Volvo is campaigning an S60 sedan in the Australian touring-car series known as V8 Supercars and, as with every manufacturer that goes racing, there’s the hope that the program will imbue Volvo’s road cars with the high-performance spirit.
Australia’s Motoring reports that the Swedish carmaker is considering a high-performance production model inspired by its V8 Supercars racer. Such a car would have German stalwarts like the BMW M5 in its sights.
Volvo research and development chief Peter Mertens told Motoring that the steroidal Swedish sports sedan is imminent, but probably won’t arrive for some time.
The company is concentrating on the rollout of its new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which will form the basis for most of its future models and was previewed by three glorious concept cars – the Concept Coupe, Concept XC Coupe, and Concept Estate – at recent auto shows.
While it forms the basis of Volvo’s V8 Supercars racer and the extroverted Polestar performance model, the current S60 is viewed as too compromised for an all-out speed machine. However, the next-generation car (not to mention its V60 wagon sibling) could be engineered with that in mind.
The Volvo stereotype involves safety and sensible Swedish design, but lately the company has been branching out, as it tries to establish a more substantial place in the luxury-car market.
A dedicated performance model would add some prestige to the brand, cast a halo effect on lesser models, and give parity with the Germans. It also means buyers will have another choice for their sporty-sedan short lists.
