chengdu is only the latest of many milestones we have achieved in recent years,” he added.

Volvo also has an engine plant in Zhangjiakou that has become operational this autumn. In total, the company has over 2,000 employees in China, around half of whom work at the Volvo Cars China headquarters in Shanghai. 

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

Volvo Sends 508hp S60 Polestar Performance Concept to Russia

For a car that has already been sold to an unidentified American buyer for the paltry sum of $300,000 or the equivalent of a BMW M5 ($89,000) sedan, a Porsche 991 Carrera Convertible ($93,700) and a Corvette ZR1 ($112,600), the one-off Volvo S60 Polestar Performance Concept is sure racking up a lot of miles.
On the other hand, the buyer had been informed by Volvo officials that he would receive the car only after Polestar finishes promoting it to the media and the public.

Volvo Expands V40 Family with Sportier R-Design and Tougher Cross Country Models

The all-new Volvo V40 R-Design and V40 Cross Country received their world premiere today at the 2012 Mondial de l'Automobile in Paris. Both models are more about style than essence with the R-Design placing the emphasis on sporty looks and the Cross Country on its off-road appearance.
Beginning with the R-Design version, the Swedish carmaker's premium hatchback obtains a slightly more aggressive exterior thanks to a re-profiled front bumper, a silk-metal finish for the front grille, the new rear diffuser and the exterior mirrors, chrome exhaust pipes and 17-inch or optionally, 18-inch alloy wheels.

Junk TV: Netherland’s Worst Driver Confirms his Credentials

From the imaginative world of TV reality shows comes our next story. The show in question is “Wie wordt De Allerslechtste Chauffeur Van Nederland?” which is Dutch for “Who is the Worst Driver in The Netherlands?”
However, once you watch the video after the break, you may considering an alternative title in the likes of “Who is the Most Idiotic Reality TV Show Producer in the World” since the enlightened creators of the show came up with the fabulous idea of testing Netherlands' most incompetent drivers on an unsafe course.

Volvo C30 Electric Undergoes Harsh Winter Testing in the Extreme North

One of the major fears consumers have regarding electric vehicles, besides range anxiety, is how these cars are going to function in rough weather conditions. We all know batteries are sensitive to extreme temperatures, which can affect their capacity of storing electricity.
This is why Volvo is trying out its C30 Electric model in the north of Sweden, inside the Arctic Circle. Temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius are something normal in this part of the world, so Volvo engineers want to ensure the battery-powered car runs smoothly even in harsh environments.

Watch a Volvo S60 Being Sprayed with Graffiti by Street Artists

Volvo Art Session is the name of an experiment done by Volvo Cars Switzerland, in which ten street artists were provided with an S60 sedan that they could use as a canvas to create different designs.

Vehicle Platooning Could be the Future of Commuting

Imagine safely enjoying your morning coffee and reading the newspaper behind the steering wheel, while your car is traveling at highway speeds. Well, this could be a reality in as little as ten years time, thanks (or no thanks...) to the European Union-funded SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) project, which successfully tested the concept of vehicle platooning at the Volvo Proving Ground close to Gothenburg, Sweden.

VIDEO: Race Driver Fast Laps NZ Circuit in New Volvo S60 Blindfolded!

And you thought your latest weekend track race was adrenaline-filled... Enter the realm of Jonny Reid, one of New Zealand's top racing drivers. The 27-year-old Kiwi put a brand new 2011 Volvo S60 to the test around Hampton Downs raceway in Auckland. Nothing spectacular there you say? How about if we told you that he did it blindfolded? Yes, that's right; the young racing driver couldn't see a thing.
According to the promo event's organizers, it took Reid more than one try but in the end, he managed to return a lap time of 1:28 with a top speed of 193km/h (119 mph). "He was guided only by the feel of the car, his knowledge of the track, and co-driver Earl Bamber's voice," said Volvo. Pretty neat, though we're not sure who was the bravest of the two; the driver or the co-driver... Scroll down to watch the clips.

FAIL No2: Volvo V60 Safety System Flub Ends with a Dead Dummy Named Bob

This is officially the second safety system demonstration in as many "Look at this!" announcements that has gone horribly wrong for Volvo. That's right, two. The first one was back in May and led to a new S60 estate crushing itself into the back of a truck - see the video here. This latest mishap occurred during a media demonstration to Australian journalists in Europe.