Volvo goes racing with V8-powered S60

February 16, 2014
Volvo has detailed the heavily-modified S60 that will compete in this year’s season of Australia’s V8 Supercars race series.

Competing for a new team called Volvo Polestar Racing Australia, the S60 packs a 5.0-liter variant of Volvo’s well-known 4.4-liter V8 engine that has been tuned to generate over 650 horsepower. The sedan reaches 62 mph from a stop in just 3.2 seconds and tops out at 185 mph.

The track-bound S60 rides on a bespoke chassis engineered with input from Garry Rogers Motorsports, one of Polestar’s partners in Australia. The car is instantly recognizable as a S60 but it packs a wide array of aerodynamic add-ons including a front splitter, side skirts, a rear air diffuser and a rear wing. Dunlop race tires wrapped around 18-inch forged aluminum wheels help put the power to the ground.

Over the course of the season the S60 will face stiff competition from Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons, well-established four-door sedans that boast an impressive track record. The Swedish sedan will also square off against several Mercedes-Benz E63 AMGs entered in the race by privateers and Nissan Altimas. Challenging big names such as Holden and Ford on their home turf is easier said than done but Volvo believes that nothing is impossible and it is ready to struggle.

“We are well aware that if we struggle then the whole world is going to see it,” said Matt Braid, the manager of Volvo’s Australian arm. “However, that is part of the game.”

The S60 will make its track debut at the Clipsal 500 race that will take place in the city of Adelaide from February 27th to March 2nd.

Volvo is not new to touring car racing in Australia. A pilot from New Zealand named Robbie Francevic won the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship behind the wheel of a turbocharged, two-door 240T.

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