Volvo S60 Polestar Enters Limited Production

Truth to be said, last year's S60 Polestar Performance Concept was a big success in terms of publicity for Volvo, with the one-off, 508-horsepower-strong sports sedan turning many heads towards the Swedish carmaker. To refresh your memory, said saloon was sold to an unnamed American collector for $300,000 or about €228,500 at today's exchange rates.
At the time, both Volvo and its official racing and performance partner Polestar had said that they were considering a limited production run of the car. To some extent, the two companies have made that happen.

We say "to some extent" because the limited production S60 Polestar does not have all the performance goods or the 508-horses of the concept, and for the time being, the 345hp (350PS) model will be offered exclusively for the Australian market. However, Volvo said that the new S60 Polestar was developed as a pilot project and that further markets "are under investigation" pending the response of the Australian launch.

"We received a fantastic response to our Volvo C30 and S60 Polestar concept cars, so we are very happy to now introduce our first production car to the Australian market," said Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Polestar. "This is an important step forward for Polestar, one that promises an exciting future."

What Volvo and Polestar did with the new car is take the standard S60 T6 R-Design and upgrade it with select parts from the S60 Polestar Performance Concept such as dampers from Öhlins, high capacity brakes, while also tweaking the car's aerodynamics with new kit including a front splitter, rear wing and diffuser.

Under the hood, the 3.0-liter six-cylinder turbo-charged T6 engine gains a bigger turbo, new intercooler, revised engine mapping and racing exhaust to lift output to 345hp (350PS / 257kW) and more than 500+Nm (369+lb-ft) of peak torque.

A tuned six-speed automatic gearbox transfers power to the road through an all-wheel drive system featuring modified software for more rear torque. Volvo says that the weight remains unchanged over the standard S60 T6 R-Design at 1,684 kg (4,176 pounds).

The S60 Polestar goes from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 4.9 seconds and has a limited top speed of 250km/h (155mph).

"The Volvo S60 Polestar is a car that we are truly proud of, our first step to a production car available to the customers," said Robert Dahlgren, Volvo Polestar Racing driver.

"We have taken the best bits of the standard S60 T6 and our S60 Polestar Concept Car, creating a vehicle that puts a smile on your face when you drive it over your favourite twisty road. At the same time, it is more than capable of everyday driving, too," he added.

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2013 Volvo V60 Diesel Plug-In Hybrid

The company says that it will ramp up production to 4,000-6,000 units from 2014, since order books are already beginning to fill up. The project, which has been developed and financed by Volvo and Swedish electricity supplier Vattenfall, is the world’s first diesel plug-in hybrid.

Incorporating the hybrid’s manufacture in the Torslanda plant’s production line, which also builds Volvo’s regular models, has required certain parts of the assembly line to be modified in order to integrate the more than 300 different parts that the V60 Plug-in Hybrid encompasses compared to the conventional models.

For example, the electric motor and its drive shafts are fitted on the same station as the final drive on the standard all-wheel drive versions. Additionally, the lithium-ion battery pack, which according to Mertens is “the single most complex system in the car”, is lifted through the tailgate and then spun a quarter of a turn in the passenger compartment in just 60 seconds and with less than 20 mm clearance.

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Volvo S60 Polestar 508 HP

The first thing you will need to know about the performance version of the S60 is that it is a one off model developed by Volvo Cars Official Motorsports and its racing and tuning partner Polestar for an as of yet unnamed client.

 While some sources believed that it may use the XC90's Yamaha built V8, Polestar based the car on the S60 T6.

The regular model is motivated by a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six delivering 300hp (304PS) to all-four wheels for a zero to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h (155mph).

The Swedes, however, made a whole lot of changes to the inline-six including modified cylinder head, combustion chambers, inlet manifold and air intake along with a larger Garret 3171 turbo, and as a result, the engine produces 508-horsepower at 6,500rpm and 575Nm (424 lb-ft) at 5,500rpm.

Polestar then lowered, widened and reinforced the chassis and also tuned the Haldex all-wheel drive system and Öhlins suspension and fitted the car with bigger Brembo brakes. Power is channeled to the wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The company quotes a 0 to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of just 3.9 seconds and a top speed in excess of 300km/h (186+mph).

By comparison, the current Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG that is powered by a 451hp (457PS) 6.3-liter V8 hits 100km/h in 4.4 seconds and tops out at 250km/h (155mph - electronically limited).

On the outside, the S60's body was widened by 20mm on both ends and features a styling kit comprising flared wheel arches housing 19-inch rims in 265/30 R19 tires, a new front bumper with a splitter, side skirts, a discreet boot lid spoiler and a new rear bumper with a diffuser.

As for the interior, the performance S60 gets Polestar designed sport seats with increased support, Alcantara on all functional areas such as the steering wheel, gear knob, and seats plus a lowered center console lowered for improved gear-lever ergonomics.

Robert Dahlgren, Volvo Polestar racing driver, commented after taking the car for a spin:

"To me the Volvo S60 is a very well sorted car from start. In our concept car we have developed chassis, engine and transmission just like we want it, and the result is a huge leap forward in terms of handling and performance. It is, by far, the most impressive street Volvo I’ve ever driven. But I must also say that the genuine Volvo feeling is still there."

Technical specification
Performance

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• 0-100 km/h 3.9s
• Top speed more than 300km/h

Engine

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• Volvo T6 inline six (B6304T4)
• 508 hp @ 6500rpm
• 575Nm @ 5500rpm
• Max rpm: 7100
• Modified cylinder head and combustion chambers
• Modified inlet manifold and air intake
• Special manufactured conrods
• Garret 3171 turbo
• Ferrita 3.5” stainless steel exhaust system

Drive train

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• Reinforced M66C (close ratio) manual 6-speed gear box.
• Haldex E-LSD in rear
• Haldex Gen4 XWD

Chassis

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• Tires 265/30R19
• Rims Polestar 9,5X19”
• Chassis lowered 30mm
• Öhlins 3- way shock absorbers
• Reinforced anti-roll bar front and rear
• Track width increased 20 mm front and 40 mm rear
• Polestar-tuned EHPAS steering
• Stabilising X- members, front and rear.
• Modified control-arms with uniballs front and rear.
• Reinforced bushings in sub-frame and control-arms
• Modified engine mounts

Weight

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• Total weight 1640kg and optimized weight distribution

Brakes

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• Front Polestar-Brembo 6 piston calipers, 380 mm ventilated discs
• Rear Polestar-Volvo calipers, 302 mm ventilated discs
• Brake cooling air intakes from front

Aerodynamics

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• Based on tests in Volvo’s wind-tunnel
• Lowered front splitter and larger rear spoiler to reduce high speed lift
• Carbon fiber diffusor
• Body 20 mm widened front and rear

Interior

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• Polestar designed seats with increased support. Alcantara on all functional areas steering wheel, gear knob, and seats to ensure maximum grip.
• Centre console lowered for optimised gear-lever ergonomics.

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Volvo S60R High-Performance Sport Sedan

Volvo has made significant efforts to renew its image and lower the age of its average buyers over the years, but for some reason, the Swedish automaker has stayed away from the performance wars in the premium segment.

However, a recent crop of spy shots from Sweden showing a modified S60 prototype in disguise have sparked rumors about the development of a sports version of the compact executive sedan that could compete with the BMW M3.

While details remain slim on what could be hiding under the bonnet of this test car, photoshop artist Nick Pakiz used the spy pictures to dream up a performance version of the S60 with the 'R' moniker.

The cosmetic changes over the standard S60 include a new front bumper with enlarged air vents and flared wheel arches housing bigger wheels.

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Volvo V60 D6 Plug-In Diesel-Electric Hybrid

Pegged as the world's first diesel-electric plug-inhybrid production model, V60 D6 features a 2.4-liter five-cylinder turbodiesel delivering 215HP and 440 Nm (324.5 lb-ft) of torque that drives the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission, and a 70HP electric motor, which draws energy from a 11.2 kWh lithium-ion battery, driving the rear axle.

The V60 D6 can operate three different modes. In hybrid mode, the diesel and the electric engine work in parallel, achieving a range of up to 621 miles (999 km) and emitting just 49g/km of CO2.

In “pure” mode, the car is powered by the electric motor as much as possible offering a range of 32 miles (52 km). For maximum performance the driver can select the “power” mode, in which both motors work together, producing 215HP+70HP and 440+200Nm (324.5+147.5 lb-ft) of torque respectively. In this case, the V60 D6 accelerates from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in 6.2 seconds.

"Our plug-in hybrid has received considerable attention since it was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2011”, said Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo. “Now we're taking the next step by presenting the production model, which is graced with a distinctive profile featuring a spectacular silver color, an exclusive interior and generous standard equipment.”

Volvo’s plug-in hybrid will be available from November 2012 in a limited run of just 1,000 cars. This initial batch will be launched in just one color (“Electric Silver”) with glossy black details in parts like the grille and the front spoiler.

Its standard specification includes 17-inch alloy wheels, integrated exhaust pipes and a chromed “Plug-in Hybrid” logo on the front wings and the tailgate.

The interior features leather upholstery with contrasting stitching and inlays of blue-grey wood, a gear lever knob with integrated indicator, speed-dependent power steering, electrically adjustable driver's seat, parking sensors front and rear, Bluetooth phone link and Volvo on Call. Also standard are a High Performance Multimedia DVD audio system with a 4x40W amplifier, eight loudspeakers and seven-inch screen.

After the initial 1,000 units of the 2013 MY, production will increase to 4,000-6,000 cars from the 2014 model year, with Volvo expecting 80% of sales to go to company cars.

About 30 per cent of the car’s production is allocated to Sweden and the other Nordic countries. Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the UK will each receive a share of between 5 and 15 per cent.

"We expect the order books to fill very quickly”, commented Jacoby. “The most discerning customers have many exclusive cars to choose between. But for anyone who truly wants to be in a league of their own behind the wheel of the most ingenious car in the world, there's only our V60 Plug-in Hybrid.”

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