Did you know that Paul Newman once commissioned a Volvo 960 with a racing V8 engine? Well, as a matter of fact, he commissioned two units, one for him and one for his racing partner David Letterman. The talk-show host still owns the car and brought it along when Jerry Seinfeld asked him to be the guest of his show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
So how does a racing V8 engine fit with the docile character of the Volvo 960 wagon? Well, it’s enough to say that when the engine starts, the Volvo’s cover is blown completely. The 380-horsepower supercharged V8 unit turns it into a “muscle wagon” that constantly wants to go fast, as Seinfeld found out for himself when he sat behind the wheel.
So if you want to find out more about the car from David Letterman himself, including the Volvo’s tendency to break down at the most inappropriate moments, just hit play in the video below.
By Dan Mihalascu
VIDEO