Volvo really wants to claw back some of the sporty image it had in the age when turbocharging a production car was still thought of as a novelty, and for that reason it’s painted a bunch of its cars a striking blue, made them wider, more powerful and all-wheel driven.
They call these models Polestar, after the company’s in house tuning partner and have now brought them to the Chicago motor show to preview them before they go on sale in the States beginning June 2014.
The cars they’ve brought over from Sweden are the V60 and S60 (wagon and sedan). Botch come with straight-six (newly twin-scroll) T6 turbocharged engines which produce 345 hp at 5,700 rpm and 369 lb-ft or 500 Nm between 2,800 – 4,750 rpm. Power is sent to all four corners through a conventional auto-six with paddle shifters, allowing either version to sprint past sixty in 4.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 155 mph or 250 km/h (electronically limited).
Engine aside, upgrades have been applied to the chassis that is now reportedly 80 percent stiffer than in the sporty R-Design regular series model. The car’s surefootedness is enhanced by Ohlins shocks and unique 20-inch Polestar wheels that don’t do a very good job of hiding the huge brake rotors (14.6 inches on the front, 11.8 inches at the rear) with Brembo calipers.
Colors available are the trademark Rebel Blue, but also Black Sapphire. However, chances are most will opt for the more visible of the two, so that others will better spot the wider stance, different front bumper and integrated rear diffuser; there’s a subtle spoiler at the back too.
By Andrei Nedelea
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