Volvo does not currently have a supercar, but it used to have a supercar in the past that was discontinued in 2016.
Volvo started its supercar project in 2014 under Garry Rogers Motorsport, which competed in the supercar championship from 2014 to 2016. It was successful in other races, too, like the supercar races in Perth in 2014. The Volvo supercar project was discontinued when two of the three cars were taken overseas in 2016.
What are supercars?
Supercars are often known as “exotic cars.” They are a lead model inside an automobile company’s lineup of sports vehicles. Supercars are often considered sports cars, but they are faster and higher in performance than sports cars.
Supercars are comparatively harder to handle than traditional sports cars, but in past years people have shown quite an interest in supercars. Another difference is that supercars never use front wheel drive as it hinders the performance and handling of the car.
The importance of supercars
Most of the bigger automobile companies have a set of supercars in their portfolio. With the increase of people’s interest in cars, the sales of supercars have increased substantially in past few years. These cars have become the face of some auto makers because of their edgy looks and attractive high speed for car lovers.
There are many companies who showcase their supercars’ speed, comparing them with the speed of airplanes which gives them more authenticity. Supercars are then also used by the companies to compete in supercar championships, which can do wonders for a car company’s reputation.
Specifications of the Volvo Supercar
Volvo used the B8444S V8 engine in Volvo S60s, which was developed by Yamaha, especially for Volvo. It had 8 cylinders, with 4 valves per cylinder. The motorsport version had a 5.0 L engine which produced 650bhp. It had hydraulic-lift valves. For the race in 2014, the engine was electronically limited to 7,500 rpm. It had a compression ratio of 10:1. The overall technical specifications were
- Volvo 5-litre eight-cylinder
- 650 hp / 485 kW
Chassis / Drivetrain
- 6-speed sequential gearbox
- Rear-wheel drive
- 1410 kg
Beginning of the Volvo supercar project
Volvo began its supercar program in 2014, when Volvo Car Australia with Garry Rogers Motorsport, an Australian racing team, started their efforts to make a supercar. In these cars, Volvo owned the Volvo particular parts and GRM owned the racing specific parts of the cars manufactured.
These motorsport cars were made in Polestar’s factory, which was the third partner in this collaboration. GRM was responsible for the racers and they hired some pretty good drivers like Kiwi Scott Mclaughlin and Swedish Robert Dahlgren.
Volvo started competing in 2014 and made an impact immediately with its stunning performance. Before coming to the international level, they dominated their domestic seasons for consecutive 4 years, notably winning the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship in 2013.
GRM’s Scott McLaughlin was the racer behind their achievements in the short time period. He came 5th at the championship in 2014 and 3rd in the 2016 championship. Volvo also won two consecutive races in Phillip Island. The Volvo supercar had a good run until its disintegration in 2016.
The news came in 2016 when Polestar announced the discontinuation of the 3-year contract with Volvo and GRM. This brought the usage of V8 engines by Volvo to its end. They had made a total of 3 cars, two of which 2 were taken overseas.
The original Volvo chassis, GRM 017, which was driven by McLaughlin, remained at the GRM in Albert Park Livery, but without the running gear. After the tussle between Volvo and GRM, it was decided that the first chassis was to be remained in Albert Park Livery to retain the history, but in 2017 it was returned to Polestar’s Museum.
The third chassis, GRM 018, which was driven by McLaughlin in the 2016 championship and came 3rd, remains at the Volvo Museum at Gothenburg.
Future Volvo supercar plans
In 2017, Volvo and Polestar announced that they would make high-end electric performance cars and since then they have been making great luxury cars like Volvo V60 T8. Volvo discontinued the V8 engine to pursue more green cars from an environmental perspective. In 2019, they announced they would eventually fully convert towards the electric motors
Will Volvo make supercars in the future?
Looking at the ending of the partnership between Volvo and GRM, it seems nearly impossible that we will see another Volvo supercar at the racing tracks. Also considering that Volvo is heading towards fully electric motors, it is most unlikely to see a supercar any time sooner as they are fully invested in the electric power project.
But who knows? Maybe someday Cyan Racing and Volvo will make a deal to make a supercar and once again enter the racing industry.
Was the Volvo Supercar a success?
Volvo’s three-year supercar record was outstanding, winning two races in Phillip Island and coming 5th and 3rd in the 2014 and 2016 championships, respectively. Also, they won every domestic championship before entering the international level so we can say they were pretty successful.
Where are Volvos from?
Volvo is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927. Volvo is renowned for its SUVs and sedans, as some of the safest and most reliable cars. Volvo started as a 100% subsidiary of SKF, a Swedish bearing and seal-making company. Today, Volvo is a global brand in the world with its greatest number of sales in China, the USA, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
What other lineups does Volvo have, other than supercars?
Volvo makes some of the best luxury cars in Europe. Its flagship cars are S90 and XC90, which are considered highly reliable and safe.
What is the fastest Volvo car right now?
If we look at the pure Volvo cars, right now Volvo XC90 T8 is the fastest Volvo available. It is an electric vehicle that can reach 0 to 60mph in just 5.3 seconds.